Frankston Area Obituaries — 1999-Present

Here are the obituaries posted for the current month from information provided courtesy of local and area funeral homes and published on their websites or those submitted by families. 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. 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.)

Ricky Jack Bragg

LUFKIN — Funeral services for Ricky Jack Bragg, 46, of Lufkin, were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Assembly of God in Frankston with Rev. J.A. Griffin officiating.

Burial was in Wofford Cemetery near Frankston under direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Frankston.

Mr. Bragg died Wednesday, Jan. 29, in a Tyler hospital.

He was born March 17, 1956 in Livingston, and was a member of Assembly of God, Frankston.

Mr. Bragg was preceded in death by his father, C.D. Bragg; and a brother, Carl Randall Bragg.

Survivors include his mother, Maureen Bragg of Frankston; a brother and sister-in-law, Byron and Veronica Bragg of Lufkin; a niece, Amy Bragg of Lufkin; and a nephew, Andy Bragg of Lufkin.

Cleta Norton Hopper

CEDAR HILL — Funeral services for Cleta Norton Hopper, 85, of Cedar Hill were held at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 3, at Jaynes Memorial Chapel in Duncanville with Rev. James Jackson officiating.

Burial was at 3:30 p.m. at Dabbs Cemetery near Frankston.

Mrs. Hopper died Friday, Jan. 31.

She was born Aug. 2, 1917 in Rusk to Samuel Jefferson and Lucy Lee (Bell) Norton. She was married to George A. (Pete) Hopper on March 28, 1936. Mrs. Hopper was a homemaker.

Mrs. Hopper was preceded in death by a son, Karl Hopper in 1969, a twin brother, Buddy Norton in October 2002; and two great-granddaughters, Jacqueta Ray Chantaca and Kaylee Reanne Guerrero.

Survivors include her husband of 66 years, George A. “Pete” Hopper of Cedar Hill; daughters, Martha Davis of Midland, Cleta Shelton of Trinidad, Georgia McKelvey of Dallas and Carolyn Whiteley of Cedar Hill; a brother, Sam Norton of Bardwell; and a sister, Mary Wilson of Kaufman: 14 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great grandchildren.

Hugh M. ‘Dorsey’ Owens

Funeral services for Hugh M. “Dorsey” Owens, 90, Chandler were held Thursday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. in the chapel of Thompson Funeral Home in Frankston with the Rev. W.W. Cooksey and the Rev. J.A. Griffin officiating.

Burial will be held at Frankston City Cemetery.

Mr. Owens died Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 in Tyler.

He was born, Dec. 16, 1912 in Frankston. Mr. Owens was a retired from the U.S. Army, serving as Staff Sergeant for 21 years. He was a World War II veteran. He was a Baptist.

Mr. Dorsey joined the Army in 1939 and went to Hawaii for basic training. He was in Scoffield Barracks when Pearl Harbor was bombed. From there, he went to Guadalcanal where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. He returned home in 1945. He retired from the military in 1965.

He was preceded in death by parents, Minor and Maggie Owens, a brother, Carl Owens and a sister, Edith Quinn.

Survivors include his wife, Susie Owens, Chandler; a niece, Karen Walter and family of Houston.

Pallbearers include Sterling Costlow, Billy Jones, Tom Walters, Tom Ellis, Billy Bacon and Ronny Smith.

Honorary pallbearers are the Domino Players at Sunrise Shores.

Memorials can be made to Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd, Tyler, Texas 75701.

Armeta Marvelle (Meta) Ewell

LOGAN, Utah — Funeral services for Armeta Marvelle Lee (Meta) Ewell were held Monday, Feb. 3, at noon in the Cliffside Second Ward Chapel in Logan, Utah, with Bishop Boyd Rowley conducting.

Interment was in the Providence Cemetery under direction of Webb Funeral Home, Preston, Idaho.

Her husband, Valcris O. Ewell Jr., is the son of the late Valcris Sr. and Marjorie Ewell of Frankston.

Mrs. Ewell died Monday, Jan. 27, at her home in Logan.

