Mary Frances Doner was the daughter of Great Lakes Captain James Doner and Mary Jane O'Rourke; she was an author of fiction and non-fiction, including "The Salvager." Her gravesite, which is unmarked, was featured on the annual Cemetery Walk given by the St. Clair Historical Museum.
"Novelist Mary Frances Doner wrote of love, romance and adventure with the Great Lakes often as her backdrop. Doner, born in Port Huron in 1893 and a St. Clair resident for many years, wrote more than 25 novels in a career that spanned five decades. Much of Doner's inspiration and love for the Great Lakes came from her father, James Doner. James Doner was captain in the Reiss Great Lakes fleet and thrilled his daughter with tales of his journeys. Her writing interest was sparked by a class assignment at St. Clair High School in which students were instructed to write about a sponge. Undaunted, Doner turned the sponge into a wicked prince or, rather, turned the wicked prince into a sponge. Doner, who died April 1, 1985 in Ludington where she had lived and taught creative writing since 1964, always put her characters first and the plot second. She sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922 when she was 29. The same year Doner had graduated from Columbia University in New York City where she studied journalism. She later worked as music critic for the "Boston Traveler" in the late 1920s and as a book reviewer a decade later for the "Boston Herald. Her works include "Not by Bread Alone," "Blue River," and "Some Fell Among Thorns." "Blue River" was optioned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Doner began writing for Doubleday, Doran & Co. in 1940, shortly after publication of perhaps her most famous novel, "Chalice." - Jill Carlson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald, March 6, 1986
"Mary Frances Doner, St. Clair novelist, dies - While a student at St. Clair High School, Mary Frances Doner was assigned to write a story about a sponge. That assignment sparked a writing career that included publication of more than 25 novels. Miss Doner, 91, died Monday at Baywood Nursing Home, Ludington. She was born in July 1893 in Port Huron. Miss Doner moved to Boston after her marriage to Dr. Claude L Payzant, but later returned to the Blue Water Area and settled in St. Clair. She moved to Ludington in 1964 and taught creative writing for several years.
Miss Doner sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922. The day of publication, she spent hours waiting at a news-stand for the magazine to be delivered. She then spent most of the $125 she was paid for the story to send telegrams and copies to friends and relatives. For the next 12 years, Miss Doner made a living writing for the pulps - inexpensive magazines that carried romance stories. One of her favorite incidents was one she could have used in one of her novels. With a deadline approaching for one of her stories, Miss Doner had to have an appendectomy.
When she awoke following the operation, she found her magazine editor standing beside her bed with a stenographer. he wanted her to dictate the end of the story, which she did. Miss Doner considered writing the great love of her life. The majority of her novels were set on the Great Lakes, including several that used the Blue Water Area as a background. Original manuscripts of Miss Doner's work have been donated to a number of libraries in Michigan and Massachusetts. The manuscript of "The Salvager," the story of Capt. Thomas Reid, a Great Lakes ship salvager in Port Huron, was donated to the Port Huron Library in 1964. Miss Doner also donated her 1,500-volume library to the League of Catholic Women that year. "My books are my life because I have collected them all of my life. Many of them are autographed by the authors who were my personal friends." she said when she donated her library in October 1964.
"I wanted to give the library as a unit because it has a soul. My soul," she said. Funeral services for Miss Doner were held Wednesday in Ludington." - Roberta Stevenson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald
"Novelist Mary Frances Doner wrote of love, romance and adventure with the Great Lakes often as her backdrop. Doner, born in Port Huron in 1893 and a St. Clair resident for many years, wrote more than 25 novels in a career that spanned five decades. Much of Doner's inspiration and love for the Great Lakes came from her father, James Doner. James Doner was captain in the Reiss Great Lakes fleet and thrilled his daughter with tales of his journeys. Her writing interest was sparked by a class assignment at St. Clair High School in which students were instructed to write about a sponge. Undaunted, Doner turned the sponge into a wicked prince or, rather, turned the wicked prince into a sponge. Doner, who died April 1, 1985 in Ludington where she had lived and taught creative writing since 1964, always put her characters first and the plot second. She sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922 when she was 29. The same year Doner had graduated from Columbia University in New York City where she studied journalism. She later worked as music critic for the "Boston Traveler" in the late 1920s and as a book reviewer a decade later for the "Boston Herald. Her works include "Not by Bread Alone," "Blue River," and "Some Fell Among Thorns." "Blue River" was optioned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Doner began writing for Doubleday, Doran & Co. in 1940, shortly after publication of perhaps her most famous novel, "Chalice." - Jill Carlson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald, March 6, 1986
"Mary Frances Doner, St. Clair novelist, dies - While a student at St. Clair High School, Mary Frances Doner was assigned to write a story about a sponge. That assignment sparked a writing career that included publication of more than 25 novels. Miss Doner, 91, died Monday at Baywood Nursing Home, Ludington. She was born in July 1893 in Port Huron. Miss Doner moved to Boston after her marriage to Dr. Claude L Payzant, but later returned to the Blue Water Area and settled in St. Clair. She moved to Ludington in 1964 and taught creative writing for several years.
