Mary Denton

Mary Louise (Whiteside) Denton, 101, widow of Andrew January (Red) Denton, died Saturday, March 9, 2013 at Lexington Country Place, Lexington, Kentucky.

A direct descendant of Daniel Boone, she was born April 8, 1911 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was the daughter of the late James Leonard Whiteside and Mary Mahala (Gibson) Whiteside.

Although the family lived in Missouri for a short time, most of her childhood and young adult years were spent in Winchester, Kentucky where her father was Dean of Students at Kentucky Wesleyan College, as well as a physics and chemistry professor. A 1933 graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College, she came to Owingsville as the head of the Roosevelt administration's Economic Relief Office. Here she met and married Andrew J. (Red) Denton May 21, 1936, raised her family, and was a church, school and community leader for many years.

She was twice President of the Owingsville Woman's Club, President of the Owingsville Consolidated School PTA, Chairman of the Owingsville Public Library, member of the Owingsville Chamber of Commerce, helped organize the annual Bath County May Day Festival, and served in several capacities in other civic organizations.

She was a faithful member of the Owingsville United Methodist Church for over 75 years, serving as pianist and organist as well as choir leader and Sunday School teacher.

She had an adventurous spirit and traveled extensively in the United States, as well as overseas. The latter included trips to the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Mexico, the Canary Islands and Morocco. An avid bridge player she also enjoyed playing the piano and organ, gardening, needlework, sewing, and in later years, working "find-a-word" puzzles.

In addition to her husband of 61 years, she was preceded in death by her brother, Reginald Gibson Whiteside of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and her sister, Jean Elizabeth (Walter) Hudgens of Winchester, Kentucky.

She is survived by a daughter, Mary Jean (Edsel) McCoun, Jackson, Kentucky; a son, Gary Richards (Lucia) Denton, Nicholasville, Kentucky; three grandchildren, Penny Clay (Michael) Poerksen, Ashburn, Virginia, Edsel Scott McCoun, Frankfort, Kentucky, and Andrea McDowell Denton, Nicholasville, Kentucky; four great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Hunter Poerksen and Andrew Michael Poerksen, Ashburn, Virginia, and Dawson Tate McCoun and Addison Lane McCoun of Frankfort, Kentucky, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 4:00 pm, Monday, March 11, 2013 at Richie Hunt Funeral Home, 89 Slate Avenue, Owingsville, Kentucky. Funeral services will be 1:00 pm, Tuesday, March 12, 2013 also at the funeral home, with the Reverend Bob Ray officiating. Burial will follow in the Owingsville Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Owingsville United Methodist Church, 75 W. Main Street, Owingsville, Kentucky, 40360, the Bath County Memorial Library, 24 W. Main Street, Owingsville, Kentucky, 40360, or a charity of your choice.