Mary Sue Kent

Mary Sue Kent was born December 9, 1925 in Samson, Alabama to the late Daniel and Elma Bess.  She was preceded in death by her husband Thomas Kent..

Mary Sue Kent departed this life May 10, 2019 at the Sycamore Medical Center, Miamisburg, Ohio. She was one of fourteen children. She was preceded in death by Six brothers Benjamin Bess, Daniel Bess Jr., Preston Bess, Charles Bess, Leonard James (L.J.) Bess, Jack Bess; Seven Sisters Lillie Mae Bess, Loddie Bess, Fannie Julia Bess, Merle Raines, Nellie Collins, Jill Wise, Synitha Vaughn.

Mary Kent operated a store called the "Thatched Roof" Cincinnati, Ohio in 1967, oldest African products store until 2007.  Through racial turmoil, political unrest and financial touch-and-goes, she only wanted to make her people beautiful by wearing the vibrant fabrics of their homeland. That was the work that she loved.  She learned to sew at a young age to keep clothes on her back.  She has made clothes for Nancy Wilson, The Ohio Players, Bootsy Collins and African wedding for Kenneth Blackwell, Mayor at that time.

Aunt Mary would always dance and laugh; she love to sing and would make a song out of just talking with you.  She  would tell us stories about how she use to pick cotton as a girl and how she would quilt with her sisters and mother that they used the feed bags for quilting.  She take a squash and make a rattle shake and many more items.  She leaves to cherish her memory a host of nieces, great nieces, and great great nieces, nephew, great nephews and great great nephews, relatives and friends.

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