This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mV.2ADI/615 Message Board Post: Can anyone tell me about Allen Kent, supposed to be the youngest mayor in Sharp County? Is that accurate and what year was that ? I appreciate you reading this post. Thanks ER

This is what I have in my book, "The History of Evening Shade: The Place and its People." E. ALLEN KENT was the once the mayor of Evening Shade. At the time he took office, he was not only the youngest person to serve as mayor in Arkansas, but for that matter the United States. He was elected at age 20, and a month later turned 21. This was sometime around 1934 or 35. He sold burial insurance while attending high school. During the Depression, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, working in the pine forests of southern Arkansas. Afterwards, he attended Arkansas Tech at Russellville. He majored in vocational agriculture. Kent worked his way through college and later became a teacher at Poughkeepsie High School. During this time, he also attended Arkansas State College at Jonesboro part-time. While he was the principal of Evening Shade High School, he met and courted his future wife, Jane Lee Cargill. She was teaching home economics at Evening Shade High School. Two days after they were married, Kent joined the Navy. He taught celestial navigation to pilots. While he was in the service, his wife continued to teach school from 1942 until 1945. They had one son, Steve and two daughters Becky (Keith) and Karen (Merryman Burtnett). When he returned from the service, he moved to Jonesboro. It is said that he arrived in Jonesboro with "a flat tire and $4". He worked at several occupations such as selling insurance, managing a finance company, and working at a trucking company Kent worked his way up to manager of five freight terminals. Their territory covered Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. He returned to the insurance business and became an agent for First Pyramid Life in 1954. He was once a chairman of the advisory board of the George W. Jackson Community Mental Health Center for more than 23 years. He was a member of the Civitan Club, and received a citation in 1996 from the City of Jonesboro for community service. A few months before his death in 2003, he received a certificate of appreciation from Mayor Hubert Brodell. Brodell called Kent "a goodwill ambassador for Jonesboro, Northeast Arkansas, and the state." On January 27, 2003, E. Allen Kent passed away. His beloved Jane had already went before him. They are buried in Oaklawn Cemetery in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Rose Mary Lankford ----- Original Message ----- From: <eroyal@centurytel.net> To: <ARSHARP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 7:46 AM Subject: [ARSHARP] Allen Kent, Mayor of Evening Shade > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mV.2ADI/615 > > Message Board Post: > > Can anyone tell me about Allen Kent, supposed to be the youngest mayor in > Sharp County? Is that accurate and what year was that ? I appreciate you > reading this post. Thanks ER > > > ==== ARSHARP Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, > political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal > messages, flames, etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be > grounds for removal. Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen > Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > > >