Howard Frank Gentry
February 7, 1929 – February 17, 2015
Frank, Daddy, or Pa, as he was lovingly known by his grandchildren, was a humble, hardworking, gentle man. He was always willing to help others, enjoyed laughing, and loved to play tricks and have fun with his family. He was hard of hearing, almost deaf, his entire life, but he never let that prevent him from enjoying life itself.
Following the death of his father, he quit school in the 8th grade to aid his mother and family maintain their farm. He continued to farm tobacco into adulthood, where he raised large gardens with his wife, Barbara—or Granny, as she also is known by her grandchildren—and was co-owner of Williams and Gentry Grocery Store and Meats. While working with Williams & Gentry, or "Pa’s Store," as we called it, he took pride in butchering beef cows, hogs, and deer meat for anyone in the community. Frank would often have requests for him to be the one to "mix their sausage" because of his recipe of spices to give country sausage its special flavor. He was also known for his thick slices of meat (bologna, ham, turkey, pimento loaf, etc.) and cheese for sandwiches that were made in the store. Typically, these slices were twice the size of normal slices so that folks could "get their money's worth."
He enjoyed his family, working outside in the garden, cutting wood, curing tobacco, and eating tomatoes. He loved to watch sports, especially watching his children and his grandchildren playing basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer. Even with a severe hearing impairment, he was still able to play the piano, with his favorite songs being “Keep On The Firing Line”, and “Love Lifted Me.”
He was special because while a hearing impairment would be considered a disability to some, to him, it was a precious filter that kept the evil, disagreeing, negative drama that fills most of our lives away from him. It enabled him to always be smiling, happy, and seeing the best in everything.
Through his quiet example, he showed everyone around him what truly mattered: to live life and enjoy all you can, to work hard, and to always take care of your family.
The Greatest Yadkin County Ever Produced.
Moments With Pa
How Frank Is Remembered
“I remember always cutting wood on Thanksgiving mornings to get stocked up for the wood we burned in the house for heat, while Mama was cooking the Thanksgiving dinner to eat. I also remember when curing the tobacco in the stick barns, he would constantly have to go check the heat to ensure the barn didn't get too hot or catch on fire. Lots of times we would walk to the barns, and on the way, he would stop by the garden, get a tomato, and eat it like an apple on the way to check them. When I helped working at the store, we would try different items for snack time. These items varied from hot sausages, pickled pigs' feet, sardines, and raw oysters, or he might cook a sausage sandwich, to name a few.”
— David, Son
"I’ll never forget buying sandwich meat at the store. Frank would look at the scale, grin, and keep right on slicing until it was twice the normal size. When I told him it was too much, he’d just wink and say he wanted to make sure I got my money's worth."
— Jim, Regular Customer
“Pa was genuinely such a joy to be around. If there’s one thing you could say he was interested in, it was the history of the modern world. Because every Sunday, he would make sure and ask you, “who discovered America?” And you better bet he wouldn’t accept any other answer than Christopher Columbus. What can I say. He knew his stuff. He had so many stories of his childhood, plowing tobacco, running the store, and about his family he loved. As many times as he took pride in sharing those stories, I can say confidently that they never got old. I can also say confidently that Pa dropped out of school in 8th grade because he was too smart for it, he had the best homemade sausage recipe known, and of course, Lester built that fire. We love you Pa, and miss you.”
— Jackson, Grandson
“Pa was a superhero to me. I still remember one time after Grannys’ on Sunday that there was a wasp nest outside one the tree behind the house. All of us grandkids were freaking out that they would sting us. Pa ended up coming out and grabbing the wasp nest with his bare hand and squeezing it, killing the wasps on it. To this day I have no idea how he did that without reacting. He was and always will be a superhero in my book. Love you Pa!”
— Jordan, Grandson
"During tobacco season, you could always count on seeing Frank out by the stick barns. I’d walk over to talk farming, and he’d be standing at the edge of the patch, happily eating a giant, warm tomato straight off the vine like it was an apple. He just loved the simple things."
— Johnny, Neighboring Farmer