‘Little House on the Prairie’s Alice Garvey Dies: Son & Grandkids Filled Her Days With Comfort Amid Memory Loss
- Hersha Parady, aka Alice Garvey from “Little House on the Prairie,” tragically passed away at 78 years old.
- The beloved actress had moved in with her son and was surrounded by family when she died.
- Though her son did everything he could to help his mom, who was sick, her health continued to deteriorate, and she was robbed “of her strength, her memory, and sadly, her vibrant personality.”
“Little House on the Prairie” star Hersha Parady sadly passed away at 78. As confirmed by her son, Jonathan Peverall, Parady died on Wednesday at his home after a health battle with a brain tumor.
Peverall had also started a GoFundMe page to assist with the cost of caring for his mom before she passed. Parady was well-known for playing the school teacher of Walnut Grove, Alice Garvey, for three seasons on the popular series.
Hersha Parady as Alice Garvey in “Little House on the Prairie” | Source: Getty Images
The late actress, who knew she was destined to act and described her childhood as living in a pretend world, was born in May 1945. Originally named Betty Sandhof, the Ohio-born talent graduated in 1963 from Berea High School.
After a few gigs at the regional theatre and Cleveland Play House, Parady scored a big role when she moved to Los Angeles and starred opposite Jon Voight in the road production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” She is survived by her son, grandkids, and siblings.
Merlin Olsen as Jonathan Garvey, Patrick Labyorteaux as Andrew ‘Andy’ Garvey, Hersha Parady as Alice Garvey in “Little House on the Prairie” in 1977 | Source: Getty Images
Hersha Parady’s Son Started a Gofundme Page to Help Raise Money for Her Care Costs
Earlier on, before Parady passed, her beloved son, Peverall, started a GoFundMe page to help keep up with the cost it took to take care of his mom. Within the plea, he disclosed that Parady was battling meningioma and divulged:
“This illness has robbed her of her strength, her memory, and sadly, her vibrant personality.”
Peverall continued to express the pain he felt seeing his adored mom in her dire condition. He described that she reached a point of being bedridden and finding it challenging to manage even the most basic daily tasks.
Further along in his heartfelt message, Peverall mentions that while he and other family members were doing all they could, the plea for donations was to improve Parady’s overall quality of life. Additionally, he revealed that because his mom was naturally fiercely independent, asking for help did not come easy to her. Thus, he created the page on her behalf.
Despite Parady sadly passing away, Peverall raised more funds than the original target amount. Many fans of Parady stepped in to donate what they could to help out.
When news of Parady’s passing broke, Peverall posted an update on his GoFundMe page to confirm the tragedy. He also graciously thanked everyone who helped, and many people extended their condolences via comments on the page.
Hersha Parady Was a Doting Mom and Grandmother Whose Son Moved Her into His Home and Took Care of Her
Sometime before the “Little House Years” alum died, her son moved her into his home with his family to look after her. On the GoFundMe page, Peverall revealed that his mom’s deteriorating health prompted this decision. He also explained:
“…From moving expenses to in-home nursing care, to medical equipment and more, the financial burden is significant. And with a full time job and three kids, providing her with the level of care she needs is difficult.”
However, regardless of monetary constraints, Peverall still ensured that he did his best to tend to his mother’s needs and health care. Though her death has left many heartbroken, Parady passed away being comforted and surrounded by her loving family, including her grandchildren, whom she adored.
On her Facebook, Parady has an array of pictures showing her son and grandchildren, whom she loved spending a lot of time with. One particularly adorable post shows doting grandma Parady embracing two of her grandkids as they smiled and posed for the camera.
Many fans of Alice Garvey played by Parady on the show, continue to send condolences to her bereaved family as they mourn the tragic loss of their beloved matriarch.
