Little House on the Prairie: Reverend Alden Passes

Venerable actor Dabbs Greer has passed away at the age of 90. You may not know his name but you’ve certainly seen his face dozens of times.

Born Robert William Greer in 1917, he began acting at the age of eight. Greer was best known for his role as the gentle and wise Reverend Alden on NBC’s Little House on the Prairie from 1974 – 1984. In addition to Little House, Greer was a semi-regular on shows like Picket Fences, Maybe It’s Me, and Gunsmoke.

So identifiable as a generic everyman, Greers was a staple of series television for six decades, often playing more than one character during the run of a show. He played several characters on shows like The Andy Griffith Show, The Rifleman, The Untouchables, Perry Mason, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., and Adventures of Superman. Greer had the distinction of playing the first person to be rescued by George Reeves in the man of steel’s origin story.

Greer married Rob and Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show) for the second time and married Carol and Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch pilot. He then reappeared 21 years later to officiate at the wedding of Bobby Brady on the short-lived The Bradys.

Greer will be missed but his talent and substantial body of work will always be a part of television history. Stay tuned!