Evelyn Ryan - The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

This site explores the life and times of Evelyn Ryan, the Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, celebrated in the bestselling 2001 memoir by her daughter, Terry, and the 2005 movie by DreamWorks Pictures starring Julianne Moore. Here you will find tidbits from the collection of artifacts carefully stored by Evelyn throughout her household (801 Washington Avenue, at left) over a lifetime of contesting, as well as newer elements added by her children that chronicle the triumphs and sorrows of a most unusual mother (and hero) of 10.

The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less, by Terry Ryan, was published by Simon and Schuster in 2001. For more information on the book, or to listen to a sample chapter, go to Tuff's web site. The DreamWorks Pictures movie based on the book was released in September 2005. For more information on the movie, or to watch the trailer, click here. To purchase the book from Amazon.com now, click here.

We urge you to support the Evelyn Ryan Endowment at Defiance College in Evelyn's hometown of Defiance, Ohio. Yearly scholarships from the endowment make it possible for DC students with Evelyn's potential to pursue their study of writing at the college level. You can learn more about Defiance College at their web site.