A Bitter Divorce
In 1964, Ellington married the former Peggy Marie McDowell (also born 1942) of Winnsboro, a native of Monroe. Their two sons are Noble Ellington, III (born 1964), and Ryan Fred Ellington (born 1967). The Ellingtons divorced on May 11, 1998. In their family-owned company, Noble handled the negotiation of deals with suppliers and customers, while Peggy ran the office, kept the books, and performed paperwork associated with the business. Their sons joined the business, Ryan in 1992 and Noble, III, in 1995. The company buys cotton from farmers, cotton gins, and other producers and sells to textile mills and shippers. The gross profit of the company comes from the margin made from this activity. The Ellington firm made a profit each year from 1979 through 1998.
By August 1996, when the Ellingtons separated, they had made more than $2 million in the cotton business. They used some of their proceeds to purchase apartments, office buildings, and farms. Peggy sued Noble over the division of the company but lost her claim on appeal. After the divorce, Peggy married Chet D. Traylor, a Republican who served on the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1997 to 2009. Traylor, now of Monroe, formerly resided in Winnsboro. Peggy Traylor died on August 22, 2009, and is interred at Columbia Hills Cemetery in Traylor's native Columbia, Louisiana. Noble Ellington, III, and Ryan Ellington sued Chet Traylor in Fifth Judicial District Court in June 2010 for allegedly withholding information about their late mother's estate. Peggy Traylor died without a will. Chet Traylor since became romantically involved with Denise Lively Ellington, the former wife of Ryan Ellington. Noble Ellington, II, has also blamed Traylor as part of the cause of his own divorce from Peggy, his first wife of thirty-four years.
In 2010, Traylor launched an intraparty challenge to U.S. Senator David Vitter. Traylor claimed that Vitter's personal problems may render the incumbent Republican senator vulnerable to the challenge of the Democrat Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville in Assumption Parish. However, Vitter handily defeated Melancon on November 2, 2010.
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