Cecil W. Gentry Sr.

Cecil W Gentry (Sr) died on January 26, 2018 at Eagle Ridge Nursing Home in Grand Junction, CO after a long illness. He was 81 years old. He was born Dec. 1, 1936 near San Jon, New Mexico to Donald S and Jetti Ruth (McDonald) Gentry. He went to school and graduated in this area also. He was an only child, but had several cousins that lived close by that he considered to be brothers and sisters. Shortly after graduation he came to the Montrose, CO area with his Uncle and Aunt, Ronald and June Bennett to be a helper on a rig drilling water wells. The Bennett’s moved back to New Mexico eventually but Cecil had already met Carol Lea Osborne from Ridgway and Montrose area and they were married on August 2, 1958. Cecil continued to work in the drilling field but soon started working as a Rotary and Core Driller to explore for and extract core samples so they knew where to start Uranium Mines, etc. They moved to the West End-Naturita and later to Nucla and Dad started working for Johnson and Youvan and later for Jack Smith Drilling. Jack Smith Drilling later sold to Union Carbide-Drilling Dept. later to be known as Umetco Minerals. Three children were born to this union: Audrey, Roberta (Berta), and Cecil L. Jr. (CL), all of whom attended Nucla HS. Audrey (Alfredo) Sanchez lives in San Jon/Bard, NM; Berta Latham lives in Nucla, CO and CL lives in Shoshoni, WY. Cecil and Carol were divorced in 1982-Neither remarried. Carol died in 2008. Cecil retired in 1983 when the Uranium industry went bust and they closed the Drilling Dept. He went back to the San Jon, NM area to take care of his father’s ranch when his father took ill and later died. Due to illness Cecil moved to the Grand Junction area in 1989 and has lived in this area ever since.

Interests include, hunting, fishing, and camping and western movies.

Cecil has five grandchildren, and four great grandchildren; Tony (Kathy) Latham or Palisade, CO; Kyle (Sarah) Latham of Denver, CO; Alfredo Ivan Sanchez of Logan, NM; Amanda (Adrian) Reyes of San Jon, NM; and Emily Gentry (Mitchel) Deason of Kemmerer, WY. Greats include Anastacia Chlarson of Calera, Alabama; Felix Sanchez of San Jon, NM; Miguel Reyes of San Jon, NM and Hailey Latham of Palisade, CO. Cecil was preceded in death by his parents, and one granddaughter, Bonnie Ware.

Funeral services for Cecil will be held at Martin’s Mortuary in Grand Junction, CO on Feb 3, 2018 at 10 A.M. That is at 550 North Ave. He will be cremated and his ashes will be taken to the family cemetery in Bard, NM at a later date.

A memorial service for Cecil will be held Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 10:00 AM at Martin Mortuary, 550 North Avenue, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MartinMortuary.com for the Gentry family.