The frankston citizen archives

Current Obituaries

               April 2024

Here are the obituaries posted for the current month from information provided courtesy of local and area funeral homes and published on their websites. If an obituary is overlooked and it is desired that it be posted, please inform us at frankstondepotlibrary@gmail.com . Families may request changes or additions, if required. These obituaries will remain here until new ones from the next month are available for posting. After that, they will be transferred to Obituary Archives . If you have an obituary for a person who has connections with someone or some family in the Frankston-Poynor-LaRue or Lake Palestine area that you want posted to this month or to the archives, and is not currently posted, please let us know at  frankstondepotlibrary@gmail.com . Obituaries selected or submitted should follow a format which is essentially consistent with other obituaries posted here or by funeral homes and follow standard grammatical style. Through arrangements with funeral homes and/or the families, we will publish pictures with current obituaries. We will add pictures to archived obituaries from the print version of The Citizen newspaper prior to September 2019 when available. Pictures with archived obituaries posted after that will be added in cooperation with funeral homes or on requests from families.  As was the tradition of the Citizen newspaper, obituaries are published at no charge.

 

(Obituaries listed chronologically by date of death or funeral service.)

Mary Phillips

A funeral service for Mary Phillips, 82, is scheduled for 2 p.m., Monday, April 22, 2024, at Church of Christ in Frankston with Davy Carter, Chris White, and Jerry Parker officiating. She will be laid to rest at Frankston City Cemetery.

Visitation will begin on Sunday, April 21, 2024, and family will receive friends from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Autry Funeral Home in Frankston.

Mary Louise Phillips went to be with her Heavenly Father on April 18, 2024, at her home in Tyler, Texas. Mary was born on February 7, 1942, in Frankston, Texas to the late Lee Andrew McLane and Ruby Quinton Dickerson McLane.

Mary grew up in Frankston where she graduated from Frankston High School. Mary worked in the Frankston Independent School District as a teacher, counselor, and principal. She completed 29 years in public education. In 2023, she was honored by selection to the Frankston Independent School District Wall of Honor.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin Paul Phillips of Frankston; parents, Lee and Ruby McLane; four sisters, Jennia V. McHale, JoAnn Baxter, Martha Jane Hicks, and Wanda Dorris Houston; four brothers, Robert Lee McLane, Billy Lewis McLane, Jimmie Ray McLane, and Wylie Morris McLane; brother-in-law, Wayne Phillips; and sister-in-law, Diane Phillips.

Left to cherish Mary’s memory is her daughter, Paula Tapley and husband Carl Tapley; grandchild, Russell Paul Tapley; sister, Margaret June Brown; sister-in-law, Joyce McLane; and nephew, Rusty Phillips and wife Susan Phillips. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, a host of friends, and two amazing caregivers, Betty Redic and Stephanie “Coco” Harmon/Yancy.

Pallbearers will be James Brown, Seth Brown, Sam Hicks, Brad Forester, Bryan Forester, and Rusty Phillips.

Honorary pallbearers will be Austin Thacker and Johnny Burks.

Rather than customary condolences, memorials may be made in Mary’s honor to Hospice of East Texas at https://hospiceofeasttexas.org/giving/ or Frankston City Cemetery at P.O. Box 176, Frankston, Texas 75763.

Evelyn Vaughan Harris

Our beloved Evelyn Vaughan Harris was reunited with husband, Ray Harris on April 16, 2024. She was born June 3, 1939.

A funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday., April 20, 2024, at First Baptist Church in Frankston under the direction of Autry Funeral Home. Rev. Mike Allcorn will officiate. She will be laid to rest in Brushy Creek Cemetery in Brushy Creek.

Visitation will begin Friday, April 19. and family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Autry Funeral Home in Frankston.

She was a long-time member of First Baptist Church-Frankston and past president of the Frankston Garden Club. Mrs. Harris was the matriarch of her family and will forever be missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Russell and Beulah (Fagala)Vaughan; her husband; her daughter, Janet Kay Harris; sister, Mary Kathrine Vaughan; and her brothers, Larry Lee, James and Lemuel Vaughan.

