William was the son of Thomas Benton Gentry and Mary Eliza Todd. She was the granddaughter of General Levi Todd.
The offspring of William's great-grandfather, Levi Todd, included William's maternal grandfather, Roger North Todd, and Senator Robert Smith Todd. Robert was President Abraham Lincoln's father-in-law. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was a first cousin of William's mother.
William's father, Thomas Benton Gentry, was a lawyer, as was William's only sibling, an older brother named North Todd Gentry. William remained in his hometown of Columbia, Boone County, Missouri while he attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, and earned his undergraduate law degree there in 1891. He also studied in Paris and Berlin.
William taught foreign languages at the University of Missouri for 3 years. He then studied law there and opened his practice as an attorney after his graduation in 1896.
William married Mary Lee Payne on 01 Oct 1896. She was the only daughter of wealthy storeowners named Elbridge "Gerry" Payne and Mary Elizabeth Long. The Paynes owned business establishments in St. Louis, Missouri; Paducah, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee. They traveled by steamboat between the stores.
Mary Lee Payne Gentry was educated in a one-room school house in Bridgeton, St. Louis County, Missouri. She later attended Stephens College in Columbia. She returned home to Bridgeton where she became a teacher at the same school she had attended as a child.
A talented artist, Mary Lee also studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts and taught art lessons at the Payne Family home. Her parents had established an extremely noteworthy house on 27 acres of land in Bridgeton. Her father died in 1874 and Mary Lee's mother passed away in 1896.
The north wing of the Payne's home included a doctor's office where Mary Lee's only sibling, an older brother named Dr. William Elbridge Payne, practiced medicine until his death in Nov 1897 at the age of 41.
In 1898, William Gentry moved his law practice to St. Louis. He and his wife lived in the home, which became known as the "Payne-Gentry House," with their son, William, Jr., born in 1897. A daughter died at birth in 1901.
11 days after the loss of their infant daughter, Mary Lee Payne Gentry died of complications resulting from childbirth. At the time of her death, she was 31-years-old and had been married to William Gentry for 4 1/2 years.
The Payne-Gentry House is currently owned by the city of Bridgeton in northwest St. Louis County and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house has been turned into a museum and tours are available for a small charge.
Children from first marriage: 1 son, 1 daughter.
William then married Anna Louise Heidorn on 09 Dec 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri. They were married for over 47 years and were the parents of one child. [See photo of William, Sr.'s only surviving children on this memorial.]
Children from second marriage: 1 son.
A diabetic, William died at St. Luke's Hospital from a pulmonary edema and heart disease. At the time of his death, he was 89 years, 7 months and 21 days old. He was buried next to Anna on 21 May 1959. She passed away in 1951.
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
----------
Newspaper article:
Endeavorers of Note.
William R. Gentry, president of Missouri Christian Endeavor Union, has long been known to Christian Endeavor, and especially to the cause in Missouri, and his unflagging zeal and industry have won for him a warm place in the affections of the young people of the state of Missouri.
In his own church, the Presbyterian of Columbia, Mr. Gentry was one of the organizers of the Christian Endeavor Society. He is president of the Boone County C.E. Union, and held other important positions before he was called to the state presidency.
Mr. Gentry was born in Columbia, Mo., September 28, 1869. He was educated at the State University, taking the B.L. degree there in 1891. He took post-graduate course at the University of Paris and the University of Berlin. Mr. Gentry has been an extensive traveler, visiting France, Germany and Mexico, studying the languages and history of these countries.
Mr. Gentry is one of Missouri’s bright and promising young men.
(The Evening Star, Washington, D.C.; 08 Jul 1896; p. 13)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in article are exactly as they appeared in the original text. Article provided by courtesy of Loretta Castaldi.
The offspring of William's great-grandfather, Levi Todd, included William's maternal grandfather, Roger North Todd, and Senator Robert Smith Todd. Robert was President Abraham Lincoln's father-in-law. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was a first cousin of William's mother.
William's father, Thomas Benton Gentry, was a lawyer, as was William's only sibling, an older brother named North Todd Gentry. William remained in his hometown of Columbia, Boone County, Missouri while he attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, and earned his undergraduate law degree there in 1891. He also studied in Paris and Berlin.
William taught foreign languages at the University of Missouri for 3 years. He then studied law there and opened his practice as an attorney after his graduation in 1896.
William married Mary Lee Payne on 01 Oct 1896. She was the only daughter of wealthy storeowners named Elbridge "Gerry" Payne and Mary Elizabeth Long. The Paynes owned business establishments in St. Louis, Missouri; Paducah, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee. They traveled by steamboat between the stores.
Mary Lee Payne Gentry was educated in a one-room school house in Bridgeton, St. Louis County, Missouri. She later attended Stephens College in Columbia. She returned home to Bridgeton where she became a teacher at the same school she had attended as a child.