She was born Oct. 16, 1923 in Charleston, Mo., daughter of R. Lovelace and Bertha Moore Lee. She married Valcris O. Ewell Jr. on May 18, 1953 in Marshall, Texas. Mrs. Ewell taught elementary school for over 30 years in Arizona, Illinois, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where she served in the Relief Society, Single Adults, and in genealogy extraction and the empty nesters.

Mrs. Ewell was preceded in death by a son, Earl C. Harris Jr.; and her parents.

Survivors include her husband, Valcris O. (Val)) Ewell Jr. of Logan; three sons, Larry D. Robinson of Illinois, Valcris O. Ewell III and Diane of Inglewood, Calif. and Newton H. Ewell of New York, NY; one daughter, Sharon C. Ewell of Annapolis, Md.; 12 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; a brother, R. Lovelace Lee Jr. of Chicago, Ill.; and cousins, Thelma Johnson of Washington, D.C., Charles and Delores Atkins of Arizona, James and Mary Atkins of Washington, D.C., Robert and Artia Mason of St. Louis, Mo.; and by a host of other relatives and friends.

Frankye Jane Regester

HOUSTON — A private family service for Frankye Jane Regester, 101, of Houston was held in the Memorial Mission Mausoleum at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery.

Mrs. Regester died Wednesday, Feb. 5.

She was born July 20, 1901 to Marcus Lafayette Collier and Ella Taylor Collier in Henderson County, near the old community of Fincastle. Mrs. Regester was educated in the local schools and attended The University of Texas while a resident of Austin. Mr. and Mrs. Regester had been members of Second Baptist Church of Houston since the 1930’s and formed life long friendships with fellow members of the E.P. West/Forum Class.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Edward Regester; and a son, Howard Collier Regester.

Survivors include her daughter, Linda and her husband, Willis Upchurch; a daughter-in-law, Bettie Regester of San Antonio; a granddaughter, Mallory Sheridan Mazy and husband, Max; great-grandchildren, Molly Caroline Mazy, Mary Alex Mazy and Max Lee Mazy Jr.

Memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Jesse Frank Freeman

Funeral services for Jesse Frank Freeman, 83, of the Brushy Creek Community near Frankston were held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the Thompson Funeral Home Chapel in Frankston.

Burial was at the Frankston City Cemetery.

He died Monday, Feb. 17, in a Frankston nursing home.

Mr. Freeman was born Dec. 26, 1919 in Anderson County. He as a member of First Baptist Church of Frankston. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Mr. Freeman was an overland truck driver.

Survivors include two sons, David Lee Kimbrough of Mineral Wells and Robert Kimbrough of Lindale; sisters, Floreed Elizabeth Kimbrough of Lindale and Annie Myrle Dicus of Kaufman; six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Jean Schindewolf

Graveside services for Jean Schindewolf, 80, of Frankston were held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Garden Oaks Memorial Park in Berryville under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home in Frankston.

Mrs. Schindewolf died Tuesday, Feb. 11, at a Frankston nursing home.

She was born June 20, 1922, in Pleasant Township, Ohio. She was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Schindewolf of Frankston; sons and daughter-in-law, Dan and Christine Schindewolf of Acworth, Ga., and Philip Schindewolf of Frankston; daughters and sons-in-law, Karen J. and Walter Colvin of Frankston and Lynn Joy Allen of Phoenix, Ariz.; brother-in-law, Paul Sloan of Kenton, Ohio; sister, Pauline Hager of Kenton, Ohio; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Honorary pallbearers were grandchildren.

Cora Davis

Funeral services for Cora Davis, 83, Frankston, were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 at Corinth Baptist Church, Bullard, with the Rev. Craig A. Davis officiating.

Burial was in Corinth Cemetery under direction of John R. Harmon Undertaking Co., Tyler.

Mrs. Davis died Feb. 15 in a Jacksonville hospital.

She was born Jan. 23, 1920, in Anderson County and was a lifelong resident. She attended Evan Springs schools and was a member of Evan Springs Baptist Church. She was a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.

