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Mary Louise Whiteside Denton, 101, widow of Andrew January “Red” Denton, died Saturday, March 9, at Lexington Country Place, Lexington.
A direct descendant of Daniel Boone, she was born April 8, 1911, in Oklahoma City, Okla., and was the daughter of the late James Leonard Whiteside and Mary Mahala and husband Gibson Whiteside.
Although the family lived in Missouri for a short time, most of her childhood and young adult years were spent in Winchester, 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 Women’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 more than 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, Ark.; and her sister, Jean Elizabeth and husband Walter Hudgens of Winchester.
She is survived by a daughter, Mary Jean and husband Edsel McCoun of Jackson, Ky.; a son, Gary Richards and wife Lucia Denton of Nicholasville; three grandchildren, Penny Clay and husband Michael Poerksen of Ashburn, Va., Edsel Scott McCoun of Frankfort, and Andrea McDowell Denton of Nicholasville; four great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Hunter Poerksen and Andrew Michael Poerksen of Ashburn, and Dawson Tate McCoun and Addison Lane McCoun of Frankfort; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Visitation was at 4 p.m., Monday, March 11, at Richie Hunt Funeral Home in Owingsville. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, also at the funeral home, with the Rev. Bob Ray officiating. Burial followed in the Owingsville Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Owingsville United Methodist Church, 75 W. Main St., Owingsville, KY, 40360, the Bath County Memorial Library, 24 W. Main St., Owingsville, KY, 40360, or a charity of your choice.