A fascination with the art of cooking began for Diane Douglas when she was a little girl. Growing up, her mother, Genevieve Dockery, worked about seven days a week at Navarro County Abstract Company. Her father, Euel “Doc” Dockery worked many days of the week as well, and a lady named Amie Sims took care of Diane and her brother Jimmy.

“Amie would pick vegetables from the garden early in the morning, and by noon, would have a full meal cooked, including homemade Parker House rolls and desserts,” Douglas said. “I would sit on the counter and watch her cook, and I knew then the one thing I wanted to do in life would be to cook like her. Her coconut pie was probably my favorite.”

As a teen growing up in Corsicana, Diane and her mother and sister-in-law, Susan Dockery, would attend the Taste of Home cooking schools at the Corsicana High School auditorium. She has many fond memories of time spent together at those events. The three women also worked alongside each other many years at Navarro County Abstract.

“Cooking is my passion,” she said. “Sometimes when I’m down, I make a pie and take it to someone. The smile I receive makes the day so much better.”

Douglas ministers to those around her with food, by providing pies, cakes and other goodies for lots of different fund-raisers. She has a very comprehensive list of birthdays and other special days, and remembers folks on those days with their favorite dish.

Married to her best friend, Brett, for 30 years, a typical Sunday at the Douglas home has all three sons: Dustin, Daniel and Seth; Daniel’s wife Ashley; girlfriends, friends, and friends of Brett and Diane being treated to a spread which would rival the biggest Thanksgiving.

“Desserts are my favorite thing to make, and I’ve been working on some sugarless recipes lately,” she said. “Brett has been ecstatic about some of the things I’ve come up with. It’s all down-home cooking — no gourmet for me!”

Through the years, Diane has collected over 1,000 old cookbooks, and has compiled a notebook of all her favorite “tried and true” recipes. Friends and family urge her to put together her own cookbook, as well as urging her to open her own cafe.

And, she has racked up a few awards through the years as a frequent finalist in the annual Daily Sun Recipe Contest.

She believes the best gift is to be able to cook something and bring a smile to someone’s face, in good times or in bad.

“God has blessed me with a wonderful life that I cherish every day,” she said. “My feelings are to love everyone in your life today — tell them you love them, don’t put it off. You may not have the chance tomorrow.”

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