Douglas, Ellen Dies at 91 - Author of Twelve Books, Winner of Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship, Twice Listed Among the Top Five Fiction Writers of the Year by the New York Times. Ellen Douglas, acclaimed author of fiction and nonfiction, died, November 7, 2012, after a long illness, in her home in Jackson, Mississippi, where she has lived since the 1980s. She was born, Josephine Ayres in Natchez, Mississippi, in 1921, and grew up in Alexandria, Louisiana, before attending Ole Miss, where she met her husband, the late Kenneth Haxton. After he finished serving in the Navy in World War II, they settled in his hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, where they raised their three sons, Richard, Ayres, and Brooks, in a house full of books, music, and passionate devotion to the arts. In the early 1960s when her first novel, A Family's Affairs, was awarded the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship and her first novella appeared in The New Yorker Magazine, she began to use the pen name Ellen Douglas. Her first two books were listed among the five best works of fiction for the year by the New York Times Book Review, and her third book was a finalist for the National Book Award. In six novels, a book of short fiction, and four books of nonfiction, she was an unusually candid and perceptive observer of the kinds of characters and social relationships formed, for better or worse, in a world inflected by Southern traditions of gender and race. The art of the fiction and nonfiction, in her hands, was the art of telling a good story, and the best stories she could tell involved the most pressing and difficult problems in the world where she spent her life, in places like Natchez and Greenville. Critics were virtually unanimous in their high praise of her accomplishment, and, among many honors, she was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Fellowship of Southern Writers and the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters. She taught in the writing programs at Ole Miss, the University of Iowa, and elsewhere. In her private life, she was a loving mother, wife, and friend, who enjoyed good company and good food, and who appreciated the accomplishments of people in every human pursuit. She also liked to fish for bream, swim, and pick chanterelles. She is survived by two siblings, Richardson Ayres and Archer Postlethwaite, her three sons, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Valenda Newell
September 21, 2016
I have wonderful memories of Josephine There had been a storm that knocked out the electricity so we entertained ourselves with ghost stories. Later Josephine scared the bejesus out of me when she came walking through the dark in a long white nightgown carrying a candle and her hair so long it almost reached the floor. Fond memories of Kenneth, Josephine, Wetherbee, Little Theater, Greenville
Mary Helen LOOPER
September 1, 2013
Geez Louise, I am seardching just now to write my mother's obituary in our home town newspaper and some force of the universe made me happen here. Thank you, it gave me strength and I wish that I had known you.
November 21, 2012
may the blessing of GOD be with the Douglas family.Please accept my sincere sympathy......gd.
November 16, 2012
Condolences to family and friends during this difficult time.
Psalm 9:9
D E
November 14, 2012
We are sorry for you loss.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
pc rodriguez
November 11, 2012
May the God of comfort give you the strength needed to endure during this difficult time.
Marie M
November 11, 2012
Our Deepest Condolences to the Family and Friends. May God be with YOU to bring YOU Comfort and Peace through this Difficult Time.
The Brunson Family
November 10, 2012
My sympathies to the Douglas family and friends. I am very sorry for your loss. God will provide with comfort during your time of sorrow for he gives hope with all joy and peace that you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Ashley
November 10, 2012
You have my deepest sympathy, may you draw close to God as he draws close to you at this difficult time.
November 10, 2012
sorry for the lost, but here in gods word the bible at 2tim 3:16,17 that the answer to our our problems is god word the bible, what a true source of comfort...
sterling w
November 10, 2012
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave everlasting comfort and good hope by means of undeserved kindness comfort your hearts and make you firm in every good deed and word.
November 10, 2012
Condolences to the friends and family of Mrs. Ellen Douglas, may you all throw your burden on our Heavenly Father and He will sustain you all at this difficult time.
Margaret
November 9, 2012
Praying for you and your family. I was really inspired by your novels and poetry.
Lora Givens
November 8, 2012
As the days and weeks pass, and as you return to life's routine, may you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends.
JHJ
November 8, 2012
Peace Be With You, Sweet Soul.
Ivy
November 8, 2012
Sorry for your loss. May you find comfort in the Hearer of prayer at this time. Psalm 65:2
November 8, 2012
May the family members of Ellen Douglas be comforted by our Heavenly Father's promise at Isaiah 65:17, 22-24.
November 8, 2012
Showing 1 - 18 of 18 results
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read moreWhat kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read moreWe'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreIf you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read moreLegacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreThey're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read more