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NEED TO KNOW
Little House on the Prairie star Karen Grassle opens up about the latest developments in her life
Grassle starred as Caroline 'Ma' Ingalls on the hit TV show from 1974-1982, departing before the show's final season
The actress, 83, will reunite with her Little House family on Dec. 12-14 in Simi Valle
Little House on the Prairiestar Karen Grassle has followed her heart to Italy. Proving at 83, that it's never too late for long-lost love, and she has Ma Ingalls to thank.
It all started with a trip to Monaco last summer, where the Monte-Carlo Television Festival celebrated the 50th anniversary ofLittle House.Grassle starred as Caroline 'Ma' Ingalls on the hit TV show from 1974-1982, departing before the show's final season.
"A few of us were invited to go to Monaco to celebrate the 50th," she tells PEOPLE. "I looked at a map and I saw that Carrara [Italy] was just down the coast, and I thought, gosh, well, maybe I could go and visit [him] after all this time."
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Visit who? "[A man] I was in love with when I was young," she explains.
The lucky gentleman who captured Grassle's heart for a second time is also an artist. She was happy to exclusively share with PEOPLE that she's dating sculptorRobert Gove. "I'm very proud of the work that he does."
Grassle fondly remembers that time, 60 years ago, with the man she would never forget. "When I first met him, I was only 19 years old and I was just starting my life in the theater. Everything was new and exciting!"
Grassle's life was so full during that time, finishing her degree at Berkeley, performing on stages in London and all over the US, including on Broadway. "We lost touch many years ago," she admits.
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But she was in Monte Carlo and so she took a gamble on love. "I was able to get an email, which wasn't easy at first. I said, 'How would you like a visitor?' And he was enthusiastic." For Grassle, the gamble paid off. "It was quite a surprise to find how close we felt when we saw each other."
"We met up again and we fell back in love," she tells PEOPLE, adding: "This morning I did the final signing for a nice little apartment here in Carrara." She plans to live there part-time, splitting her life between the US and Italy.
The 50th celebration in Monaco wasn't the last time members of theLittle Houseon the Prairiecast would reunite. Karen is looking forward to seeing her old friends once again Dec. 12-14 in Simi Valley, CA.
"Everybody who lovesLittle Houseis going to love it. People will have an opportunity to ask stuff that they've always wondered," she says.
For more information on the upcomingLittle House on the Prairiecast reunion, visit:LittleHouseonthePrairieCastReunions.com.
Read the original article onPeople