A talented artist, Mary Lee also studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts and taught art lessons at the Payne Family home. Her parents had established an extremely noteworthy house on 27 acres of land in Bridgeton. Her father died in 1874 and Mary Lee's mother passed away in 1896.
The north wing of the Payne's home included a doctor's office where Mary Lee's only sibling, an older brother named Dr. William Elbridge Payne, practiced medicine until his death in Nov 1897 at the age of 41.
In 1898, William Gentry moved his law practice to St. Louis. He and his wife lived in the home, which became known as the "Payne-Gentry House," with their son, William, Jr., born in 1897. A daughter died at birth in 1901.
11 days after the loss of their infant daughter, Mary Lee Payne Gentry died of complications resulting from childbirth. At the time of her death, she was 31-years-old and had been married to William Gentry for 4 1/2 years.
The Payne-Gentry House is currently owned by the city of Bridgeton in northwest St. Louis County and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house has been turned into a museum and tours are available for a small charge.
Children from first marriage: 1 son, 1 daughter.
William then married Anna Louise Heidorn on 09 Dec 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri. They were married for over 47 years and were the parents of one child. [See photo of William, Sr.'s only surviving children on this memorial.]
Children from second marriage: 1 son.
A diabetic, William died at St. Luke's Hospital from a pulmonary edema and heart disease. At the time of his death, he was 89 years, 7 months and 21 days old. He was buried next to Anna on 21 May 1959. She passed away in 1951.
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
----------
Newspaper article:
Endeavorers of Note.
William R. Gentry, president of Missouri Christian Endeavor Union, has long been known to Christian Endeavor, and especially to the cause in Missouri, and his unflagging zeal and industry have won for him a warm place in the affections of the young people of the state of Missouri.
In his own church, the Presbyterian of Columbia, Mr. Gentry was one of the organizers of the Christian Endeavor Society. He is president of the Boone County C.E. Union, and held other important positions before he was called to the state presidency.
Mr. Gentry was born in Columbia, Mo., September 28, 1869. He was educated at the State University, taking the B.L. degree there in 1891. He took post-graduate course at the University of Paris and the University of Berlin. Mr. Gentry has been an extensive traveler, visiting France, Germany and Mexico, studying the languages and history of these countries.
Mr. Gentry is one of Missouri’s bright and promising young men.
(The Evening Star, Washington, D.C.; 08 Jul 1896; p. 13)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in article are exactly as they appeared in the original text. Article provided by courtesy of Loretta Castaldi.
William was the son of Thomas Benton Gentry and Mary Eliza Todd. She was the granddaughter of General Levi Todd.
The offspring of William's great-grandfather, Levi Todd, included William's maternal grandfather, Roger North Todd, and Senator Robert Smith Todd. Robert was President Abraham Lincoln's father-in-law. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was a first cousin of William's mother.
William's father, Thomas Benton Gentry, was a lawyer, as was William's only sibling, an older brother named North Todd Gentry. William remained in his hometown of Columbia, Boone County, Missouri while he attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, and earned his undergraduate law degree there in 1891. He also studied in Paris and Berlin.
William taught foreign languages at the University of Missouri for 3 years. He then studied law there and opened his practice as an attorney after his graduation in 1896.
William married Mary Lee Payne on 01 Oct 1896. She was the only daughter of wealthy storeowners named Elbridge "Gerry" Payne and Mary Elizabeth Long. The Paynes owned business establishments in St. Louis, Missouri; Paducah, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee. They traveled by steamboat between the stores.
Mary Lee Payne Gentry was educated in a one-room school house in Bridgeton, St. Louis County, Missouri. She later attended Stephens College in Columbia. She returned home to Bridgeton where she became a teacher at the same school she had attended as a child.
A talented artist, Mary Lee also studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts and taught art lessons at the Payne Family home. Her parents had established an extremely noteworthy house on 27 acres of land in Bridgeton. Her father died in 1874 and Mary Lee's mother passed away in 1896.
The north wing of the Payne's home included a doctor's office where Mary Lee's only sibling, an older brother named Dr. William Elbridge Payne, practiced medicine until his death in Nov 1897 at the age of 41.
In 1898, William Gentry moved his law practice to St. Louis. He and his wife lived in the home, which became known as the "Payne-Gentry House," with their son, William, Jr., born in 1897. A daughter died at birth in 1901.
11 days after the loss of their infant daughter, Mary Lee Payne Gentry died of complications resulting from childbirth. At the time of her death, she was 31-years-old and had been married to William Gentry for 4 1/2 years.
The Payne-Gentry House is currently owned by the city of Bridgeton in northwest St. Louis County and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house has been turned into a museum and tours are available for a small charge.
Children from first marriage: 1 son, 1 daughter.
William then married Anna Louise Heidorn on 09 Dec 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri. They were married for over 47 years and were the parents of one child. [See photo of William, Sr.'s only surviving children on this memorial.]
Children from second marriage: 1 son.
