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.)

Rev. Claude D. Hines

Funeral services for the Rev. Claude D. Hines, 82, of Frankston were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 3, at Thompson Funeral Home chapel in Frankston with the Revs. Jack W. Shoultz and E.J. Davis Jr. officiating.

Burial was in Frankston City Cemetery.

The Rev. Hines died Saturday, March 31, at his residence.

He was born April 21, 1918, in Lovelady and lived in the Frankston area for the last 24 years.

The Rev. Hines served in the Army as a 1st Sergeant, was a Methodist minister and teacher, and a member of United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Omega Cole Hines of Frankston; a son, David Cole Hines of Dallas; daughters, Pam McDonald of Frankston and Margo Beard of Athens; eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Joel McDonald, Grant McDonald, Blake Bumbard, John Cole, Joe Cole and Jerry Cole.

Daisy W. Tindel

Funeral services for Daisy W. Tindel, 100, of Athens were held on Thursday, April 12 at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Athens with the Rev. Lynn Parker and the Rev. Richard Palmer officiating.

Burial was in the Athens City Cemetery with Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Tindel died Monday, April 9 in an Athens hospital.

Born Oct. 17, 1900 in Grandview, Johnson County, Mrs. Tindel graduated from high school in Grandview where her father was a cotton farmer. She attended North Texas State Teachers College(now North Texas State University) in Denton where she received her teaching certificate.

Mrs. Tindel taught school before moving to Athens where her late husband Jack H. Tindel, and his father, the late James Bolen (Boley) Tindel were in the lumber business.

Mrs. Tindel was active in the First United Methodist Church and was a lifetime member of the Women's Missionary Society (now United Methodist Women). She sang in the chancel choir at the church for many years and sang soprano solos at many weddings and funerals during that time.

She was a member of the Athens chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and participated in a number of other civic activities.

In the late 1950s, she conducted play school for pre-schoolers in her home, attended by a number of present Athens residents.

She was assistant and later head librarian at the former Henderson County Memorial Library and was an assistant librarian at the Clint Murchison Memorial Library until her retirement in 1975.

Mrs. Tindel is preceded in death by her husband, former Athens assistant postmaster Jack H. Tindel; a son, Jack H. Tindel Jr.; an infant daughter; her father and mother, William A. and Ida Humphreys Woodruff; three brothers, W.A. Woodruff Jr., John Woodruff and George Woodruff; three sisters, Willie Maude Talley, Eugenia (Gene) Jones and Sue Underwood; and two nieces, Anne Talley Wilson and Mary Anice Woodruff Humes.

Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Joe W. and Ruth Brewer Tindel of Frankston; a sister, Anice Vanderlee of Austin; a brother, Joe Woodruff of Nursery; a grandson and granddaughter-in-law, Joe W. Tindel Jr. and Jennifer of Euless and a granddaughter, Carol Tindel Stegall of Athens; three great grandchildren, Jack Grady Tindel and Katie Ann Tindel of Euless and Joseph Max Stegall of Athens; and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were H.B. (Slick) Alfred, Jimmy Wyrick, Jimmy Mitchell, Jim Owens, Jim McNutt and Charles A. Hawn.

Honorary pallbearers were members of the Chancel Choir and the United Methodist Women of First United Methodist Church, Athens.

Marlin Stewart

NECHES - Funeral services for Marlin Stewart, 96, of Neches, were held at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 8, at First Baptist Church of Neches with Rev. Charles Grasty and Danny Henderson officiating.

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

Mr. Stewart died Thursday, April 5, in a Jacksonville hospital.

He was born Dec. 14, 1904 in Alderbranch and was a lifelong resident of the area.

Mr. Stewart was a retired farmer, and member and deacon of First Baptist Church of Neches.

