John Levi Kent was a new age Newton County man. He was well educated, wealthy with friends and relatives and he loved the mountains, creeks, bluffs, rivers and valleys of Newton County, Arkansas. He and his wife Peggy contributed time and energy producing genealogy data in this site. Most of that information is located in the Newton County archives. If you use information on this site to research your family, you may thank John, his skill with computers and his love for his family. Dr. John Kent died in October of 2001 an enormous loss to his family, Newton County and the USGenWeb Project.
The following is Mr. Kent's obituary:
John Levi Kent, Sr., 67, of Mt. Judea passed away in Ozark Mo. on Friday,
Oct. 19, 2001.
John was born on Jan. 13, 1934 in Mt. Judea, Ark., the
son of Burl and Edna Kent. He served in the U. S. Army and Reserves and
received an honorary discharge as a captain after 10 years of service.
John graduated from Mt. Judea High School in 1952, Arkansas
Tech in 1956, University of Arkansas in 1960 and received an E. Ed. in mathematic
at Oklahoma State University in 1965.
John taught school at Harrison High School, Arkansas Tech in
Russeville, Arkansas State in Jonesboro and Henderson State University in "Arkadelphia,
and retired there after 27 years as chairman of the math and computer science
department. John and Peggy retired to his home place of Mt. Judea, Ark.
John was a member of the Arkansas/Oklahoma Math Association
for over 30 years, a member of the Arkansas Board of Education, member of the
faculty senate at Henderson and founded the math fraternity at Arkansas State.
He coached Little League baseball and football in Arkadelphia. He was a member
of the Arkansas Square Dancers and the First Baptist Church of Jasper. He was
also webmaster of the Newton County Genealogy [USGenWeb Project] Association.
He was preceded in death by his father, Burl Davis Kent and
his brother, Burl Allen Kent.
He is survived by his mother Edna Kent of Jasper; his wife
Peggy; son John, Jr. daughter-in-law Tina and grandchildren marisa and Jacob
of Springfield, MO; son Harvey, daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Forrest
of Gonzales, La; sister Marvel Kent Shrum and husband Leon of El Reno, Okla.;
brother Jerry Kent and wife Darlene of Mt. Judea; sister-in-law Jovita Kent Smith
of Western Grove, Ark.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21 at Holt
Memorial Chapel in Harrison. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct.
22 at First Baptist Church in Jasper and burial at the Mt. Judea Cemetery in
Mt. Judea.
Reverend Manuel Mack will be officiating with eulogy given
by William Durand. Pallbearers are Randy Kent, Kiley Smith, Jim Paul Lee, Keith
Clayborn, Jerry Smith and Alton Campbell. Honorary pallbearers are the Henderson
State University Department of Math and Computer Sciences.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist
Church of Jasper, Mt. Judea Cemetery Fund and the Mt. Judea Volunteer Fire Department
in John's memory.
Harrison Daily Times
October 21, 2001