Twalla Earlene Johnson Gentry

Twalla Earlene Gentry, 85, of Beaumont, died April 2, 2024. She was born August 29, 1938, in Beaumont, to Joan Odom LeBlanc and William “Bill” LeBlanc.

Twalla was the last living Charter Member of LaBelle Baptist Church. LaBelle Baptist Church was started in her family’s front yard in a tent. It was later moved to Highway 365 where services were still performed in the tent, while chickens were running around squawking. Her dad built the first little white church in the 1950’s, which was later torn down. He then built the red brick church in 1962. This little church made it for many years but had to be torn down again for the present building. Twalla was proud of her church and continued servicing her church and the community.

She was over the Building and Grounds Committee, as well as all decorations for the church. She even had her own room called, “Twalla’s Room.” You better not touch anything in her room or she would get you!

Her hobby outside of church was working in her flower beds with her roses and various other plants. She was known as “Mawmaw” to her grandchildren and “Memaw” to her great-grandchildren. She loved and adored all thirty-one of them.

Survivors include her children, Charles “Chuck” Crain and wife, Brenda; Kimberly Wills and husband, Bill; Twalla Lynn Faulk and husband, Darrell; and Dana Matte and husband, Keith; bonus son, Carl Reid Gentry and wife, Darlene; eleven grandchildren; twenty great-grandchildren; and brothers, James LeBlanc and Billy LeBlanc.

She is preceded in death by her husbands, Alfred Johnson, who passed in 2009, and Carl Gentry, who passed in 2014; daughter, Debra Gaspard; and siblings, Edward LeBlanc, Betty LeBlanc, Lester LeBlanc, and Ricky LeBlanc.

A gathering of Mrs. Gentry’s family and friends will be 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Friday, April 5, 2024, at Broussard’s, 505 North 12th Street, Nederland. Her funeral service will begin at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, April 6, 2024, at LaBelle Baptist Church, 9400 FM 365, Beaumont, with her interment to follow at Oak Bluff Memorial Park, Port Neches.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Gentry’s honor to the LaBelle Baptist Church Building Fund, 9400 FM 365, Beaumont, Texas 77705.