He was preceded in death by a son, R.L. Stewart, and grandson, Mike Stewart.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Sue Hopper Stewart, Neches; son and daughters-in-law, Clifford and Bonnie Stewart, Tyler, and Valda Stewart; daughters, Louise Stewart, Neches, Virginia Stewart Cretsinger, Broyles Chapel; a sister, Audrey Harrison; grandchildren, Tommy and Debbie Stewart, Neches, Eddie and Gloria Stewart, and Carol and Larry Shelton, all of Kilgore, Deborah and Danny Henderson, Lubbock, Kaye and Jim Keckeisen, Longview, Wilson and Carolyn Stewart, Terrell, Danny and Wanda Stewart, Tyler, Marlin and Diane Cretsinger and Phillip Cretsinger, all of Broyles Chapel; 18 great-grandchildren, 12 great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Carl Blue, Ray Parton II, Lowell Jones, Ronnie Reagan, Bob Simmons and George Simmons, Jr.

Honorary pallbearers were Billy Canon, Church Norton, John Goodman and Dale Ott.

Ernest Cook

LARUE - Funeral services for Ernest Alvin Cook, 82, of LaRue were held at 2 p.m. Monday, April 9, at Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home chapel in Athens with the Rev. Howard Thompson officiating.

Burial was in Oaklawn Memorial Park in Athens.

Mr. Cook died Thursday, April 5, at home.

He was born Jan. 25, 1919 to the late Ernest Frank and Brazoria Cantrell Cook.

He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II in the European Theatre, receiving EAME Campaign Medal with five Bronze Star Clusters, Distinguished Unit Badge, Bronze Star, and other medals.

Mr. Cook worked for Red Dot Corp., and was a cattleman and rancher.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Ruby Taggert.

Survivors include his wife, Glenice Cook, LaRue; daughters, Tanis Shillaire, Las Vegas, Nev. and Brenda Holland, Denton; a brother, Robert Cook, LaRue; sisters, Dorothy Jean Cook, Dania, FL, Janell Donaldson, Medford, OR, and Marilyn Williams, Frankston; three grandsons; eight nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Melvin Pool, Arlin Pool, Robert Melvin Neely, Darrell Cook, Glen Smith and Bud Simpson.

Loutricia Bonfanti

OAKWOOD - Funeral services for Loutricia Sowell Bonfanti, 39, were held on Wednesday, April 11, at 10 a.m. at Southside Baptist Church with Brother Larry E. Tilmon officiating.

Graveside services were held at Sowell Cemetery in San Augustine County under the direction of Bailey & Foster Funeral Home, Palestine.

Mrs. Bonfanti died April 7 in Leon County.

She was born July 23, 1961, in San Augustine County to Carl F. and Bobbie Sowell. She was in law enforcement for 12 years, was a certified hostage negotiator and worked for Leon County for three years as deputy sheriff. She was preceded in death by father, Carl F. Sowell in November 1991.

Survivors include her husband, Anthony P. Bonfanti, Oakwood;' daughters, Linna Sowell Ansley, Frankston, and Leslie Kay Owen, Oakwood; mother, Bobbie Sowell Powell, Frankston; sister, Cornelia Sowell, Palestine; and brother George Sowell, Palestine.

Pallbearers were  County Sheriff's Deputies.

Vernon McClendon

Funeral services for Vernon McClendon, 96, of Frankston were held Saturday, April 21, at the O.A. Smith Funeral Home in Stamps, Arkansas, with graveside services following at Mars Hill Cemetery.

Services were conducted by grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including Patrick Cauley, Casey Cauley, Walter Willis, Melinda Orsak, Danny Barnes and Kyle Baker.

He was born Nov. 20, 1904 in Mars Hill, Arkansas, near Lewisville, son of the late Mack (Sidney Matthew) and Fannie Olive McClendon.

Mr. McClendon worked at cotton gins and was a farm laborer in and around Garland, Arkansas, worked at Todd Shipyard near Houston during World War II and on construction projects in Guam, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, French Morroco, Iceland, Equador, Vietnam and Heber Springs, Arkansas.

