Obituary - Billy Lloyd Gentry

Billy Lloyd Gentry was born on May 16, 1934, in Bowie County, Texas to Oscar Greenberry Gentry, of Mississippi, and Ola Gentry, of Oklahoma. Billy lived in many places including his birth state of Texas, as well as Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arizona, and California. One of Billy's great-grandparents was full Cherokee Native American.

Throughout his life, Billy loved games of chance, often driving an hour or more away from home to visit casinos to play cards. He regularly engaged in dominos and wagered on sports events on television with his brother Henry. Billy also enjoyed scouting the city for antiques, bringing home various discovered items in order to assess their value.

At family gatherings, without fail, he told stories of his youthful explorations with friends and acquaintances around the country. Having held various jobs, including farm- and ranch-related sharecropper tasks, Billy met many people from differing backgrounds and thus was never at a loss of adventurous stories to recount. Billy's father, Oscar, had a cousin in Baldwin, Miss., named Claude Gentry who authored the book, "Kit Carson." (Magnolia Publishing, 1956)

Billy was one of nine siblings: Sydney Gentry (deceased), William-Allen Gentry (d), Ruby Tremor (d), Lois Harris, Orville Gentry (d), (Billy Gentry), Ray Gentry, Henry Gentry and Jimmy Gentry.

Billy is survived by the mother of his children, Letha Bean; his siblings, Lois Harris, Ray Gentry, Henry Gentry and wife Kathy Gentry and Jimmy Gentry; his children, Sandra Gentry, Kenny Gentry and wife Kelly Gentry, Timmy Gentry, Johnny Berumen and wife Misty Graves, and Brenda Berumen and husband Fred Herrman; his nieces and nephews, William-Allen Jr. Gentry, Wynell Gentry, Crystal Gentry, Victoria Gentry, Vicky Gentry, Brandon Gentry, Joanie Gentry, Peggie Harris, Teresa Harris, Eddie Harris, Lola Gentry, Kim Gentry, Laura Gentry, Linda Gentry, Debbie Gentry, Jeffrey Gentry and Jamie Gentry; his grandchildren, Carson Gentry, Austin Brakebill, Johnny Lee Berumen, and Brittany Berumen; and great-grandchildren Alexis Berumen, Sydney Berumen, Addison Berumen, Brody Berumen, Brae Berumen, Bailey Berumen and Bree Brown.

Billy will be buried at Wasco Memorial Park on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. We will all miss him greatly.