Major Works
- Dummy’s Little Girl (1993) autobiography
Doris Isbell Crowe from cover of Dummy’s Little Girl
Biography
Dummy’s Little Girl
Doris Isbell McDonald Crowe was born in Nettleton, Mississippi, on March 29, 1940, to deaf parents. Her father, Carl Moorehead Isbell, Sr., owned the only shoe repair shop in Nettleton. He was known as “Dummy” to the people of the town. She says that her father did not seem to resent the name. Her mother was Florence Dora Massengill, and her parents met at the state school for the deaf in Jackson, Mississippi.
Crowe with her late husband Allen. Courtesy of Doris Crowe
Crowe’s memoir, Dummy’s Little Girl, published in 1993, tells the story of the many problems, tragedies, and joys in her life and includes some poetry that she wrote.
She attended Nettleton’s high school before going to Wood Junior College, Bellhaven College, the University of Tennessee, and Floyd College– from which she got her degree. She is a registered interpreter for the deaf and worked freelance and at the International Relay System for the Deaf in Chattanooga, TN.
She is the mother of six children – four to her former husband Edward McDonald, Sr. and two which they adopted together. McDonald was deaf.
Crowe and her second husband, Louie Allen Crowe, live in the “Crowe’s Nest.” Her second husband is not hearing impaired, which has changed Crowe’s life.
She taught for Floyd College (now Georgia Highlands College) for a few years. In the 1970’s she had a part on the television show “Hee Haw”.
In 1991 she was the chief interpreter for the Governor’s inaugurations in Georgia and has worked at the Georgia state school for the dear.
She loves music and plays the piano and organ and sings. Crowe received her first baby piano from her grandmother who taught her to play the gospel song “Jesus Loves Me” at the tender age of almost 2 years old. At the age of 10, she won a radio contest in Nettleton for piano playing at the age of 10. Later on, she played piano at her church in Tupelo, MS. Now in her late 70’s, Crowe still plays music at her church in Cave Spring and also donates her musical talents to local nonprofit organizations.
Crowe currently lives in Cave Spring, Georgia.
Doris Crowe at SVRS. Photo courtesy of Doris Crowe
Related Websites
Bibliography
- Betts-McDonald Wedding; Rome News Tribune, June 25, 2014
- Dummy’s Little Girl back at the piano in Cave Spring; Rome News Tribune, Nov. 18, 2013