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KENT FAMILY
The Kent " Kids "
1971
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FREDERICK WALLACE KENT 1894-1984
Frederick Wallace was born
on the 3 February 1894 In De Witt, Clinton County, Iowa.
He married Clara Rebecca Hartman on the 16 June 1917 in Davenport, Scott
County, Iowa.
Clara was born 23 April 1895 in Davenport.
Frederick was a photographer by trade. He began with a small camera as a
high school student, photographing both his family
and places of interests in De Witt. He continued his quest as a photographer
whilst attending the University of Iowa and
continued after his graduation.
Frederick took many photographs of college sports and began photography work
for the University's Medical Departments.
As a result, he established the University Photo Service which was private
business which ran for over thirty years
before it was sold to the University in the late 1940's.
His oldest son, James, took over as head of the University Photo Service
until his retirement and Fred continued to work there.
After his retirement, he offered his services on a voluntary basis.
Frederick was a naturalist engaging in bird watching and he took photographs
of the many different kinds of birds around the
state of Iowa. His son Thomas worked with him and they enjoyed many
adventures together. Together they compiled a
large bird photograph collection from which, in 1976, they published a book
to present their bird watching activities.
Frederick was a pioneer in photography. At times he worked with " Kodak "
and there he continued to learn his craft. With the developing photographic
technology of the twentieth century, he engaged in a career, profession and
hobby with his camera.
He was honoured for his life's work as a naturalist with a park near Iowa
City being named after him.
Images of Frederick's work can be found on file at the Iowa Historical
Society, situated in Iowa City.
Frederick died on the 17 July 1984 and Clara died in August 1972, both in
Iowa City.
Frederick and Clara had four children:
1. James
2. Barbara
3. Charles
4. Thomas
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MAUDE JEANETTE KENT 1895-1987
Maude Jeanette was born on
the 23 April 1895 in De Witt, Clinton County, Iowa.
She married John Ward Warner I on the 23 December 1914 in Iowa,
he was born 15 July 1893 in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa.
Maude was very devoted to her family, and their education. She was very
active in Christian activities within her church.
John made a life long career as a contractor specializing in plastering.
Maude died 13 March 1987 and John died 1 November 1982, both in Davenport,
Scott County, Iowa.
Maude and John had eight children:
1. Jean
2. John
3. Gordon
4. Paul
5. Timothy
6. Grace
7. Marjorie
8. Mary
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GORDON LEROY KENT BORN
1896
Gordon Leroy was born on the 18 October 1896 in De Witt.
Gordon served in the US Navy during World War I and afterwards returned to
Iowa City where he worked for his brother
Frederick as a photographic technician. His main activities in the business
were developing films and doing copy work but
he also helped with other tasks.
Gordon was a Boy Scout Leader for many years and received the highest award
of " Buffalo ". He was also a long-time
secretary of the Iowa Mountaineering Club which involved him in the
administration of the club's Sunday lecture series.
Gordon was an avid golfer, playing mostly at the Elk's Country Club. He
enjoyed games and in his latter years played duplicate bridge regularly. He
also liked to travel. Gordon organised university related photographs for
archival at the University Library
and family photographs for archival at the State Historical Society of Iowa
in Iowa City.
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DONALD ANDERSON KENT 1901-1982
Donald Anderson was born on
the 23 September 1901 in De Witt, Clinton County, Iowa.
He married Bernice Clausen on the 24 December 1924 in Iowa, she was born on
the 16 December 1903 in De Witt.
Donald got the nickname " Happy " because of his smile and happy
personality. He attended school in De Witt and was an avid electronics fan,
an interest which began as a child and was to continue. As a young man he
built many of his short wave radios.
He was a Ham operator and for most of his life had many contacts in the Ham
radio network.
Donald was an early user of the Ham radio network and learned much about
electronics. Early in the 1930's, the family
remember meeting at his home in De Witt to watch images cross a CTR (Cathode
Ray Tube) and move across the screen.
He had a very large antenna erected outside his home in De Witt, it was
about 100 feet high!
In his forties, Donald joined the Navy to help in World War II and attended
the Navy Electronics School. He was assigned to
a PT boat squadron in the Pacific, the same PT squadron to which President
John F Kennedy belonged.
This squadron had a movie made about it in the late 1940's " They Were
Expendable "
This same squadron was responsible for relocating General MacArthur from the
war area to Australia.
Donald operated the first radars installed on the PT boats and he made one
of the first night runs using radar to pick a target.
These experiences provided him with new learned knowledge of electronics
that was part of his career.
On being discharged from the Navy, Donald went to work for the Collins Radio
Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
He worked in electronics and remained there until his retirement.
