On the 25th of December, 1916, in Pullman, Washington, Dr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Elliott Hays, a daughter of the Rev. W. G. M. Hays, D. D. Dr. Hays was the founder of the United Presbyterian church and the academy at Waitsburg, Washington, in 1886 and was the organizer of the United Presbyterian church at Olympia in 1895. He also founded the United Presbyterian church at Pullman, Washington, in 1898 and remained as pastor there for eighteen years. He has thus had much to do with the moral progress and development of this section and in his labors has not been denied the full harvest nor the aftermath of his efforts. Mrs. Jones was graduated from the Washington State College in 1906, from the State Normal School at Cheney, Washington, in 1912, and from 1906 until 1916 taught in the graded and high schools of this state.
Dr. and Mrs. Jones hold membership in the First Presbyterian church of Walla Walla and he belongs to the Walla Walla Commercial Club and to the Masonic fraternity, associations which indicate much of the nature of his interests and the rules which govern his conduct. He is a man of genuine personal worth, esteemed by all who know him and most of all where he is best known. While he holds to high professional standards and gives the greater part of his attention to his profession, he also recognizes and meets the duties and obligations of citizenship and in many ways has cooperated in bringing about public welfare and improvement.
JOHN P. KENT.
While for many years Mr. Kent was one of the best known and most prominent business men of Walla Walla, he always found time to cooperate in public interests and the waterworks and the park systems of the city were largely due to his initiative and to his untiring effort. His determined purpose and indefatigable energy enabled him to accomplish whatever he undertook and his worth in matters of citizenship as well as in business circles was widely acknowledged.
Mr. Kent was born in Boston, Massachusetts, June 29, 1858, and when about fifteen years of age removed to the Sunset state, arriving in Walla Walla, where for forty-four years he occupied a prominent position in connection with the commercial activity of the community. In 1880 he became engaged in the meat business and later was associated with William Kirkman, Chris Ennis and A. Beard in organizing the Walla Walla Meat Company. He retained the active management of the business until November, 1898, when he retired from that field in order to turn his attention to insurance. From that time forward until his demise he maintained an insurance office in the Dooly building and gained a very prominent position in insurance circles. Mr. Kent was one of the organizers of the firm of Gardner & Company and served as its second vice president until his death. He did with thoroughness everything that he undertook and therefore he mastered every phase of the insurance business.
On the 12th of November, 1890, Mr. Kent was united in marriage to Miss Delia A. Lyons, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. Lyons, and to them were born four children: Ruth, the wife of Harry Paxton, Jr.; John Paul, Mildred Agnes and Omer James, all of whom are living in Walla Walla.
Besides his activity in business circles Mr. Kent took a prominent part in politics and in lodge, social and church affairs. He was a member of the city council for two terms, beginning in 1896, and he was a most aggressive advocate of the rights of the people. It was through his instrumentality that Walla Walla secured its waterworks. He was also particularly interested in public park development and did much toward securing Walla Walla's present chain of city parks. He served as a member of the first park board and lost no opportunity to further the interests which he espoused, making the park system one which is most attractive and creditable. He was one of the most trusted leaders of the democratic party in the state of Washington and served as a delegate to nearly every state and county convention of his party.
