Martha Gertrude (Dustman) Kent

Martha Gertrude Dustman Kent, 93 of Lookout Mountain, GA passed away at home on February 17, 2021 with family by her side.  She was born September 26, 1927 in Burlington, Iowa to the late Dan Dustman and Henrietta Steingraeber Dustman.  She attended Sperry High School and the University of Iowa where she met her husband of 70 years, Morton J. Kent, who predeceased her. 

Martha was a member of Lookout Mountain Beautiful Garden Club for over 60 years serving on the board in many capacities including president and was the second recipient of the Anna Law Spirit Award. She faithfully served the Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church as choir mother, circle leader in the Women in the Church and on the flower committee for many years teaching and instilling confidence in younger women with the beauty of flowers.

She and Morton joined the Fairyland Club when they moved to Lookout Mountain in 1956 and where she was a formidable opponent on the tennis court. They loved any party with a band where they could dance. They enjoyed gardening and numerous travels around the world in their retirement years and had a winter home in Palm City, Florida where they both took up golf and made many new friends.  Martha mastered the new challenge of golf, even winning the club tournament one year.

Her most impressive achievement was successfully raising 5 sons who adored her.  She was always there to drive them around, be a den mother, bandage a knee, push them to achieve, fix a chain on a bicycle, cheer from the stands, teach them how to change a spark plug or hotwire Morton’s Town Car in a formal gown in the rain.  After putting 5 boys through McCallie, at the last son’s graduation they presented her with a dozen roses, to which she said, “these should be gold.” She and Morton set an example of love and devotion that was imprinted on each of these Kent boys and for which their wives are forever grateful.  These boys in turn blessed her with 18 grandchildren who knew Grandmom’s door was always open and an endless supply of Little Debbies and cookies were always on hand.  They were a reliable fixture at countless ball games at the town common, wrestling matches at McCallie and along the third base line at a Lookouts game. 

Martha is survived by her sons and their wives, Steve & Suzanne, Don & Hollie, Craig & Patsy, David & Lorrie and Jonathan & Clare, all of Lookout Mountain; grandchildren Dusty (Anna) Kent, Scott (Marlea) Kent, Beth (Joseph) Wingfield, Adam (Heather) Kent, Martha Katherine “Katie” Kent, Michael (Lydia) Kent, Susan (Kyle) Bryant, William (Ashley) Kent, Kellie (Hank) Currin, Mary Clare (Seth) Holm, April Kent, Jennifer Kent, Melanie Kent, Alex (Catherine) Kent, Rachel Kent, Christine (Andrew) Betts, Abbie Kent, and Ben Kent; 24 great grandchildren: Fletcher Kent, Thatcher and Thompson Kent, Caroline, Taylor and Mattie Kent; Teddy, Wilder, Hank, Kent and Salt Wingfield, Follis and Carter Bryant; Moses, Jude, Mercy, Andrew, Paul and Isaiah Kent, Hunter Currin; Charlotte and Mason Kent, Helen and Alice Holm, with 2 more on the way and 7 nieces and 7 nephews.   In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her twin sister, Marian, grandson Thomas Kent, big brother Fred Dustman and older sisters Donna Melcher and Laura Speidel.

The family is forever indebted to all “her girls” that loved her and cared for her these last couple of years, especially Jessica Winnie, Jackie Frazier, Dee Coleman, Madison Adams and Amber Charles.

Service will be Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at Chattanooga National Cemetery with family only.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, 316 North Bragg Avenue, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350 or the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center at Orange Grove Center, 615 Derby Street, Chattanooga, TN 37404

You may visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share condolences to the family.

Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Road