Marcella E. "Marcee" Kent

Marcella E. “Marcee” Kent, 78, of Astoria, died Monday, March 1, 2011, in Astoria.

She was born Jan. 13, 1933, in Fairmont, Neb., to Harry H. and Cecelia (Peter) Linder.

Raised as a country girl in a little town outside of Eugene, she graduated from Eugene High School in 1951.

On Aug. 15, 1954, she married Samuel Eugene Kent in Eugene. He survives, residing in Astoria.

Mrs. Kent began her working career as a telephone operator for AT&T, and worked there for six years. While her husband served in the U.S. Air Force until 1960, and was stationed in various cities in the U.S., she was a homemaker. She then owned and operated an A&W drive-in with her husband in Deluth, Minn., from 1960 to 1964. The family sold the business and moved to Lake Oswego and owned and operated another drive-in until 1966, when they moved to Astoria. The couple owned and operated the Halfway House Restaurant for seven years. They sold the restaurant and Mrs. Kent went back to work for AT&T until she had worked there a combined total of 20 years. She retired in 1994.

Family members said her hobbies included flower gardening.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons and a daughter-in-law, Bryan Kent of Astoria and Bruce and Kimberly Kent of Portland; and two daughters and sons-in-law, Cynthia and David Machata of Westport, Conn., and Janice and Peter Sargent of Auckland, New Zealand.

A memorial will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary, 1165 Franklin Ave.

Memorial contributions may be made to Friends of the Astoria Column Inc., P.O. Box 717, Astoria, OR 97103.