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.)

Lura Mae Phillips

LARUE — Funeral services for Lura Mae Phillips, 98, of LaRue, were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 27, at the New York Baptist Church with the Rev. Olin Boles officiating.

Burial was in New York Cemetery under direction of Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home, Athens.

Mrs. Phillips died Thursday, June 24, in Arlington.

She was born Dec. 9, 1905, in Henderson County to Mitchell and Ellie Hall. Mrs. Phillips taught elementary school in Baxter, New York and LaPoynor for 48 years before retiring in 1973. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma sorority.

Mrs. Phillips was preceded in death by her husband, Everett C. Phillips, in 1981.

Survivors include her daughter, Elliene “Bitsy” Busby of Arlington; and one niece.

Pallbearers were Lanny Reynolds, Dewey Reynolds, Terry Bristow, Seaborn Tindel, Eric Nichols and John Reynolds.

Memorials may be made to New York Cemetery Assn., 5737 County Road 4833, LaRue, TX 75770.

Thomas Williams

LARUE — Funeral services for Thomas Earl Williams, 79, of LaRue, were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 24, at Cooper Funeral Home Chapel in Athens with the Revs. Curtis Mathis and John Brinley officiating.

Burial was in Athens City Cemetery.

Mr. Williams died June 22.

He was born Oct. 21, 1924 in Corsicana to the late William Archie and Mildred Gammill Williams. Mr. Williams was a 1942 graduate of Athens High School and served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force from 1943 to 1950. He attended Texas A&M University, earned his law degree from Baylor School of Law and Juri Doctorate degree from Baylor in 1954. He was admitted to practice law in the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western United States District Courts.

Mr. Williams served as an assistant district attorney in Collin County for two years, District Attorney in Collin County for two years, with Henry Wade as an assistant District Attorney in Dallas County, and had served as Athens City Attorney for 30 years.

He was a commissioned police officer with Athens Police Department since 1985 and a member of Henderson County Peace Officer’s Assn.

He was a 50-year member of Athens Masonic Lodge No. 165 AF&AM, where he had served as past worshipful master, and was also a 32nd degree Knight Commander Court of Honor Scottish Rite Mason.

Mr. Williams was a member of the LaRue Baptist Church and had served as a trustee.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia Williams of LaRue; sons, Stephen Williams of Houston, Randy Williams of Arlington, and Daniel Williams of Latexo; a daughter, Cindy Williams of Phoenix, Ariz.; a step-daughter, Tammy Brown of Athens; a step-son, Stacy Harris of Athens; and five grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Bill Clark, Bill Hoppes, David Harris Jr., Stacy Harris, Wayne Brown and Lee Flowers.

Honorary pallbearers were Don Copeland, Mark Collins, Dr. Ken Lemmon, Joe Young, Robert Strain, Dr. Buster Geddie Jr., and members of Henderson County Peace Officers Assn.

If desired, memorials may be made to Genesis Hospice of Athens or LaRue Baptist Church Building Fund.

Melvin Lee 'Shag' Bizzell

Funeral services for Melvin Lee “Shag” Bizzell, 68, of Frankston were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 8, at the Frankston Assembly of God with Rev. J.A. Griffin officiating.

Burial was at the Liberty Hill Cemetery in Frankston. Services were under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Frankston.

Mr. Bizzell died Monday, July 5 in Tyler.

He was born Feb. 23, 1936 in Frankston.

Mr. Bizzell was an employee of the City of Frankston Water Dept. He served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1961. He was affiliated with the Frankston Assembly of God since a very young age.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara Bizzell of Frankston; a son, John Bizzell of Huntsville; daughters, Rhonda Daughtrey of Paris and Shannon Butler of Palestine; his mother, Lorena Vay Jones of Frankston; brothers, Jerry Jones, Mike Jones and Steve Jones, all of Frankston; sisters, Hazel Grubbs, Linda Terrell and Pat Henderson, all of Frankston; eight grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and several nieces and nephews.

Anne Elizabeth Atwood

Funeral services for Anne Elizabeth Atwood, 39, of Frankston were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 13, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Tyler under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Frankston.

Burial was in the Frankston City Cemetery.

Miss Atwood died Saturday, July 10, in a Tyler hospital.

She attended high school and was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Survivors include her parents, Richard “Dick” and Sharon Atwood of Frankston; a brother, Richard Brooks Atwood II and wife, Ali, of Frankston; three nephews and one niece; several cousins and other friends and relatives.

Pallbearers were Al Howell, Harry Heap, Britt Bacon, Johnny Burks, Jerry Boles and Bryan Atwood.

Memorials may be made to Humane Society of Smith County.

Johnnie Faye Baker

Funeral services for Johnnie Faye Baker, 67, of Frankston were held at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 22 at First Baptist Church in Frankston with Supt. Rayford Chimney, Bobby Spencer, Elder Johnny Ray Baker, Carl Yarbrough and Apostle C.L. Hagerty officiating.

Burial was in Sandflat Cemetery under direction of Community Funeral Home of Jacksonville.

Mrs. Baker died Thursday, July 15 in a Tyler hospital.

She was born Sept. 23, 1936 in Timpson and was a longtime resident of Frankston. Mrs. Baker was a member of the Spiritual Temple Church of God in Christ where she served as a missionary and Church Mother.She was employed at the Wal Mart Bakery in Jacksonville, a longtime employee of the Jeff Austin Estate in Frankston, and retired from Curtis Mathes in Athens.

Mrs. Baker was preceded in death by her father.