Survivors include her daughters, Shallonie Stafford, Tyler; Brenda Joyce Scott, Frankston; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Lonzo Rainey Jr., Patrick Davis, Evan Davis, Von Aaron Ricks, Paul Lee Ricks and Aubrey Davis.

Deacons of the church were honorary pallbearers.

Gertrude James

Funeral services for Gertrude James, 81, of Frankston were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Thompson Funeral Home Chapel in Frankston with Rev. Roland Chamberland officiating.

Burial was in Frankston City Cemetery.

Mrs. James died Sunday, Feb. 23 in Frankston.

She was born Aug. 24, 1921 in Pittsburgh and had been a lifetime resident of Frankston. Mrs. James was a homemaker and member of First Baptist Church in Frankston.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Roe James.

Survivors include sons and daughters-in-law, Jacinto and Constance Frausto of Jupiter, Fla., Bobby and Cindy Frausto of Frankston, Johnny and Debbie Frausto of Ben Wheeler, Mickey and Lisa Frausto of Union Valley, and David and Melissa James of Lindale; daughters and sons-in-law, Mary Fern and Earl Johnson of Las Vegas, Nev., Margaret and Jim Anderson of Shreveport, La., and Linda and Joe White of Frankston; 22 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Ora Tidwell Pittman

JACKSONVILLE — Graveside services for Ora Tidwell Pittman, 73, of Jefferson, formerly of Jacksonville, were held Thursday, Feb. 27, at 10 a.m. at Antioch Cemetery with the Rev. Paul Hilliard officiating under direction of Boren-Conner Funeral Home, Jacksonville.

Mrs. Pittman died Saturday, Feb. 22, in Jefferson.

Mrs. Pitman was born Jan. 9, 1930 in Omen, and was a lifelong resident of East Texas. She was a housewife and a Baptist.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Harvey Tidwell Sr., Ralph Pittman and Walter Thomas Hays; and a son, Melvin Tidwell.

Survivors include sons, Harvey Tidwell Jr., Frankston, and Curtis Tidwell, Longview; daughters, Gloria Traylor, Reklaw, Dorothy Allen and Margaret Elam, both of Jefferson, Wanda Weissinger, Quinlan, and Karen White, Jacksonville; 23 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren.

Honorary pallbearers were grandsons and friends.

Evie Wiggins

Funeral services for Evie Onelia Sartor (Cheshire) Wiggins, 80, of Frankston were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 at HillTop Baptist Church with Rev. George Folmar and Rev. Warren Langford, grandson, officiating.

Burial was in Garden Oaks Memorial Park in Berryville. Services were directed by Thompson Funeral Home, Frankston.

She died Sunday, Feb. 23.

Mrs. Wiggins was a member of HillTop Baptist Church and was active in the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5073. She was a member of the Lake Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce and served on the Berryville City Council for 13 years.

Mrs. Wiggins’ commitment to community involvement began when she was a police woman in Carthage, a position from which she retired after 20 years of service.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Luther (Rip) Wiggins and her ex-husband, Allen V. Cheshire; and three brothers, Hubert Sartor, Chester Sartor and Harvey Sartor.

Survivors include two sons, Darrell Dean Cheshire of Carthage and Don Allen Cheshire of Houston; one daughter, Agnes Marie Petri of Pert; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; three sisters, Marie Linder of Simi Valley, Calif., Bernice Wheeler of Las Vegas, Nev. and Beulah Freshour of Nacogdoches; and two brothers, Elton Sartor of Kilgore and Alton Sartor of Strong, Ark.

Pallbearers were James Colvin, Erwin Berry, Ron Moore, Bob Pickle, Marlyn Langford and Brian Monroe.

Honorary pallbearers were Jayson Cheshire, James Allen Cheshire, Bradley Moore, Ben Cheshire and Spencer Cheshire.

Memorials may be made to Southside Baptist Church Building Fund, Carthage, TX or HillTop Baptist Church Building Fund, Berryville.

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