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.)

Laura Berry

TYLER — A graveside service for Laura Berry, 82, of Tyler was held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, at Roselawn Park in Palestine with Johnny Anders officiating

Burial was under the direction of Lloyd James Funeral Home in Tyler.

Mrs. Berry died Friday, Dec. 26, in Tyler.

She was born June 21, 1921 in Anderson County to the late Levi and Fannie Collier Graves.

Mrs. Berry was a member of Holmes Chapel United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, James B. Berry Sr.; and her son, Billy T. Berry.

Mrs. Berry is survived by her sons, James B. Berry Jr. and wife, Wanda, of Tyler, and Donald B. Berry of Frankston; a brother, Ben Graves of Mathis; a sister, Oleta Walker of Palestine; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

If desired, memorials may be made to Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, TX 75701.

Frank Gurney Jr.

Funeral services for Frank E. Gurney Jr., 91, of Frankston were held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, at Thompson Funeral Home chapel in Frankston, with the Rev. Joel E. Withem Sr. officiating.

Burial was in Frankston City Cemetery under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home.

Mr. Gurney died in Bryan.

He was born Feb. 29, 1912, in Cleveland, Okla., to the late Frank E. Sr. and Julia J. Martinez Gurney.

Mr. Gurney worked in farming and welding, and was a member of United Methodist Church of Frankston.

He was preceded in death by a son, Joe F. Gurney; and a brother, Malvin D Gurney.

Survivors include his wife, Viola Gurney of Bryan; a daughter and son-in-law, Juanita and Joel Withem of Bryan; a brother and sister-in-law, Oren and Clodell Gurney of Tyler; six grandchildren; two nieces and three nephews.

Pallbearers were Joel E. Withem Jr., Albert Vasquez, Filip Lazarevic, David Meduna and Jerry Beard.

Bill Meazell

Funeral services for Bill Meazell, 61, of Nacogdoches were held at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22 at Oak Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Bonnie Eaves officiating.

Burial followed in Pennington Cemetery with Laird-McGill Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Meazell died Wednesday Dec. 17, 2003, in Florida.

Born Aug. 28, 1942, in Houston, he was the son of Elayne Meazell and Herman Meazell, and nephew of Mattie Meazell Newman of Tyler who have preceded him in death. He was self-employed as a collectible car dealer.

Survivors include sons and daughters-in-law Dennis and Cecilia Taylor of Nacogdoches, Billy and Tonya Meazell Jr. of Frankston, Dale and Tracy Taylor of Nacogdoches, Steven and Peggy Meazell of Neches; daughters and sons-in-law Diana Kay and Vic Custer of Nacogdoches, Donna Darlene and Tony Lemons of Nacogdoches, Charlotte and Anthony Broughton of Palestine; brothers and sisters-in-law, Earl Meazell of Houston, Joe and Phalin Meazell of Houston, Sammie and Sherlin Craig of Houston; sisters, Joyce Meazell Hancock of Nacogdoches, Cathy Miller Taylor of Cleveland; 19 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and god-son, Jerry and Fern Simmons of Nacogdoches.

Mr. Meazell was a member of the Nacogdoches Auto Club, National Street Rod Assn., ARCA/Nascar, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn., East Texas Antique Auto Club, Antique Auto Club of America, very active with many local charities, and a member of Spruce Creek Fly-In Community in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Memorials may be made to SFASU College of Business Scholarship, c/o Jimmy Mize at Regions Bank or the Pennington Cemetery Assn.

Florence Missildine

Memorial services for Florence Missildine, 85, of Frankston were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, in the Thompson Funeral Home Chapel in Frankston.

Mrs. Missildine died Wednesday, Dec. 10 in a Jacksonville hospital.

She was born Oct. 4, 1918 in Turney and was a self employed farmer.

Mrs. Missildine was preceded in death by her husband, Joel Missildine.

Survivors include nieces, Ann Miles of Gun Barrel City, and Lois Bridges of Lake Palestine.

Mrs. Gladys Thomas

Funeral services for Mrs. Gladys Thomas, 87, of Frankston were held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, at Mt. Olive Baptist Church with Elder Ray Baker officiating.

Burial was in Sand Flat Mt. Olive Cemetery under direction of Mercy/McGowan Funeral Home of Jacksonville.

Mrs. Thomas died Friday, Dec. 19, in Jacksonville.

She was born April 22, 1916 in Cuney. She lived most of her life in Frankston and attended an Anderson County Public School. Mrs. Thomas was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church and a housewife.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bennie “Dick” Thomas, parents and one brother.

Survivors include one son, Mario Thomas; two sisters, Bernice Greenwood of Dallas and Benna Lewis of Austin; and one grandchild.

Pallbearers were Davis Paris, Darryl Paris, Alfonso Lang, Kenneth Manoy, Marcellus Allen and Richard Miller.

Honorary pallbearers were William D. Albright Jr. and R.E. Pierson.

Lucille Goodman Walding

Funeral services for Lucille Goodman Walding, 85, of Houston, formerly of Neches, were held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, at First Baptist Church in Neches with Rev. Charles Grasty officiating.

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

Mrs. Walding died Saturday, Dec. 27, in Houston.

She was born March 15, 1918 in Frost. Mrs. Walding was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Neches.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Walding.

Survivors are sons and daughters-in-law, Bobby and Sue Walding of Pasadena, Jim and Harriet Walding of Hawkins, Mark Walding, David and Terry Walding and Jerry Walding, all of Houston; daughters, Melba Ferrell of Pasadena, and Margaret Callaway of Florissant, Colo.; a brother, Alton Goodman of Frankston; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Scott Callaway, Shane Callaway, Shannon Callaway, Chris Walding, Rick Callaway and Mike Callaway.