Miss Doner sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922. The day of publication, she spent hours waiting at a news-stand for the magazine to be delivered. She then spent most of the $125 she was paid for the story to send telegrams and copies to friends and relatives. For the next 12 years, Miss Doner made a living writing for the pulps - inexpensive magazines that carried romance stories. One of her favorite incidents was one she could have used in one of her novels. With a deadline approaching for one of her stories, Miss Doner had to have an appendectomy.
When she awoke following the operation, she found her magazine editor standing beside her bed with a stenographer. he wanted her to dictate the end of the story, which she did. Miss Doner considered writing the great love of her life. The majority of her novels were set on the Great Lakes, including several that used the Blue Water Area as a background. Original manuscripts of Miss Doner's work have been donated to a number of libraries in Michigan and Massachusetts. The manuscript of "The Salvager," the story of Capt. Thomas Reid, a Great Lakes ship salvager in Port Huron, was donated to the Port Huron Library in 1964. Miss Doner also donated her 1,500-volume library to the League of Catholic Women that year. "My books are my life because I have collected them all of my life. Many of them are autographed by the authors who were my personal friends." she said when she donated her library in October 1964.
"I wanted to give the library as a unit because it has a soul. My soul," she said. Funeral services for Miss Doner were held Wednesday in Ludington." - Roberta Stevenson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald
Mary Frances Doner was the daughter of Great Lakes Captain James Doner and Mary Jane O'Rourke; she was an author of fiction and non-fiction, including "The Salvager." Her gravesite, which is unmarked, was featured on the annual Cemetery Walk given by the St. Clair Historical Museum.
"Novelist Mary Frances Doner wrote of love, romance and adventure with the Great Lakes often as her backdrop. Doner, born in Port Huron in 1893 and a St. Clair resident for many years, wrote more than 25 novels in a career that spanned five decades. Much of Doner's inspiration and love for the Great Lakes came from her father, James Doner. James Doner was captain in the Reiss Great Lakes fleet and thrilled his daughter with tales of his journeys. Her writing interest was sparked by a class assignment at St. Clair High School in which students were instructed to write about a sponge. Undaunted, Doner turned the sponge into a wicked prince or, rather, turned the wicked prince into a sponge. Doner, who died April 1, 1985 in Ludington where she had lived and taught creative writing since 1964, always put her characters first and the plot second. She sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922 when she was 29. The same year Doner had graduated from Columbia University in New York City where she studied journalism. She later worked as music critic for the "Boston Traveler" in the late 1920s and as a book reviewer a decade later for the "Boston Herald. Her works include "Not by Bread Alone," "Blue River," and "Some Fell Among Thorns." "Blue River" was optioned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Doner began writing for Doubleday, Doran & Co. in 1940, shortly after publication of perhaps her most famous novel, "Chalice." - Jill Carlson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald, March 6, 1986
"Mary Frances Doner, St. Clair novelist, dies - While a student at St. Clair High School, Mary Frances Doner was assigned to write a story about a sponge. That assignment sparked a writing career that included publication of more than 25 novels. Miss Doner, 91, died Monday at Baywood Nursing Home, Ludington. She was born in July 1893 in Port Huron. Miss Doner moved to Boston after her marriage to Dr. Claude L Payzant, but later returned to the Blue Water Area and settled in St. Clair. She moved to Ludington in 1964 and taught creative writing for several years.
