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.)

Herbert Hal Reynolds

Even though Herbert Hal Reynolds had an incredible busy life as president of Baylor University in Waco, the native of Frankston always found time to have lunch with his cousin Jimmy.

Jimmy Reynolds of Frankston had met Herbert Hal Reynolds in Corsicana two weeks ago for their annual lunch visit.

On Friday, May 25, Herbert Hal Reynolds died of a heart attack in Angel Fire, New Mexico, where he and his wife, Joy, had arrived a day earlier at their mountain residence for a summer vacation.

Reynolds, 77, was born in Frankston on March 20, 1930, the son of Herbert Joseph and AvaNell Taylor Reynolds. His father, Herbert, had a twin brother, Hubert, who was the father of Jimmy Reynolds and Kay Gouger of Frankston.

The university president also has relatives in the Frankston area from the Taylor side of his mother’s family.

Hailed as “the great builder of Baylor,” Herbert Reynolds led major university expansions and building programs without adding debt and leading Baylor as the only private school into the Big

Twelve Conference.

Amazingly, he was the second president of Baylor University to be from Frankston. The first

was W. R. White, the 11th president.

Reynolds cited his “Christian pilgrimage” as beginning at the First Baptist Church of Frankston.

He married Joy Copeland in June of 1950 after the two met on a blind double date, each paired with another partner. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in 1952 and went on to serve in the Air Force.

Reynolds came to Baylor University after serving as a member of a technical advisory group to the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.

He completed his master’s degree in psychology in 1958 followed by his doctorate in experimental psychology in 1961 while a teaching fellow at Baylor.

In 1961, he was assigned to the faculty of the Air Force Academy but was diverted to the Aeromedical Research Laboratories in Alamogordo, N.M., where he became deputy commander and director of research.

He retired from the Air Force in 1968 and became executive vice president of Baylor in 1969. He became the university’s president in 1981. During his presidency, more than $189 million in renovated and new facilities were added with no increase in debt.

He retired as president in 1995 and became chancellor. In 2000, he retired as chancellor and became president emeritus.

Jimmy Reynolds and Kay Gouger attended his funeral at First Baptist Church of Waco.

William M. Johns, Sr.

Funeral services for William M. Johns Sr., 83, of Frankston were to have been at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Renfro Memorial Chapel and Boren-Conner Funeral Home with the Rev. Darin Wood officiating. Burial was to have been in Frankston City Cemetery with military honors under the direction of Boren-Conner Funeral Home of Jacksonville.

Mr. Johns died June 3 at Hospice of East Texas in Tyler.

Born on Aug. 29, 1923 in Fannin County, Mr. Johns lived in Fannin County during his youth. He had been a resident of Frankston for more than 30 years. He was a Baptist and an automobile salesman and mechanic. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

Mr. Johns was a veteran of World War II when he served in the Army and won a Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medal.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Florence Carver Johns.

Survivors include two sons, William M. Johns of Frankston and Robert Dale Johns of Frankston; two daughters, Sue Barr of Gerrards Town, W.V., and LaGuinn Evans of Abilene, Tx.; one uncle, Dee Elledge of Shreveport; one sister, Merle Stanley of Irving; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were to have been Shawn Andrews, Mitch McNeel, Jonathan Johns, Jess Johns, Jamie Graves, Ron Gillen, Johnny Stanley and Gary Stanley.

Kenneth Ray Oakley

Graveside services for Kenneth Ray Oakley, 76, a Jacksonville resident and father of a Frankston woman, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 7, at Meador Cemetery in Jacksonville under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home.

Mr. Oakley died Saturday, June 2, 2007, at his residence.

Born on Feb. 1, 1931, in Fannin County, he was a tire salesman and served in the U.S. Air Force for 12 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Buress and Ida Rose Harris Oakley, and brother, James Calvin Oakley.

Survivors include his spouse, Jeannie Oakley of Jacksonville; two step-sons, Marvin George Jr. and wife Cathy of Jacksonville, and Tony Lynn Alverson of Richmond, Va.; four daughters, Susan Kay Martinez and husband Oscar of Laredo, Sarah Redford of Jacksonville; Carla McNertney and husband Mac of Frankston, Marsha Jones of Jacksonville; brother Thomas Oakley and wife Nancy of Fort Worth; 18 grandchildren; and 19 grerat-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons.

Eddie Wilma Warrington

Former Frankston resident Eddie Wilma Warrington passed away June 7th, 2007, in Chandler, Arizona. She was 83 years of age.

She was a graduate of Frankston High School, and had obtained an associate degree in journalism from Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1976.

She is survived by her sister Dinah Mitchell of Frankston, four children; Billy Warrington of Dallas, Julie Mansfield of Frankston, Peggy Hagstrom of Burns Wyoming, and Russ Warrington of Tempe, Arizona; six grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

Eddie was preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Herman R. Warrington of Frankston, whom she married in 1940, and her two older brothers and older sister; Avis and Tom John McCrary, and Vera Brower, respectively.

Eddie was a homemaker, and also worked various jobs, including for the State of Wyoming as a key punch operator.

She was a lover of life, and an active person, often busy with writing projects or tennis, as well as keeping up with the many pursuits of her children, and their friends and families.

A memorial service to celebrate Eddie's life and honor her memory will be held this coming Saturday, June 16th, at 3 p.m., at the First Methodist Church in Frankston. A reception will follow, also at the church.

Kari G. Isaac

Funeral services for Kari G. Isaac, 59, of Frankston, formerly of Tyler,. and Hemet, Ca., will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 16, 2007, at Thompson Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville.

Mrs. Isaac died Saturday, June 9, 2007, at her residence.

She was born March 11, 1948, in Portland, Or. Kari was a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at the Andrews Center in Tyler and Athens. She also served in the Military as Captain of the Texas State Guard Medical Brigade (MRC) which is part of the Tyler Medical Response Group.

Mrs. Isaac is survived by her spouse Frank Isaac of Frankston; sons E-9 R.C. Payne and wife Kerry of California and E-6 John F. Payne and wife Serena of Iraq; brother Mike Wehrheim and wife Carol of San Antonio; sister Kathleen Wilkinson and husband Art of Tyler.; 14 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren, a very special niece-Leslie, who lives at Holy Angels Residence Facility in Shreveport, La.; and other nieces and nephews.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Tyler Medical Response Group.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 15, 2007 at Thompson Funeral Home in Jacksonville.

Memorials: Holy Angels Residence Facility, 10450 Ellerbe Rd., Shreveport, LA. 71106.

Mary Elizabeth Elam.

Graveside services for Mary Elizabeth Elam, 75, of Frankston were held Saturday, June 16, 2007, at Frankston City Cemetery in Frankston with Kelvin Reed officiating. The services were under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Frankston.

Mrs. Elam died Monday, June 11, 2007, at her residence.

She was born April 3, 1932, in Pikeville, Ky. She was a homemaker.

Mrs. Elam was preceded in death by her husband, John Gilbert Elam Sr., and brother, James Neibert Price II.

Survivors include her sons, Lawrence David Elam of Flint and John Gilbert Elam II and wife, Nicki, of Ohio; daughters Betty Jean Elam McCauley and husband, Robert, of Jacksonville; Sue Taylor and husband, Huey, of Mississippi, Chandra White and husband, W. C., of Mississippi, Bridget Alyward and husband, Scott, of California, Rusti Wooten and husband, James, of Frankston, Angelina Burleson and husband, Craig, of Sulphur Springs, and Tara Brightwell and husband, Steve, of Tyler; sister Pat Pinson of Michigan; 26 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild; several nieces and nephews.

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