Elaine Adeline Gentry

Elaine Gentry, 96, of Columbia, passed away Saturday, December 5, 2020 at Heritage Hall Nursing Home in Centralia, MO. Visitation will be 10-11 am, Thursday, December 10, 2020 at Memorial Funeral Home 1217 Business Loop 70 West in Columbia, with her funeral service beginning at 11am. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.

In keeping with the guidelines put forth by the Boone County Heath Director all guests are required to wear a mask, to keep social distancing (six feet apart), cough into your sleeve and wash and sanitize your hands often. Friends are invited to join a virtual service via Facebook live, please visit www.memorialfuneralhomecolumbia.com and select the view livestream tab under services at the time of the service. If you are unable to view the service live, it will be available for replay on the Memorial Funeral Home, Crematory & Memorial Park Cemetery/Columbia Facebook page after the service ends.

Elaine was born December 17, 1923 in Muskegon, Michigan, the daughter of Vern and Myrtle Lyons Harris who preceded her in death. On June 5, 1942 she married Earl Gentry in Grand Rapids, MI. In 1948, following WWII, Elaine and her husband Earl Gentry moved to Boone County, Mo and started farm life. In 1970 they opened the Hitching Post Café in Hallsville and operated that until 1977. Elaine went on to work many other places, cooking and managing establishments like the Elks Lodge, Oakland and Town & Country Lanes, and ran a food cart at Hickman High School. Elaine was always a hard-working woman and only stopped when her age would no longer allow her body to keep up.

Elaine is survived by her daughters, Diana (Jerry) Jones of Columbia and Tina (Jeff) Crane of Hallsville; 10 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and a loving extended family. She was preceded in death on Oct. 18, 2003 by her husband, Robert Earl; sons Robert “Bob” and Matthew Gentry; granddaughter, Andrea Crane Fox; and her brother, Mike Harris.

Memorial contributions can be made to: Praise Assembly of God church or the charity of your choice in care of Memorial Funeral Home.