Left to cherish Evelyn’s memory are her children, Bobby Harris and wife Ginger of Flint, Thomas Harris of Plano, Debbie Scott and husband Craig of Alvarado, Sonya White and husband Joe of Crandall, and Paula Hintz and husband Paul of Fairview. Her siblings are Jerry Vaughan and wife Linda of Montalba, Nita Shaw of Dallas and Linda Holcomb and husband Ronnie of Montalba; and her in-laws are James and Mary Harris of Jacksonville, Jimmy Harris and Debbie of Athens, Nettie Holland of Athens, Nell Hall, and Dianne and James Beard, all of Frankston. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren Joseph and Lori, Brooke and Cody, Heath, Trent, Christopher and Meghan, Jackson, Katie and Cory, Paige and Tanner, Brighton, Parker, Jase and Riley; 13 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Her grandsons will serve as pallbearers and her granddaughters with Shawn Bowen will be honorary pallbearers.

Verna Ray Taylor

Verna Ray Taylor, 94, of LaRue passed away on April 14, 2024. She was born to Ed and Georgia Whitson on Nov. 29, 1929 in Frederick, Oklahoma.

Ray was preceded in death by her husband, Carl, of 71 years, her mother and father, her two siblings, Ida Jane Wiler and Aubrey Whitson, her son Kerry Taylor, and her grandson Aaron Taylor.

She is survived by her son Rick, grandsons Chris Taylor and his wife Mandy, Todd Taylor and his wife Kobi and Travis Taylor and his wife April and great grandchildren Laynie, Colson, and Ainsley. There are other surviving nieces, nephews, cousins and her two daughters-in-law Mary Taylor and Suzanne Taylor.

Ray will be remembered for her generosity, servant heart and devoted commitment to her husband and family. She was fiercely independent and a lover of everything outdoors. She enjoyed fishing, hunting, and gardening with her husband Carl. She was a devoted housewife and viewed her role as a wife and mother as her life commitment. She was a long-standing member of the First Baptist Church of Athens.

Ray and Carl were both driven to help anyone in need. They invested precious time with family, friends, and neighbors lending a hand to help and support whenever they could.

We will miss her dearly and look forward to our reunion in heaven.

Services to remember and honor Ray will be held on Apr. 18, 2024, at the First Baptist Church in Athens at 10 AM.

Donations can be made in lieu of flowers to Heart to Heart Hospice Foundation.

Gregory Leon Hewitt Jr.

A funeral service for Gregory Leon Hewitt Jr., 21, is scheduled for 2 p.m., April 17, 2024, at Autry Funeral Home in Frankston with Bro. Dwayne Nesmith officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. He will be laid to rest at Whitehouse Cemetery.

Gregory was born on Aug. 28, 2002, to Gregory Leon Hewitt Sr. and Nicki Marie (Burkett) Hewitt in Jacksonville and passed away on Apr. 10, 2024.

Gregory, affectionately known as Greg to family and friends was a very intelligent young man who excelled as a student and made many friends. He possessed a kind and compassionate heart and was always well mannered around others.

Greg enjoyed playing video games and was a talented cook. He was part of the debate team in high school and played tennis. He was a history buff and had a passionate interest in animals. Greg absolutely loved playing chess. He would play in tournaments against older men, and they couldn't beat him; he loved it with all his heart.

Greg will be fondly remembered for his quiet demeanor and contagious smile. He adored his family and embraced every opportunity to spend time with them. He will be dearly missed by his loved ones and close friends.

Greg was preceded in death by his grandmother, Joyce Hewitt.

Left to cherish Greg’s memory are his mother, Nicki Burkett of LaRue; father, Gregory Hewitt Sr. of Lake Tawakoni; brothers, Blake Hewitt of LaRue, and Joseph Hewitt of Lake Tawakoni; sister, Annalee Hewitt of Austin; grandparents, Rita and David Prinkey of LaRue; grandfather, William Burkett of Berryville; and extended family, and loving friends.

Pallbearers will be Nicolas Bennett, Michael Morrow Jr., Myles Morrow, Logan Morrow, Brian Sutter, Patrick Morrow, Johnny Morrow, and Cody Adams.

(Obituaries posted contain information posted by funeral homes and/or requested by families. Families may request changes or additions, if appropriate or required.)