He is portrayed as a strong and resilient man who lives a long life alongside his wife Caroline and their family. He faces various challenges, including illness and financial struggles, but he overcomes them and continues to be the head of the family.
It is possible you are thinking of a different character or a different book, or perhaps you are confusing a TV adaptation of "Little House on the Prairie" with the original books. In the TV series, some storylines deviated from the books, and some characters may have experienced different fates.