# Old Mrs. Lee — O Pioneers! character guide

> Old Mrs. Lee in O Pioneers! by Willa Cather.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Lee, Poor old Mrs. Lee, Old Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Lee

**First appearance:** 0000-part-i-the-wild-land

## Snapshot

An elderly woman whose presence in the Bergson household anchors the family's Swedish roots and its quieter generational ties.

## Who they are

Old Mrs. Lee belongs to the older world of the Divide, the one that predates Alexandra's windmills and telephone wires, and her frailty measures how far the family has come. She is cared for within the household, a reminder that the Bergsons' prosperity rests on obligations as much as ambition. Her small, dependent presence keeps the novel's eye on the human cost of all that patient, forward-looking work.

## Relationships

### [Alexandra Bergson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/o_pioneers_se/characters/alexandra_bergson)

_family_

Old Mrs. Lee is Alexandra's elderly mother, whom Alexandra cares for with patience and affection.

### [Alexandra Bergson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/o_pioneers_se/characters/alexandra_bergson)

_family_

Old Mrs. Lee is Alexandra's elderly mother, whom Alexandra cares for with patience and affection.

### [Alexandra Bergson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/o_pioneers_se/characters/alexandra_bergson)

_family_

Old Mrs. Lee is Alexandra's elderly mother, whom Alexandra cares for with patience and affection.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/o_pioneers_se/chapters/i)

Old Mrs. Lee accompanies Alexandra to Marie's house, showing off her new cross-stitch apron and enjoying Marie's baking.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/o_pioneers_se/characters/old_mrs_lee
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/o_pioneers_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/o_pioneers_se/characters