Oliver's Ozarks: Retired Teacher Turned Accomplished Author

LEBANON, Mo. -- Many people have a love affair with the history and culture of the Ozarks.

Ellen Gray Massey, of Lebanon, is writing about hers in retirement.

"When I came to the Ozarks I was fascinated because a lot of the customs in the Ozarks they did longer than other places," she recalls. "So I was always interested in that, so I started writing about it."

She's been living in the Lebanon area since 1946. Longtime residents will remember her as a high school English teacher and the brains behind "Bittersweet."

The quarterly magazine was published in the 70's and early 80's by Lebanon High School students. It featured stories about folklore and life in the Ozarks.

Ellen retired in 1986, but her second career has taken off in recent years. She's now an accomplished author, publishing factual and fictional books about life in the Ozarks. Just in the last year, Massey Gray had four books go to print.

"All of my books are in the Ozarks or in VernonCounty where my family still has a farm. It's just fun to write. I like to teach, and in my novels and books I have them exciting but I also tell about things so people can learn a little bit."

Ellen was one of the first inductees into the Writers Hall of Fame of America. The Missouri Writer's Guild has given her the annual Best Book Award four times.

Ellen has also given talks for the Missouri Humanities Council and spoke to countless groups across the region about the history of the Ozarks.

She even has her own website and Facebook page. You can also find her as @EllenGMassey on Twitter.