“I’m not the kind of person who gives up without a fight. If I’m gonna die, Death’s gonna have to do a lot of fighting to get me. I’m not just gonna lie down and let it happen. I’ve got too much I don’t want to leave. Mainly my family. I’m in the fight of my life, but I don’t know if I’d be fighting if I didn’t have my family. The doctors would say, We can’t really do anything for you, you’re going to die. And I would say, O.K., I’ve had a good life. Enough happiness, enough success. Now I won’t have to worry about the new series making it or not. And that would be that, if it was just me. But it isn’t just me. I want to see my kids grow up. I want to play baseball with Sean. I want to know if Jennifer turns out to be as good an actress as I think she will be. I want to watch Chris, my 16-year-old, become a man. I love my wife, Cindy, very much, and I don’t want to leave her.”             

  Michael Landon, June 1991.

 

The following events and happenings (in black) – both happy and sad – have occurred since Michael’s death on July 1, 1991 . If anyone has any more information we could add, we would appreciate you contacting us.
 

 What Michael has missed ……..

 

Grand children

"They are starting to worry me. I am going to start fixing my oldest kid up. I mean, I don't know what is going on. I thought I was going to be a real young grandfather. I would love to have grandkids." Michael in 1981, talking about not yet being a grandfather.

“Dad used to put his hand her (Sharee’s) tummy. He would close his eyes and go, ‘Aaaaaah,’ as if he was loving the baby.” Leslie Landon, February 1992.

Michael’s first biological grandchild was born one month after he passed away. Ashley is the daughter of Michael Jnr and his wife Sharee. They now have another daughter, Brittany and a son, Austin.

 

                                               

                                                                      
 

Michael’s daughter Leslie Landon Matthews has four children. Rachel Lynn, Justin Michael, Catherine and Joseph.

 

Another hit series

The last project Michael worked on was a pilot for a series called “US.” It aired on September 20, 1991 .

 

Michael’s co-stars in “US” were Barney Miller and Casey Peterson.  About Michael, Barney said: “Michael was more worried about me than himself. He actually apologized to me for getting sick. The last time we spoke, after he’d seen the finished pilot for “ US ” Michael said to me: ‘Barney, I’ve got to tell you – I think we really had a big hit show here. I’m sorry to do this to you.’ Here he was, desperately ill, and he’s concerned about me. Through all the years I’ve been in the business, and all the stars I’ve worked with, Michael was in a class by himself.”

 

A son’s admission

Michael wanted his children to do what made them happy. “I do think that I – that everybody – should keep an open mind because if you don’t, you may make yourself miss something beautiful – truly beautiful – that really is right for you. That’s what I try to get across to my kids: The first thing they should shoot for in their lives is to be happy…just to be happy. You have to work at that, you know. Unfortunately, it’s a lot easier in this world to be unhappy. Then, you have to keep an open mind, as I said. Some few people are able to work out a structured, planned life pattern…like lawyer’s sons becoming lawyers, etc. But I wonder…might not that kid really have preferred to be something else? Maybe not, but I wonder….” Michael Landon, July 1978.

In 1997 Christopher Landon told his family he was gay. Publicly coming out in 1999. When asked if he thought his father knew, Christopher’s reply was, “Yeah. My stepmom said, ‘I knew. And you know what? Your father knew too.’ Apparently he just told her out of the blue, ‘I think he’s gay, but I’m sure he’ll come to that conclusion on his own.’ I think there was a question of why I didn’t keep my high school girlfriends longer. It was kind of actually a comfort to know that he had a good sense of it.”

 

Children’s marriages

Not all of Michael’s children are married yet and in 2000, Leslie Landon Matthews talked about her father giving her away on her wedding day and something that Michael and her sisters have missed out on. “Right before I walked down the aisle, I started to get very emotional. It was really saying goodbye as a little girl to her father. And he got teary-eyed too, so we walked down the aisle together with tears in our eyes. It’s one of the greatest memories I have – which makes me sad for my younger sisters who won’t experience that.”

 

          

Children’s careers

In 1987, Michael said his youngest daughter Jennifer, who was three at the time, wanted to be an actress. “She’s already nudging me for parts. Jennifer runs lines with me and she watches the show (HTH) when it’s broadcast. She sits in my lap and cries buckets when it’s a sad episode. This is definitely an actress-in-the-making.”

Jennifer, is an actress now. She joined the cast of ‘As The World Turns,’ playing Gwen Norbeck, in 2005. Jennifer won the Daytime Emmy award for ‘Outstanding younger actress in a drama series in May 2006.

 

                                                  

 
Not long before Michael died, Leslie completed her degree to practice as a child psychiatrist. She has since co-authored a book “When Children Grieve.”

    

Like his brothers and sisters, Michael Landon Jnr had occasional small roles in some of his father’s shows. Later, he worked for his father as an assistant cameraman. He has stayed in the television industry and his work now includes: Bonanza: The Return - 1993 (story/actor), Bonanza: Under Attack - 1995 (actor), Love Comes Softly – 2003 (teleplay/Director/co-executive Producer), Love’s Enduring Promise – 2004 (Director/co-executive Producer), Love’s Long Journey – 2005 (teleplay/Director).

 
Christopher Landon wrote/produced and directed a short film “Only Child,” in 1996. He also wrote “Another Day in Paradise ,” in 1998 and has worked on several scrips for MGM.

 In 1996 Shawna Landon was the Queen of "The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival." Minister of Crown was her sister, Leslie. Leslie was the Queen in 1980.
 
(Also of note, Pernell Roberts was Grand Marshal in 1963.)
 
"The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival" is held annually in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia. In the Shenandoah Valley. The festival has many events for the whole family to enjoy and celebrities attend every year. 

Reunions & Get togethers

Michael has not been forgotten by his fans. There have been Bonanza conventions in 1999, 2002 and 2005. As well as a reunion for Little House on the Prairie.

 

Happenings at the Ranch

In the 1960’s Bill Anderson came up with the idea of building a real Ponderosa Ranch, involving Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon and NBC. The Ponderosa Ranch, tourist attraction, opened in June 1967. It included a replica of the Cartwright house on Bonanza.

 

In the month after Michael died, 80 000 people visited the ranch. In 2004 the ranch was sold and closed.

 

A baby named after him 

In October 1995 Melissa Gilbert gave birth to a son. Melissa and her husband, Bruce Boxleitner, named the baby Michael – after Michael Landon.

 

A fire that destroyed history

In 2003 wild fires in California destroyed the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley. Little House on the Prairie was filmed there and almost all of the set was destroyed. The ranch had been a favourite location of Michael’s and he’d also filmed episodes of Highway To Heaven there. Some episodes of Bonanza were also filmed there.

 

Deaths

In December 2002, Michael’s sister Evelyn (Vicki King) died.

 

 

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