" Happy " helped to develop the back seat radio for jets which took up about
90% less space than the older radios.
Donald and Bernice lived in Missouri until her death after which Donald
moved back to De Witt where he spent his final days
talking with his many Ham radio companions.
Donald died in June 1982 in De Witt and Bernice died in April 1950 in
Forsyth, Taney,Mo.
Donald and Bernice had one child:
Richard
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HELEN FRANCES KENT 1903-1988
Helen Frances was born on
the 22 June 1903 in De Witt, Clinton County, Iowa.
She married William Francis Hanrahan Sr on the 10 June 1925 in the Catholic
Church in De Witt, he was born 21 January 1902
in Wisner, Cuming, Nebraska.
Helen was a devoted mother and enjoyed many activities with her husband and
children. She was a crafter and could always be found crocheting or knitting
some great creation. She always had some project on the go, along with some
sewing.
Helen was the bookkeeper for the small grocery store which the family owned
in California and she also helped with the store's activities.
Bill, as he was known, became involved as a young man with painting and
decorating ( wall paper hanging ).
He painted around the De Witt area and once painted the steeple on De Witt's
Catholic Church.
In 1945 the family moved to Davenport as Bill was finding more steady work
in that area and in 1953 they re-located to California. They bought a small
country store where Bill was the butcher and his older son, William, helped
manage the store.
In 1959 the family sold the store and Bill returned to his painting, working
in many custom built homes until his retirement.
Bill was an active gardener, growing many flowers in all his homes. His best
time was spent raising roses of many colours and varieties.
However, his favourite time was raising dogs and training them to do tricks.
He participated in dog shows with his animals and
many of them won blue ribbons and were known to be best in breed. He enjoyed
his hobbies and his many animals,
always having a dog at his side as a companion.
Helen died on the 3 October 1988 and Bill died on the 24 June 1988, both in
San Jose, Santa Clara, California.
Helen and Bill had four children:
1. William F Jr.
2. Robert Kent
3. Elizabeth Ann
4. John Allen
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MARJORIE ANDERSON KENT 1905-2001
Marjorie Anderson was born
on the 19 April 1905 in De Witt, Clinton County, Iowa.
She married Ralph Thompson Henderson on the 14 September 1937 in De Witt, he
was born 21 January 1893
in Dumfries, Scotland.
During her younger years, Marjorie enjoyed a family life in the Kent home.
Many activities kept the family busy and friends
and family visits were a part of life.
Marjorie worked for her father in his drug store and this is where she met
her future husband. After her marriage she was
a devoted housewife and mother. When her father died and her mother became
ill, Marjorie and her family moved into
the Kent home to help with care and housework. After her mother's death,
Marjorie became the owner of the home
until it passed on to her daughter Jean.
Marjorie lived most of her life in the Kent home until her daughter's
marriage, then she lived in other places with the
occasional return home to live in the upstairs area. One of her later homes
was a unit above a building owned by her
daughter Jean and husband Aimar. Jean had a craft shop within this building
- " The Workshoppe " - and Marjorie would help out with this business, she
enjoyed crafts and was especially skillful with cross stitching and
needlework.
Until her retirement, Marjorie worked for Dr Elders as a secretary.
Ralph was educated in English schools whilst growing up there, he emigrated
to the USA with his parents in 1910 and
they settled in De Witt.
For forty-two years, Ralph was an active business man working in men's
clothing and the restaurant business.
He started work with the W H Walker Company managing the Walker's Annex
which he later purchased and
renamed " Scoop's Food Store ". This grocery business was a prime store on
De Witt's main street for twenty-six years.
Later, the store was known as " Scoop's Jack Sprat Foods ".
Ralph was a community worker and prime organiser of the De Witt merchant
farmers picnic that was held annually for
many years and attended by about 6000 local folk. He was active in promoting
sports and managed a semi-pro basketball team
that helped draw well known teams for games and exposition appearances.
Ralph was a member of The De Witt First Congregational Church, De Witt
Lodge, AF and AM, Clinton DeMolay consistory
and he was president of the De Witt Community Club for a period of time.
Being an active community citizen, Ralph was known by many people in De
Witt. He got the nickname " Scoop ", the
true reason for this remains unknown but suggestions are that he obtained a
scoop for his local newspaper,
the De Witt Observer, or that it was connected to his interest in sport.
Scoop was a prominent figure in the history of the town of De Witt.
Marjorie died on the 19 January 2001and Ralph died on the 28 March 1955,
both in De Witt.
Marjorie and Ralph had two children:
1. Jean she married Aimar
2. Neal
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