Neltje Doubleday Kings

In 2010, Neltje made an estate gift to the University of Wyoming, which it says is the largest in its history. It consists of her ranch, studio, art collection, and financial holdings. The UW Neltje Center for the Visual and Literary Arts is based at her ranch, creating a center for collaboration among three university departments.

• Name — Neltje Doubleday Kings • Other Names — Neltje • Birth Name — Neltje Doubleday • Born — 10 October 1934 • Birthplace — New York City • Died — 30 April 2021 • Place of death — Banner, Wyoming • Occupation — artist, businesswoman and philanthropist • Years Active — 1966-2021 • Spouse — John Turner Sargent, Sr. • Children — 2, including John Turner Sargent, Jr. • Parents — * Ellen Doubleday, mother • Nelson Doubleday, father • Relatives — Nelson Doubleday Jr., brother

Born Neltje Doubleday in 1934, she is the daughter of Ellen McCarter and Nelson Doubleday, and has an older brother Nelson Doubleday, Jr. The siblings were born in New York City; they grew up in Oyster Bay, Long Island. The family also spent time in South Carolina. Nelson and Neltje attended private schools. Their paternal grandparents were Neltje Blanchan De Graff and Frank N. Doubleday; their grandfather was the founder of the United States Doubleday publishing company. Their grandmother wrote books on gardens and birds. Their maternal grandfather Thomas McCarter was head of the New Jersey Public Service Commission and a benefactor of Princeton University.

In May 1953 at the age of 18, Neltje married John Turner Sargent, Sr., then 28 and already working at the Doubleday Company. They had a daughter Ellen and son John Turner Sargent, Jr. Sargent was promoted to leadership positions at Doubleday, where he later served as president and chairman. After the couple divorced in 1965, Neltje moved with her young children to Wyoming. They also continued to see their father in New York. She started to draw at the age of 30 and became increasingly involved in making art. By 1967, she married a Mr. Kings, an artist; they divorced after six years. Some years later, Neltje dropped her surnames, legally using only one name: Neltje. Neltje Doubleday Kings died Friday, April 30, 2021 in Banner, Wyoming.

Neltje Doubleday left New York and moved to Banner, Wyoming, where in 1966 she bought a 440-acre ranch on Lower Piney Creek. She has since added to the property for cattle ranching and hay production. She operated the working ranch in part for preservation of historic and land resources; the original stone house was built soon after the Spanish–American War. There she has gradually built her art career, learning to paint and working in a variety of materials, including sculpting. • Illustration — Sheridan Inn, photo in 2008 In 1967, the heiress bought the Sheridan Inn in Sheridan, Wyoming to save it from destruction; the property was a National Historic Landmark that had been condemned because of deterioration. She renovated parts of it, and in 1968, "re-opened the Inn’s saloon, which was followed a year later by the re-opening of the dining room, the Ladies Parlor and the Wyoming Room, an all new addition to the Inn." It was renewed as part of community life of the city. She owned and operated it for 18 years. Working in every aspect of its operations, she also added a gift shop and art gallery to the hotel interior. The inn has been owned since 1990 by the Sheridan Heritage Center, Inc. In her art, Neltje has concentrated on painting abstract works. She is represented by galleries and her work is held in numerous private collections and museums, including the Smithsonian Institution; Wyoming State Museum, Cheyenne; and Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana. She is the author of the 2016 memoir, North of Crazy (9781250088147).