Miss Doner sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922. The day of publication, she spent hours waiting at a news-stand for the magazine to be delivered. She then spent most of the $125 she was paid for the story to send telegrams and copies to friends and relatives. For the next 12 years, Miss Doner made a living writing for the pulps - inexpensive magazines that carried romance stories. One of her favorite incidents was one she could have used in one of her novels. With a deadline approaching for one of her stories, Miss Doner had to have an appendectomy.
When she awoke following the operation, she found her magazine editor standing beside her bed with a stenographer. he wanted her to dictate the end of the story, which she did. Miss Doner considered writing the great love of her life. The majority of her novels were set on the Great Lakes, including several that used the Blue Water Area as a background. Original manuscripts of Miss Doner's work have been donated to a number of libraries in Michigan and Massachusetts. The manuscript of "The Salvager," the story of Capt. Thomas Reid, a Great Lakes ship salvager in Port Huron, was donated to the Port Huron Library in 1964. Miss Doner also donated her 1,500-volume library to the League of Catholic Women that year. "My books are my life because I have collected them all of my life. Many of them are autographed by the authors who were my personal friends." she said when she donated her library in October 1964.
"I wanted to give the library as a unit because it has a soul. My soul," she said. Funeral services for Miss Doner were held Wednesday in Ludington." - Roberta Stevenson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald
"Novelist Mary Frances Doner wrote of love, romance and adventure with the Great Lakes often as her backdrop. Doner, born in Port Huron in 1893 and a St. Clair resident for many years, wrote more than 25 novels in a career that spanned five decades. Much of Doner's inspiration and love for the Great Lakes came from her father, James Doner. James Doner was captain in the Reiss Great Lakes fleet and thrilled his daughter with tales of his journeys. Her writing interest was sparked by a class assignment at St. Clair High School in which students were instructed to write about a sponge. Undaunted, Doner turned the sponge into a wicked prince or, rather, turned the wicked prince into a sponge. Doner, who died April 1, 1985 in Ludington where she had lived and taught creative writing since 1964, always put her characters first and the plot second. She sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922 when she was 29. The same year Doner had graduated from Columbia University in New York City where she studied journalism. She later worked as music critic for the "Boston Traveler" in the late 1920s and as a book reviewer a decade later for the "Boston Herald. Her works include "Not by Bread Alone," "Blue River," and "Some Fell Among Thorns." "Blue River" was optioned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Doner began writing for Doubleday, Doran & Co. in 1940, shortly after publication of perhaps her most famous novel, "Chalice." - Jill Carlson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald, March 6, 1986
"Mary Frances Doner, St. Clair novelist, dies - While a student at St. Clair High School, Mary Frances Doner was assigned to write a story about a sponge. That assignment sparked a writing career that included publication of more than 25 novels. Miss Doner, 91, died Monday at Baywood Nursing Home, Ludington. She was born in July 1893 in Port Huron. Miss Doner moved to Boston after her marriage to Dr. Claude L Payzant, but later returned to the Blue Water Area and settled in St. Clair. She moved to Ludington in 1964 and taught creative writing for several years.
Miss Doner sold her first short story to a New York magazine in 1922. The day of publication, she spent hours waiting at a news-stand for the magazine to be delivered. She then spent most of the $125 she was paid for the story to send telegrams and copies to friends and relatives. For the next 12 years, Miss Doner made a living writing for the pulps - inexpensive magazines that carried romance stories. One of her favorite incidents was one she could have used in one of her novels. With a deadline approaching for one of her stories, Miss Doner had to have an appendectomy.
When she awoke following the operation, she found her magazine editor standing beside her bed with a stenographer. he wanted her to dictate the end of the story, which she did. Miss Doner considered writing the great love of her life. The majority of her novels were set on the Great Lakes, including several that used the Blue Water Area as a background. Original manuscripts of Miss Doner's work have been donated to a number of libraries in Michigan and Massachusetts. The manuscript of "The Salvager," the story of Capt. Thomas Reid, a Great Lakes ship salvager in Port Huron, was donated to the Port Huron Library in 1964. Miss Doner also donated her 1,500-volume library to the League of Catholic Women that year. "My books are my life because I have collected them all of my life. Many of them are autographed by the authors who were my personal friends." she said when she donated her library in October 1964.
"I wanted to give the library as a unit because it has a soul. My soul," she said. Funeral services for Miss Doner were held Wednesday in Ludington." - Roberta Stevenson, published in the Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald
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