Richard Bull 1924 - 2014

RIP Richard Bull aka Mr. Nels Olsen.

Beautiful tribute to Richard, posted on Melissa Sue Anderson's FB fan page. Not too crazy about the song they chose (never even heard of it), but the video is still very nice.

Yes, I'm with you about the song. He was so talented and gave us so much. So, glad we have a piece of his legacy in Little House.

Very nice.  But yeah, I agree about the song.

Weird song, but nice video.

For Julie.......And ALL of us here that loved Nels Oleson

Now that was beautiful, Dave! I love the song choice too (and artist). The ending where he is waving goodbye even brought a tear to my eye. Thank you so much for posting!     

Very nice!

I heard about it on Mary McDonough FB page. I'm so sad to hear it, but he lived a long and hopefully happy life. Therefore I'm trying not to be too sad about it.

I loved the character of Nels Oleson.
RIP, Richard Bull.

He passed on my mom and dad's anniversary and my great aunt's birthday. What a talented man, who left a wonderful legacy behind. I wrote him many years back, and he sent me this.

What a nice remembrance. I have an old Michael Landon photo but I doubt he signed them..he'd be doing that all day.
So many gone now...makes me mourn that reunion show gets to be "maybe" to nil. : (

But you have all the nice memories on TV.

littlehouselover wrote:

What a nice remembrance. I have an old Michael Landon photo but I doubt he signed them..he'd be doing that all day.
So many gone now...makes me mourn that reunion show gets to be "maybe" to nil. : (

But you have all the nice memories on TV.

Thank you. I wrote him to his home address and sent a self addressed stamped envelope. I was so happy to get it. I cherish the pictures that I have from some of the cast members. I have Dabbs Greer (Rev. Alden) also. He died shortly after I got my pics back signed. He dated the pics and everything.

I can see Mr Greer and many others doing that. I felt bad when Kevin Hagan had issues with money on LHOP but he always was nice to everyone and I remember fans saying he would send autographs also.

Hard To believe that Richard has been gone for three years today.........


RICHARD BULL OBITUARY
6/26/1924 - 2/3/2014|

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard Bull, who played shopkeeper and put-upon spouse Nels Oleson on TV's "Little House on the Prairie," has died. He was 89.

Bull died Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's hospital, fund spokeswoman Jaime Larkin said. The actor, a resident of what was once known as the Motion Picture and TV home, died of natural causes after being hospitalized with pneumonia, Larkin said Tuesday.

"Everyone loved him so much," said Bull's "Little House" co-star Alison Arngrim, who played his daughter, Nellie, and remained close to him. "People are posting (condolences) in six different languages on my Facebook page."

Bull "was as Nels Oleson as you'd possibly want someone to be. He was calm, rational, sensible," Arngrim said.

The Illinois-born character actor appeared in a wide range of TV shows, from "Perry Mason" in the 1950s to "Mannix" in the 1960s to Kelsey Grammer's "Boss" in 2011. Bull played opposite his wife of 65 years, actress Barbara Collentine, in several projects.

Among the movies he appeared in were "High Plains Drifter" and "Executive Action," both in 1973.

Dean Butler, who played Almanzo James Wilder on the 1974-83 NBC series inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's novels about her 19th-century prairie family's life, recalled his friend.

"Richard was a very generous, soft-spoken actor with a wonderful appetite for work," Butler said. "He always made it (acting) look so easy."

Melissa Gilbert, who starred in the series with Michael Landon (who died in 1991), tweeted: "This man will be missed. Goodbye Richard working with you was such a joy but nearly as joyful as being your friend."

Bull and Collentine, also 89, moved to the Motion Picture & Television Fund home from Chicago in September 2012, Larkin said.

Another resident there was Scottie MacGregor, who played Oleson's difficult wife, Harriet, on "Little House," according to Butler.

After Bull's death, Collentine and MacGregor had dinner together and agreed "they had both lost a wonderful husband," Butler said.

Funeral plans for Bull were not immediately announced.
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/ns/richard-bull-obituary/169518369#sthash.RsE6PoEY.dpuf

Hard to believe it has been 3 years already. He sounded like a caring and sweet man.

He was the perfect foil for Harriet.