A diabetic, William died at St. Luke's Hospital from a pulmonary edema and heart disease. At the time of his death, he was 89 years, 7 months and 21 days old. He was buried next to Anna on 21 May 1959. She passed away in 1951.
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
----------
Newspaper article:
Endeavorers of Note.
William R. Gentry, president of Missouri Christian Endeavor Union, has long been known to Christian Endeavor, and especially to the cause in Missouri, and his unflagging zeal and industry have won for him a warm place in the affections of the young people of the state of Missouri.
In his own church, the Presbyterian of Columbia, Mr. Gentry was one of the organizers of the Christian Endeavor Society. He is president of the Boone County C.E. Union, and held other important positions before he was called to the state presidency.
Mr. Gentry was born in Columbia, Mo., September 28, 1869. He was educated at the State University, taking the B.L. degree there in 1891. He took post-graduate course at the University of Paris and the University of Berlin. Mr. Gentry has been an extensive traveler, visiting France, Germany and Mexico, studying the languages and history of these countries.
Mr. Gentry is one of Missouri’s bright and promising young men.
(The Evening Star, Washington, D.C.; 08 Jul 1896; p. 13)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in article are exactly as they appeared in the original text. Article provided by courtesy of Loretta Castaldi.
The offspring of William's great-grandfather, Levi Todd, included William's maternal grandfather, Roger North Todd, and Senator Robert Smith Todd. Robert was President Abraham Lincoln's father-in-law. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was a first cousin of William's mother.
William's father, Thomas Benton Gentry, was a lawyer, as was William's only sibling, an older brother named North Todd Gentry. William remained in his hometown of Columbia, Boone County, Missouri while he attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, and earned his undergraduate law degree there in 1891. He also studied in Paris and Berlin.
William taught foreign languages at the University of Missouri for 3 years. He then studied law there and opened his practice as an attorney after his graduation in 1896.
William married Mary Lee Payne on 01 Oct 1896. She was the only daughter of wealthy storeowners named Elbridge "Gerry" Payne and Mary Elizabeth Long. The Paynes owned business establishments in St. Louis, Missouri; Paducah, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee. They traveled by steamboat between the stores.
Mary Lee Payne Gentry was educated in a one-room school house in Bridgeton, St. Louis County, Missouri. She later attended Stephens College in Columbia. She returned home to Bridgeton where she became a teacher at the same school she had attended as a child.
A talented artist, Mary Lee also studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts and taught art lessons at the Payne Family home. Her parents had established an extremely noteworthy house on 27 acres of land in Bridgeton. Her father died in 1874 and Mary Lee's mother passed away in 1896.
The north wing of the Payne's home included a doctor's office where Mary Lee's only sibling, an older brother named Dr. William Elbridge Payne, practiced medicine until his death in Nov 1897 at the age of 41.
In 1898, William Gentry moved his law practice to St. Louis. He and his wife lived in the home, which became known as the "Payne-Gentry House," with their son, William, Jr., born in 1897. A daughter died at birth in 1901.
11 days after the loss of their infant daughter, Mary Lee Payne Gentry died of complications resulting from childbirth. At the time of her death, she was 31-years-old and had been married to William Gentry for 4 1/2 years.
The Payne-Gentry House is currently owned by the city of Bridgeton in northwest St. Louis County and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house has been turned into a museum and tours are available for a small charge.
Children from first marriage: 1 son, 1 daughter.
William then married Anna Louise Heidorn on 09 Dec 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri. They were married for over 47 years and were the parents of one child. [See photo of William, Sr.'s only surviving children on this memorial.]
Children from second marriage: 1 son.
A diabetic, William died at St. Luke's Hospital from a pulmonary edema and heart disease. At the time of his death, he was 89 years, 7 months and 21 days old. He was buried next to Anna on 21 May 1959. She passed away in 1951.
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
Father of:
William Richard Gentry, Jr.
Mary Elizabeth Gentry
Thomas Frederick Gentry
William's sibling:
North Todd Gentry
----------
Newspaper article:
Endeavorers of Note.
William R. Gentry, president of Missouri Christian Endeavor Union, has long been known to Christian Endeavor, and especially to the cause in Missouri, and his unflagging zeal and industry have won for him a warm place in the affections of the young people of the state of Missouri.
In his own church, the Presbyterian of Columbia, Mr. Gentry was one of the organizers of the Christian Endeavor Society. He is president of the Boone County C.E. Union, and held other important positions before he was called to the state presidency.
Mr. Gentry was born in Columbia, Mo., September 28, 1869. He was educated at the State University, taking the B.L. degree there in 1891. He took post-graduate course at the University of Paris and the University of Berlin. Mr. Gentry has been an extensive traveler, visiting France, Germany and Mexico, studying the languages and history of these countries.
Mr. Gentry is one of Missouri’s bright and promising young men.
(The Evening Star, Washington, D.C.; 08 Jul 1896; p. 13)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in article are exactly as they appeared in the original text. Article provided by courtesy of Loretta Castaldi.
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