Mrs. Anita Morris Dent

A celebration of the life of Mrs. Anita Morris Dent, 93, of Tyler, formerly of Henderson, will be held at 3 pm on Monday, July 27, 2015 at Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler with Rev. Gerry Giles officiating under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 4-6 pm on Sunday, July 26, 2015 at Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home in Henderson. Mrs. Dent passed from this life on July 15, 2015 at Prestige Estates in Tyler. Anita was born on October 22, 1921 in Henderson, the fourth of nine children born to James Allister and Lottie Lee Morris. She attended grade school at the Bethel Community School and graduated from Henderson High School. She then attended Kilgore College and completed her Bachelor's degree at Texas Woman's University. During the war, Mrs. Dent lived in Dallas with her Uncle David, her mother's brother, and worked at the Fondren Library on the SMU campus. Later in life she received a Master's degree in Library Science from Sam Houston State University. Anita had expert library skills and a penchant for accumulating and cataloging sources of media and she established and maintained a church library for First United Methodist Church Pasadena and a book library for Clarewood Retirement Home in the Sharpstown area of Houston as well as serving as a librarian in the Pasadena ISD for over 20 years and San Jacinto College. Anita and George Frank Dent were childhood friends and schoolmates, even though he was older by five years, and were later sweethearts. On February 7, 1943, George had been drafted, and they chose to marry before he shipped out. So, on that Sunday, immediately after worship, before the congregation left, they said their vows and were married for 57 years until his death in 2000. George and Anita established residences in Henderson and later Pasadena and Houston where they lived for 48 years. She moved to Tyler in 2006 and was a member of Marvin United Methodist Church. Anita loved to sing in choral ensembles and particularly enjoyed the sound of classical piano. She was devoted to George's singing and carefully followed her son Karl's professional singing career. She loved her grandchildren immeasurably and the music they made as a part of the Centenary College Choir and during holidays, other family gatherings, and reunions. She was preceded in death by: her husband George Dent; parents, J. Al and Lottie Morris; son, David Dent; and siblings, Don Morris, Wendall Morris, and Carolyn Morris Cooper. Survivors include: her daughter, Donna Dent Dahms and husband Michael of Tyler; son, Karl Dent and wife Robin of Lubbock; daughter-in-law, Camille Dent Thrasher of Henderson; brothers, Dale Morris of Sugarland, Ned Morris and wife Cathy of Kingsville, and Kenny Morris of Henderson; sister, Josephine Thrasher of Henderson; grandchildren, Jennifer Dent Hill and husband Dr. Stephen Hill, Candace Dent Chaney and husband Jack, Karen Dent Degenhart and husband Will, Jonathan Dent and wife Amber, Leah Dahms Perez and husband Milton, Ryan Dahms and wife Melissa, Sarah Dent Smither and husband Jonathan, and Lauren Dent; great-grandchildren, Cavett Hill, Kendrick Hill, Anna Grace Chaney, Zeke Chaney, Asher Chaney, William Degenhart, Alex Degenhart, Jackson Degenhart, David Dent, Caleb Smither, and Claire Smither. Honorary pallbearers will be Dale Morris, Ned Morris, Kenny Morris, Dr. Guston Browning, Dr. David Nichols, and Buck Thrasher. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Marvin United Methodist Church Library Fund at 300 W. Erwin St., Tyler, TX 75702. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.crawfordacrim.com.

Mrs. Anita Morris Dent

October 22, 1921 - July 15, 2015