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Michael Landon played a father in “Little House on the Prairie.”

In addition to Laura, Charles had seven other children.

Michael Landon and his wife holding their daughter

Throughout three marriages, Landon became a father to nine children.

Three of them were adopted, but he raised them equally as his own.

When he died from cancer in 1991, his youngest child was still a toddler.

Michael Landon and his family smiling at a gathering

…So it’s very easy to put your health on the back burner."

His death touched his children in different ways, and so has his legacy.

His children continued to carry on his mission and keep his memory alive in their own ways.

Leslie Landon with the Little House on the Prairie cast at a reunion

Many of Michael Landon’s children grew up to follow in his footsteps working in the entertainment industry.

Some also endured tragedies in life, and some devoted their time to helping others.

Christopher was devastated about his father’s sudden departure.

Cheryl Landon gives a lecture at CBS

“You could say a thousand goodbyes, and it would never be enough.”

Sean was too young to comprehend death.

“When he passed away, I suddenly saw things differently and questioned everything,” she toldPanCAN.

Michael Landon Jr. posing at a press event

On the 50th anniversary of the beloved TV series, she spoke withCozi TVabout her experience.

“I think I was 12 years old at the time,” Landon Matthews said.

“My scene was with my dad.”

Christopher Landon smiling at a press event for Netflix

In retrospect, Marge was a big challenge.

Michael tried to bargain with a higher force for her life.

In 1988, on the verge of the show being canceled, he reflected on his effort.

Jennifer Landon posing in a cowgirl hat

He started as a film loader and camera assistant and went to the American Film Institute for directing.

“I really had to become my own person,” Landon Jr. toldThe Oklahoman.

“I might just be an ordinary guy who’s going to live an ordinary life.”

Shawna and Sean Landon sitting together

He seemed to have made a switch to focus on producing, writing, and directing since then.

This time, Landon Jr. made the decision not to star in his movie.

Instead, he cast Joel Berti as himself and John Schneider as his famous father.

Cheryl Landon smiling while walking down the street

“I was lost big time,” Landon Jr. toldFox Newsin 2014.

He recalled turning to substance and alcohol use after his parents' divorce.

“My world came crashing down.”

Michael Landon in 1990 walking down the street

But he eventually patched things up with his father.

Christopher’s passion for horror started at a young age.

He recalled his father screening the horror movies before letting him watch them on theThis Is Horrorpodcast.

Leslie Landon attending a press event

“I was always drawn to the genre at an early age.”

To him, horror was a safe place to explore feelings.

However, among all his projects, one helped him explore his relationship with his dad.

Shawna Landon, Leslie Landon, and Sean Landon taking a picture together at Purple Stride

The film offered him an opportunity to process his unresolved feelings.

From there, Jennifer’s acting career flourished.

Among all her roles,Jennifer Landon is most known for playing ranch hand Teeter in “Yellowstone.

““I’m a lunchbox actor,” Jennifer toldDecider.

“Each job is a job fought for and a job got.”

For Teeter’s accent, she turned to her great-grandmother on her mother’s side for inspiration.

In anotherInstagrampost, he shows off a trip he and his mother took to Montana in 2023.

Shawna is a mother and has done volunteer work regularly, but she didn’t have an easy life.

In 2022, she lost her 24-year-old son, Dylan, in a bus accident.

“My mom lived near there,” she said.

Even though the odds were against her, Cheryl didn’t end up in a wheelchair.

She also revealed that Michael’s main concern while facing his mortality was that his work wasn’t done.

On his deathbed, Cheryl made a promise to honor and protect his name.

“He squeezed my hand confirming the promise, as if believing I could do it.”

He was also in two other movies: “Goodbye America” and “Double Edge.”

He recalled his father sneaking up on him while he was stuck on a math problem.

In 2009, Mark, 60, was found dead at his home in West Hollywood.

“Michael and I were in our 20s but our younger siblings were so young,” she recalled.

She went to the Grief Recovery Institute, which then led to writing her book.

“My brother Mike gave me the courage to come forward and admit that I had a problem.”

Sean and Jennifer Landon have been active advocates for the Pancreatic Cancer Action data pipe throughout the years.

In 2021, Jennifer even led PanCAN’s annual awareness campaign.

“My father is always in my daily thoughts,” said Leslie in the press release.

Since his death, research has brought progress in the treatment of the disease.

At the time of writing, the five-year survival rate has since risen to 12%.