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.)

Madyson “Averee” Forester

Funeral services for Madyson Averee Forester, 18 months, of LaRue, were held Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Faith Fellowship in Baxter with Jeff Godwin officiating, under direction of Cooper Funeral Home, Athens.

Burial was at at the New York Cemetery.

Ms. Forester was born on Aug. 11, 2004.

She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Virgil Moody and uncle, Randall “Freck” Forester.

Survivors include her parents, Randy and Paula Forester, LaRue; brothers and sisters-in-law, Brent and Kristy Forester, Tanner Forester, all of LaRue, and Chance and Rachel Moody, Brownsboro; sister, Amber Massey, LaRue; grandparents, Anita Forester and John Forester, both of LaRue and Gary and Linda Morris, Athens; aunts and uncles, Kim and Brad Miller, Norman, Oklahoma, Rita and Billy Moorehead, Corsicana, Karen and Bill Albritton, Bedford; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Pallbearers were Mike Crumrine, Lanny Reynolds, Dewey Reynolds and Joe Chapman.

Travis E. Gage

Funeral services for Travis E. Gage, 64, were held Tuesday, Jan. 31 at Thompson Funeral Home, Frankston with Pastor Mark Skorheim and Chaplain Donna Skorheim officiating, under direction of Thompson Funeral Home, Frankston.

Burial was at Garden Oaks Cemetery, Berryville.

Mr. Gage passed away Saturday, Jan. 28.

He was born August 16, 1941 in Laneville. He was a retired machinist for Teknor Color.

Survivors include his wife Juanita Gage; daughters and sons-in-law, Veleda and Mark Dutoit, of Texarkana, Liz and Greg Brents, of Troup and Jettie and Scott McWhorter, of Flint; step-sons, Steve Staples, of Navasota and Dwayne Staples, of Daingerfield; brothers and sisters-in-law, Tommy and Javelle Gage, of Mineola and Joe Bill and Sheila Gage, of Tyler; and sister, Pat Robison, of Tyler.

Pallbearers were Ray Bryant, Wayne Bryant, Clint Gage, Darren Gage, Lex Gage, James Daniel and Edie Daniel

John E. “Sambo” Houston

Funeral services for John E. “Sambo” Houston, 68, were held Friday, Jan. 27 at the Thompson Funeral Home Chapel, Frankston, with John Thompson and Johnny Anders officiating, under direction of Thompson Funeral Home, Frankston.

Burial was in Frankston City Cemetery.

Mr. Houston passed away Tuesday, Jan. 24.

He was born June 20, 1937 in Frankston.

Mr. Houston was a retired salesman for a corrugated box company. He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the Church of Christ in Frankston.

Survivors include his wife, Dorris Houston, Frankston; son, John Mark Houston, Frankston; daughters and son-in-law, Jayne and Drew Fitzgerald and Staci Smith, all of Frankston; sister, Peggy Sue Dickerson, of Highlands; grandchildren, Lynsie Houston, Jake Smith and Ryan Fitzgerald, all of Frankston; family friend, Joel Smith, Frankston; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Mike Dennis, Rusty Blair, H.G. Nichols, Bo Lookabaugh, Johnny Taylor, Phil Brakebill, George Cox and Louis Clakley.

Honorary pallbearers were Louie Dingler, Morris McLane, Jim McLane, Travis Brown, Pee Wee Forester, Roger Tarrant, Gerald Kyles, Jimmy Reynolds and Don Fitzgerald.

Mary Querry

Funeral services for Mary Querry, 91, were held Friday, Jan. 27 at Thompson Funeral Home Chapel, Frankston with Rev. Carl Bilderback and Rev. Eddie Hilburn officiating under direction of Thompson Funeral Home, Frankston.

Burial was at Wofford Cemetery.

Mrs. Querry passed away Tuesday, Jan. 24.

She was born July 2, 1914 in Frankston.

Mrs. Querry was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church, Frankston.

She was preceded in death by her husband, LeeRoy Querry; sons, Rayford D. Querry and Robery Querry and nine brothers and sisters.

Survivors include a son, Kenneth Querry, Frankston; sisters, Myrtis Land, Port Arthur and Martha Righter, Frankston; seven grandcildren; ten great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Mike Querry, Jason Querry, Murphy DeRossett, Ed Righter, David Bragg, Alvin Bragg, Sam Bell and Joshua Grantland.

Joe Hayden Miller

Funeral services for Joe Hayden Miller, 78, of LaRue were held Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Edwin McDaniel, Rev. Dime Manning, James Johnston, R.B. Richardson and Lanny Edwards officiating, under direction of Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home, Athens.

Burial was in the LaRue Cemetery.

Mr. Miller passed away Sunday, Feb. 5.

He was born June 18, 1927 in LaRue to Thomas Sorel Miller and Stella Williams Miller. He was a lifelong resident of LaRue and a member of LaRue United Methodist Church. He graduated from LaPoynor High School in 1944. He joined the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Houston. He was known to enjoy farming, ranching and good music. He is remembered by his family as “the last of a dying breed — a real cowboy.”

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Virginia; daughters and sons-in-law, Martha Jane and Bryan Huskey of Texas City, Jo Ellen and Mark Wade of Tomball; sons and daughters-in-law, Marvin and Lana Miller of LaRue, Lee Sorel and Amy Miller of Bullard; grandchildren, Amanda Dunkel and husband Daniel, Joe Darin Huskey, Michael Reddick, Sarah Reddick, Jordan Hayden Miller, Macey Miller, Shelby Miller and Ashley Davis; three great-grandchildren; sister, Wanda Edwards of Bossier City, Louisiana; life-long friend, Shorty Sholars and many other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers were Gary Almon, Breck Dodd, Darrell Allen, Brad Forester, Bryan Forester, Dan Taylor and Dewey Reynolds.

Honorary pallbearers were Ralph (Shorty) Sholars, R.B. Richardson, Joel Wilson, Don Forester, Pee Wee Forester, Durwood Dingler and Marvin Holcomb.

Jeanne Marie Presley

Graveside services for Jeanne Marie Hale Presley, 78, of Poynor were held Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Oaklawn Memorial Park with Rev. Joe Warren officiating under direction of Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home, Athens.

Mrs. Presley passed away Friday, Feb. 17.

She was born Nov. 28, 1927 in Birmingham, Alabama to the late Charles Henry and Ida Lee Knight Hale. During World War II, she moved with her family to Muskogee, Oklahoma where she met and married Kenneth G. Presley. She graduated from Muskogee Jr. College and received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Oklahoma University. She taught school in Oklahoma City and Dallas where she was an administrator. She and her husband moved to Poynor in 1983 where she taught high school English for Athens Public Schools until 1994 when she retired. She was a Regent and active member of the Daniel McMahon branch of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Athens.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth G. Presley; sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth G. Jr. and Mary Presley of Frankston and Charles W. and Lana Presley of Allen; grandchildren and spouses, Charles and Kasey Presley, Kristan and Jacob Seale, Sarah Presley and Elizabeth Presley; great-grandchildren, Hannah and Riley Presley and Jackson Seale; and sisters, Camille Hale and Romalita Hale, both of Waco.

Family requests that memorials be made to the First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 927, Athens, TX 75751.

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