Survivors include her husband, John H. Baker; her mother, Pauline Lewis McClendon of Nacogdoches; six sons, Bennie L. Baker and Thomas E. Baker, both of Tyler, Willie Joe Baker, Samuel D. Baker and Larry C. Baker, all of Jacksonville, and Elder Johnny Ray Baker of Frankston; three daughters, Pamela R. Dennis and Rhonda C. Coleman, both of Jacksonville, and Pauline Baker of Frankston; five brothers, Clarence L. McClendon and Thomas Vincent McClendon, both of Nacogdoches, Andrew McClendon and Larry W. McClendon, both of Timpson, and Eulis Dave McClendon of Logansport, La.; four sisters, Allene Powers, Linda Jackson and Janice Jackson, all of Nacogdoches and Hattie Spencer of Lufkin; 47 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Donald Clemons, Tracy Clemons, Mario Jackson, André Jackson and Donny Coffer.

Brothers served as honorary pallbearers.

Raymond Berryhill

MIDWAY — Funeral services for Raymond Berryhill 81, of the Midway community were held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, at Midway Baptist Church with the Rev. Cecil Downey officiating.

Burial was in Midway Cemetery under direction of Bailey & Foster Funeral Home of Palestine.

Mr. Berryhill died Sunday, July 25, in an Athens hospital.

He was born April 4, 1925, in Anderson County to the late Charlie and Louie Bell Gatlin Berryhill. Mr. Berryhill was a retired self-employed contract landscaper and a member of Midway Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by a grandson, Robert McMahan; and a brother, Grady Berryhill.

Survivors include his wife, Ethel Berryhill of the Midway community; daughters, Dana Barlow of Lake Palestine, Jolene Littlefield of Henderson, Connie Smith of Warren and Whitney Berryhill of the Midway community; sons, Ronnie Berryhill of the Midway community, and Billy Berryhill of Fincastle; 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Grandsons served as pallbearers.

Betty Lynn Borders

Graveside services for Betty Lynn Borders, 72, of Frankston were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 22, at Bullard Memorial Cemetery with the Rev. Mike Bowens officiating under direction of Boren-Conner Funeral Home, Jacksonville.

Mrs. Borders died Tuesday, July 20, at a Tyler hospice.

She was born Oct. 6, 1931, in Paducah, and lived in the Jacksonville and Frankston area since 1989. Mrs. Borders previously worked as a sales clerk in the electronics department of Wal Mart and was a member of Mount Selman Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Delbert Borders.

Survivors include a son, William Bruce Eaton of Frankston; a daughter, Glenda Pietrowski of Tyler; three brothers, Enoch C. Holloway and Mike Holloway, both of Palestine, and Jim Holloway of LaPorte; and six grandchildren.

Ila Mae Gideon

Funeral services for Ila Mae Gideon, 87, of Frankston, formerly of Poynor, were held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, at the First Baptist Church in Poynor with Rev. Jeff Godwin and Rev. Fred Neal officiating.

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

Mrs. Gideon died Sunday, July 25, in a Frankston nursing home.

She was born Aug. 23, 1916 in the Blackjack Community of Henderson County to Johnnie and Fannie (Roundsavalle) Hopson. Mrs. Gideon was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Poynor.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Gideon; an infant son; and parents, Johnnie and Fannie Hopson; two brothers and three sisters.

Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Sandra Gideon of Frankston; grandchildren, Patricia (Gideon) Ludwig of Littleton, Colo., Gail (Gideon) and husband Brad Feagans of Rogers, Ark., and David Gideon of Aurora, Colo.; seven great-grandchildren, Lindsey and Kellie Ludwig of Littleton, Colo., Nancee Feagans of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Brandon Feagans of Memphis, Tenn., Mavianne, Amanda and Shannie Gideon of Longmont, Colo.; numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were John Terrell, Rex Terrell, Gary Costlow, C.L. Gideon, Melton Hopson and Dr. Bill Westbrook.

Memorials may be made to Poynor First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 197, Poynor, Texas 75782.

Juanita Campbell Umholtz

A memorial service for Juanita Campbell Umholtz, 79, of Austin was held Friday, July 23, at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Baytown.

Arrangements were by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home in Austin.

Mrs. Umholtz died Tuesday, July 20 in Austin.

She was born in Frankston on Feb. 20, 1925 to Edgar Campbell and Mila Myrtle (Caldwell) Campbell. She grew up helping the family truck farm and at the family’s feed store, post office and cafe in Frankston. While the family lived at Fincastle, Mrs. Umholtz graduated at the age of 16 from LaPoynor High School. She obtained a secretarial degree from a Tyler business school.

She married Charles (Chuck) Umholtz in 1943 in Big Springs where he was stationed with the Army Air Corps. After World War II, they moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and physics in 1949 and Mr. Umholtz completed his PhD. degree. They moved to Baytown in 1954 and resided for 45 years. She was a homemaker, involved in community service and organizations, taught school at Sterling High School, and was a volunteer tutor.

Mrs. Umholtz was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Baytown where she served as an elder.

She was preceded in death by her son, Thomas Charles Umholtz; her husband, Dr. Charles Umholtz and sisters, Martha Dickerson and Wanda Nell Childs.

She is survived by daughters, Robbie Blaha and husband Michael of Austin, Rebecca Hewett and husband Steve of Sandwich, Mass, and Debbie Stark of Austin; four grandchildren and a step-grandson; a sister, Blanche Munson of Waco; a brother-in-law, Bob Umholtz of Glendale, Ariz.; two nieces and three nephews.

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