Mallie Mae Averyt

Funeral services for Mallie Mae Averyt, 103, of Frankston, formerly of Houston and Palestine, were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, at the United Methodist Church, Frankston, with Revs. Mark Pedersen and Bob Waldman officiating.

Burial was at Frankston City Cemetery under direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Frankston.

Mrs. Averyt died Jan. 1 in a Tyler hospital.

She was born Nov. 11, 1900 in Kickapoo, Anderson County, Texas, daughter of J.M. and Julia Lee Cook.

Mrs. Averyt was a homemaker and member of the United Methodist Church. She was a 1918 graduate of Frankston High School and attended The College of Industrial Arts (now Texas Woman’s University) in Denton.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, George H. Averyt; and her parents.

Survivors include her daughter, Dorothy Lee Clark of Brierwood Bay, Frankston; a niece, Shirley Hill of Longview; seven nephews, including George Moss Cook of San Antonio, formerly of Frankston; great-nieces, Mamie Joe Northcutt Beall of Germantown, Tenn. and formerly of Frankston, Jennie Northcutt Minter and Kay Cook McDonald, both of Frankston; great-nephews, Don Fitzgerald and Mike Cook, both of Frankston, Pat Cook of Houston and Larry Lee Pipes of Henderson, both formerly of Frankston.

Nephews Dee Averyt of San Angelo, Dr. Ronnie Averyt of Ottawa, Kan., George Averyt of Arlington, Jerry Averyt of Dallas, Tom Whitehead and Jack Whitehead, both of Longview, served as pallbearers.

Memorials may be made to the Frankston United Methodist Church Library Fund or United Methodist Women, P.O. Box 355, Frankston, TX 75763.

James A. Rankin Jr.

Funeral services for James A. Rankin Jr., 69, of Weatherford, formerly of Frankston, were held Thursday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. at the Christian Hawkins Funeral Chapel in Boyd, with Pastor Barney Hudson officiating.

Burial was in the Aurora Cemetery.

He died Tuesday, Jan. 13, in Fort Worth.

Mr. Rankin was born Dec. 18, 1934 in Maringoin, La., son of James A. Rankin and Cleo White Rankin. He married the former Ann Griffith on Feb. 12, 1974. in Durant, Okla.

Mr. Rankin was the owner of a retail furniture business and had lived in the metroplex for over 20 years. He served in the U.S. Navy. and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Frankston. While in Frankston, he was maintenance supervisor for Frankston ISD and a businessman.

He was preceded in death by his father and a son, J.C. Rankin.

Survivors include his wife, Ann Rankin; his mother, Cleo Rankin; sons, Danny Rankin and wife Rosa, and Dan Kemp and wife Karen; daughters, Cheryl Ballinger and husband Rodger, Donna Lee and husband Jacky, and Dana Roop and husband Christian; a sister, Dianna Terry; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Jimmy Rankin, Randy Rankin, Michael Rankin, Cody Holt, Travis Blanton and Daniel Lee.

Eva Lee Loftice Stibbins

Funeral services for Mrs. Eva Lee Loftice Stibbins, 81, of Garland were held at 12 noon, Friday, Jan. 16, in the Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Chapel with Rev. Danny Buster officiating.

Burial followed at Melissa Cemetery.

Mrs. Stibbins died Tuesday, Jan. 13, in a Garland hospital.

She resided at Garland Community Care Center in Garland.

Mrs. Stibbins was born on Oct. 15, 1922 in Melissa, Tex. She was raised in and around the Melissa area before moving to Garland with her husband in 1962. She retired from Varo in Garland.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Jimmie ‘Buck’ Stibbins; her parents, Laura Buffington Loftice and Collin Texas Loftice; and two brothers, Rufus Leon (Brownie) Loftice and Charlie Elbert (Choc) Loftice.

Survivors include two sisters, Leta Mae Stice and her husband Weldon of Sherman, Dollie Ruth Luster of Whitewright; one brother, Louis Raymond Lotice of Honey Grove; her children, Jimmie Lee Stibbins of Sherman, David Stibbins and his wife, Doris of Frankston, Bonnie Helterbrand and her husband Jimmy of Garland, Roy Stibbins and his wife, Janice of Garland, and Tommy Stibbins; 11 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. The grandchildren and great grandchildren include Darrell Stibbins and his wife, Theresa and their son, Cody of Whitehouse, Daphne Noble and two children, Kimberly and Kristopher of Central, Dustin Stibbins, Dee Matthews and her husband Randy, and their daughter, Kaitlyn, all of Frankston.

Dennis Young

COFFEE CITY — Funeral services for Dennis Young, 53, of Coffee City were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at Bailey & Foster Chapel in Palestine with Rev. Eric Young officiating.

Burial followed in Perry Starr Cemetery, with arrangements under the direction of Bailey & Foster, Palestine.

Mr. Young died Sunday, Jan. 25, at his residence.

He was born Jan. 26, 1950 in Waxahachie to Lonnie Dennis Young and Evelyn Starr Young. Mr. Young was a retired mechanic from Union Pacific Railroad. He attended the Assembly of God Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lonnie Dennis Young; a sister, Kathy Ann Young; and a grandson, Deegan Fouse.

Survivors include his wife, Kelly Young of Coffee City; his mother, Evelyn Young of Palestine; a son and daughter-in-law, Jessica and Tim Fouse and a granddaughter, Kyndle Fouse, all of Chandler; brothers, Jacky Young of Frankston and Davy Young of Palestine; a brother-in-law, Allen Pruitt of Coffee City; and parents-in-law, Jessie and Betty Pruitt of Coffee City.

Pallbearers were Joshua Young, Cody Young, Danny Young, Tim Fouse, Allen Pruitt and Charles Starr. Honorary pallbearer was Phil McKnight.

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