Preserving the history of the electric interurban railroad — a relic from Northwest Missouri’s transportation past — was one of Joseph “Ed” Gentry’s great passions.

Mr. Gentry loved the interurban so much that he successfully preserved it on film, in books, and by gathering as many collectibles as possible.

“Mostly Ed was interested in the artifacts and the people that knew about the train,” said his wife, Debbie Gentry. “He touched a lot of people’s lives with that.”

Mr. Gentry — who spent much of his life in St. Joseph tracing the interurban’s existence and voicing his opinion on city politics — died Tuesday at the age of 62.

His enjoyment of the interurban dated back to his southern Illinois upbringing, Debbie said. Railroads and interurbans were common sights near his hometown.

The interurban in the greater Kansas City and St. Joseph areas ran from 1913 to 1933. Commuting to a job in Kansas City also helped form Mr. Gentry’s study.

“We always wished that the railroad still existed,” Debbie said.

The films and presentations he created to document the interurban were frequent mainstays at libraries, and also at the old First Ward House in the mid-1990s.

“It was a very diverse crowd,” said Stuart Wyeth, the tavern’s former owner. “Some by accident and some by following ... He walked its (interurban’s) every step.”

His last project was saving the Todd Creek bridge on Interurban Road south of Dearborn.

“They didn’t tear it down,” Debbie said proudly.

His collections sport pieces of interurban fencing and rail, along with chunks of bridges, railroad spikes and the rail cars themselves.

Otherwise, Mr. Gentry often could be spotted in the audience at St. Joseph City Council meetings. His interest in the city’s consideration of tax-increment financing for the Tuscany Village project prompted him to buy a News-Press ad that listed all council member names and phone numbers.

“He was involved and really had a good view of local politics and city planning, a keen sense of what was going on,” Debbie said.

He recently assisted at his wife’s workplace, the St. Joseph Public Library, by helping sort books for sales.

“He was an avid reader,” she said. “He was interested in the political books that came through.”

A consistent writer of letters to the editor at the News-Press, he even had some of his works laminated.

His videographic career also included films that showed the demolition of Heartland Health’s downtown hospital and the Sharp’s Station bridge on the interurban line.

Mr. Gentry enjoyed good blues music, Mr. Wyeth said. His loss will be felt throughout St. Joseph, he added.

“He was a true gentleman,” he said. “He was passionate about his community.”

Ray Scherer can be reached at

rscherer@npgco.com.