Elena Mumm Thornton Wilson - Second Marriage

Second Marriage

After a whirlwind honeymoon, in which Edmund tussled with photographers and reportedly received a kick in the rear that left an imprint on his pants, the couple began a 26-year marriage that, while largely successful, was also sometimes made difficult by Edmund’s alcoholism and occasional infidelity. However, Elena proved to be tolerant and attuned to Edmund’s domestic and literary needs. Her warmth, her enjoyment of life, and her pleasure in making their home a place where family members, friends and literary colleagues loved to visit gave him a stability that did everything to help his work and his sense of well-being. Her lifelong, omnivorous reading habits in three languages and her deep understanding of history and literature made her a most valuable first reader of all that Wilson wrote while he was with her. Starting in 1946, both of them lived in Wellfleet, year-round for the most part, until their deaths. They had a daughter, Helen Miranda, in 1948. The rural community was small but mixed, including many artists and writers and a seasonal influx of sophisticated professionals who came for the summer. A childhood friend of Elena's, Nina, and her husband Prince Paul Chavchavadze were residents. Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia (née Romanov) was the daughter of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (1863-1919) and Princess Maria Georgievna of Greece and Denmark. Prince Paul was a Georgian nobleman. The couple also lived in Wellfleet all year and provided some continuity with what Elena had left behind in Europe.

After Edmund’s death in June, 1972, Elena collected and edited a book of Wilson's literary correspondence, studied ancient Greek, became involved with public service, and assisted Leon Edel in the editing of Edmund’s journals, the first two volumes of which were finished by the time of Elena’s death in 1979. Her private papers and family information are stored at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. She died in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.