John Kent was born April 10, 1868 in Diamond City, Montana, to Augustus C. and Louisa C. Brotherton Kent. He was the second of six children and the oldest son. When 16 years old, he helped drive a herd of cattle from Texas to Montana. Later he went to Boise, Idaho, where he operated a butcher shop untilafter he was married.
Rosella Wyscaver was of German descent and her family from Des Moines, Iowa. She was born March 13, 1870.
They married in Boise City, Idaho, on July 2,1892. Short-ly after they married, they came to Dillon. To this union six children were born, four boys and two girls. The last little girl was stillborn. John Kent was a very accomplished build-ing constructor. Many of the jobs he did still stand in both Beaverhead and Madison counties. In Madison County, he built the Linder place now occupied by the Benny Reynolds family. He also built the steel bridges over the Beaverhead River at the Point of Rocks, used until the paved highway was built.
He built the Grand Hotel in Dillon (now part of the State Bank & Trust), the Montana Liquor Store (now the Dillon Discount Depot), the grandstand at the fairgrounds, the first water line from the storage tank to town, and the schoolhouse at Dell in 1902 (now the Calf-A). He built sever-al ranches, and buildings on several other ranches: the Tash Ranch at Polaris; the Morris Ranch; the P & 0 buildings; the Sanders and LaDue (Diamond 0 -Walker)Ranch; and many others. He also built the Selway Sheep Ranch on the Blacktail.
John and Rose bought the Tromely place and sawmill in Price Canyon which is on the Blacktail. He ran the sawmill there in the 1930s, then ran cattle when he closed down the mill.
Their second son, George, was accidentally shot in August of 1911 while crawling through a fence on a hunting expedi-tion with a friend. The bullet severed the artery in his leg and he bled to death. Homer, the oldest son, grew up in Dillon and became a cabinet maker before moving to Ana-conda. He married Ethel Weirs. Ruth Ann graduated from BCHS, and on January 28,1923, married E.B. Harkness of Dell where she lived until she passed away on May 17,1982. Howard John married Mary Adele Dubie and lived on the home place. Edison married Juanita Armor and moved to Philipsburg, where he became County Attorney. He died May 3,1947.
Rosella had a stroke on February 18,1947 and passed away on February 20, 1947.
John was seriously ill for several years from the effects of diabetes and passed away on August 21, 1947 at the rest
home in Alder. He was buried on August 23, 1947 in the family plot in Dillon.
-BONNIE MCNINCH---BEAVERHEAD HISTORY-------327

Funeral services were conducted Saturday aftrrnoon for John Kent. early-day contractor and carpenter of Dillion. Who succumbed at the MacDonald rest home in Alder Thursday morning. Rev. Omer Idso. Methodist pastor of Sheridan, was in charge of last rites at the Brundage funeral home.
Pallbearers were W. J. Cushing. George Dart, George Lenox, Herbert Wheat, Ernest Dubie, and F. C. McFadden. Interment was in the cemetery at Mountain View. 23, Aug. 1947--newspaper clipping