He also worked at Day and Zimmerman near Hooks, and after he retired and until he was 90, he worked at the Garland City Gin.

Mr. McClendon lived in Hooks, Texas, until coming to live with his daughter, Peggy McClendon, in Frankston.

He was preceded in death by siblings, Alice LeBlanc, Orren McClendon Amanda Cox, Bess Hickerson, JoAnn McClendon and Nell Jacobson; children, Joseph McClendon and Ann Rushing.

His wife, Mona McClendon of Hooks died before him; his first wife, Alza Prestidge is still living.

Surviving children include, Pat Barnes and her husband, Doyle of Tyler, Peggy McClendon of Frankston, and Jimmy McClendon of Flint; step-daughters, Phyllis Baker and her husband, Dillard of Hood, and Jill Hackett and her husband Carl of Harrison, Arkansas. Surviving siblings include Kate Kittle of Shreveport, Louisiana, Matthew McClendon of Little Rock, Arkansas and Jack McClendon of Ashdown, Arkansas. Other survivors include 18 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Honorary pallbearers were surviving members of the Sunday School Class he taught for 26 years at the Hooks Presbyterian Church.

Mr. McClendon is a past ruling Elder at Hooks Presbyterian Church, and the family requests and honoraria be made to the church, at Main Street, Hooks, Texas 75561.

Meldrum E. Bailey

Funeral services for Meldrum E. Bailey, 68, of Frankston, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with President Evan Nielsen officiating.

Graveside services were held at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Kelsey Cemetery in Gilmer under direction of Lloyd James Funeral Home, Tyler.

Mr. Bailey died Wednesday, April 18, in Lexington, VA.

He was born April 22, 1932 in Gilmer and was a longtime resident of Frankston.

Mr. Bailey was self employed in the rain gutter business and member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Ruthie Venn.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret Farley Bailey of Frankston; sons, Gary Bailey of Carrollton, Kelvin Bailey of Eagle Mountain, Utah, Earnie Bailey of Wills Point and Larry Bailey of Athens; daughters, Carolyn Adams of Lindale, Darlene Starks of Carrollton, Nancy Bradshaw of Lake Dallas, and Amy Mullins of Euless; step daughters, Wendy Farley of Wildwood, Florida, Marie Shirak of Beuna Vista, VA, and Janell Farley of Dallas; his mother, Effie Bailey of Gilmer; a brother, Rowan Bailey of Gilmer; a sister, Pauline Shirley of Joliet, Montana; former wife, Betty Jo Bailey of New Chapel Hill; 16 grandchildren, seven step grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Pallbearers were sons and grandsons, Larry Bailey, Earnie Bailey, Kelvin Bailey, Gary Bailey, Chris Bailey, Mark Adams, Josh Adams, Gregory Bailey, Michael Starks and Jordan Bradshaw.

If desired, memorials may be made to Family History Center, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1617 Shiloh Road, Tyler, 75703.

Bobby Caldwell

Funeral services for Bobby Caldwell, 65, of Frankston were held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at J.M. Day Funeral Home in Madisonville with Rev. Dean Ferguson officiating.

Burial was at Ten Mile Cemetery.

Mr. Caldwell was born Nov. 8, 1935 in Madison County to Emmett and Ruby Johnston Caldwell, and was reared in the Ten Mile community.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Thelma Payne; and a brother, Jimmie Caldwell.

Survivors include his wife, Clarice Caldwell of Frankston; a daughter, Sheryl Starling, and her husband Duane of Frankston; a son, Tracy Caldwell of Marshall; two granddaughters, Jamie Biddle and Misty Ellington; a grandson, Levi McDonald, and one great-grandson, Kaleb Biddle, all of Frankston; two brothers, Melvin Caldwell of Normangee and Jessie Caldwell of Arkansas; sister, Glenna Griffith of Normangee; several step children and step grandchildren.

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