Ruth "Molly" Mae Kent

Ruth Mae “Molly” Kent, 99, of Kansas City, Kansas, passed away on July 26, 2020 at 12:35 pm. A virtual memorial service will be on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 2:00 pm at Chapel Hill-Butler’s Facebook Page. Please log on to facebook.com/chapelhillbutler to view the livestream of Molly’s service. Shortly before the appointed time, the livestream will begin. If you do not see the livestream on your screen, please refresh your page. You may need to scroll down to see the livestream. Memorial contributions may be made in Molly’s name to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, 1845 Wasp Blvd Bldg #176, Honolulu, HI 96818, or online.

Molly was born April 20, 1921 in Henryette, OK, daughter of Richard B. and Martha Jane (Fretwell) Williams. The family lived in Henryetta and Wetumka, OK before moving to Okmulgee in 1930. Molly graduated from Okmulgee High School and attended Okmulgee Junior College for two years. After working in Okmulgee as a bookkeeper for a retail store, she went to Washington D.C. in January 1942 to work for the US Army Signal Corps. She met her future husband, Omer Kent, on a train in 1943 while both were returning from leave. They were married in 1944 in Okmulgee and both went back to work, Molly to the Pentagon Building in Washington and Omer to his ship, the USS Arkansas, then to New York.

After Omer’s discharge from the US Navy in 1946, he was employed by Phillips Petroleum Co. in Okmulgee but was transferred in 1949 to Kansas City, KS. Molly stayed home to raise her children until 1963, when she went back to work. She worked as Executive Secretary at Midland-Wright Crystal Co. and Sherrold Crystal Co. and as Legal Secretary for the US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City, MO.

Molly was a former member of Central Christian Church, Sunset Hills Christian Church, the Business and Professional Women, the Gunsaulas Book Club, the Westport Historical Society, Grinter Place Friends and Wyandotte Art Association. More recently, she was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, the Council of Clubs, the VFW Post 5851 Auxiliary, the USS Arizona Reunion Association, and the Navy Musicians Association.

Molly was a trained musician and an accomplish artist and author. She wrote and published the book

“USS Arizona’s Last Band: The History of US Navy Band No. 22,” which honors her brother and his fellow USS Arizona musicians. She was loved by many and will be dearly missed.

Molly was preceded in death by her son, John Dennis Kent in 1988; her parents; and her brother, Clyde Richard Williams. Clyde, a member of the USS Arizona Navy Band, was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Molly is survived by her husband of 76 years, Omer Stanton Kent; daughters, Peggy Eileen Kent of Kansas City, MO and Betty Jane Kent Wells of Denver, CO; and four grandchildren.