Mildred Josephine Denton

Josephine Denton, 94, of Sweetwater, Tennessee, passed away on August 9, 2023. Josephine, the most incredibly loving and devoted wife and mother, was born Mildred Josephine Howard on September 19,1928, to Lula May Howard and the late Joseph Calloway Howard. Following her graduation from Sweetwater High School, she worked briefly as a secretary for her alma mater. She married her high school sweetheart, James Kenneth Denton, on Christmas Day 1949 and welcomed her first child on Christmas Day the following year in 1950. Josephine and Kenneth welcomed two more daughters in the following years and remained happily married for 58 years until his death in 2008.
In addition to being an amazing wife and mother to her three daughters and a friend to many, Josephine was a faithful member of Sweetwater Baptist Church. She was a talented seamstress, and her sewing prowess resulted in her daughter Donna being selected as the "Best Dressed" of her high school graduating class. Josephine was known to love working in the yard with her flowers, and she was an avid walker. She and her friends, Irene Thomas and Mary Burkett, would walk all over downtown Sweetwater and often visit with the residents and business people. Josephine was also a collector. She and Kenneth filled every inch of their house with their found treasures.
Josephine was preceded in death by her parents, Lula and Joseph C. Howard; her husband, James Kenneth Denton; her brother, Second Lieutenant Joseph Calloway Howard, Jr.; and her eldest daughter, Deborah Josephine Denton.
She is survived by her daughters Donna (Jeff) Curry of Chattanooga, TN, and Denise (Steve) Hearn of Sweetwater, TN, and her grandchildren Annie (Joel) Tate and Jake (Mary) Curry, all of Chattanooga, TN.
We would like to offer a special thank you to her personal caregivers over the years who became like family to her and to us.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in memory of Josephine to First Baptist Church-Sweetwater, 303 Wright St., Sweetwater, Tennessee 37874, Alzheimers.org., or a charity of your choice.
We will dearly miss our wonderful mother/grandmother/mother-in-law. She was our best friend, and no one in the world will love us as much as she did. As we always told her, "You're the Best Mother We Ever Had!"
The family will receive friends on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at Kyker Funeral Homes, Sweetwater, from 1:00P.M. until 2:00P.M. with the service following at 2:00P.M. with eulogy by: Jeff Curry. Interment to follow in the West View Cemetery. Kyker Funeral Homes, Sweetwater, in charge of arrangements. www.kykerfuneralhomes.com