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.)

Jed Joe Deupree

Graveside services for Jed Joe Deupree, 72, of Frankston were held Wednesday, May 5, at 11 a.m. at Oaklawn Memorial Park in Athens with Rev. Mike Gibbs officiating.

Arrangements were by Foster & Brown Funeral Home of Athens.

Mr. Deupree died Sunday, May 2, in Tyler.

He was born Jan. 19, 1932 in Athens, son of Jed Deupree and Lucille Fuller Deupree.

Mr. Deupree served in the United States Army during the Korean War.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann Deupree on May 28, 1994.

Survivors include a daughter, Tina Deupree of Frankston; two sons, James Deupree of Scurry and Jed Deupree of Athens; four sisters, Juanita Matthews of Chandler, Mary Belle Butler of Euless, Dorothy Louise Seago of Garland and Shirley Crossley of Waxahachie; four grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Oscar Oliver, Skip Booth, Steve Melton, Wayne Pitts, Jed Deupree, Justin Deupree and Murphy Dunn.

James Dickenson

Funeral services for James Dickenson, 79, of Frankston were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 1, at the Lakeside Baptist Church in Frankston with Rev. Wendell Johnson officiating.

Burial was at the Bluebonnet Hills Cemetery in Colleyville at 3 p.m. Saturday with Rev. Chuck Eubanks officiating. Services were under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Frankston.

Mr. Dickenson died Tuesday, April 27, in a Tyler hospital.

He was born March 27, 1925 in Robstown.

Mr. Dickenson was a retired self employed baker and shop owner. He was a member of Lakeside Baptist Church in Frankston.

He is survived by his wife, Kathryn, of Frankston; a son, Roy A. Dickenson of Hurst; step-sons, Virgil Eubanks of Whitney, Chuck Eubanks of Decatur and James Eubanks of VanBuren, Ark.; step-daughters, Sue Osborne of Whitney and Marilyn Duckworth of Carrollton; eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Gary Mendel, Matthew Mendel, Chris Gleghorn and Joe Hoover.

James Earl Pruitt

APPLE VALLEY, CALIF. — Graveside services for James Earl Pruitt, 84, of Apple Valley, Calif. were held Saturday, May 1, at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Apple Valley with arrangements by Dudley Apple Valley Mortuary.

He died on Thursday, April 29, in an Apple Valley hospital.

Mr. Pruitt was born April 2, 1920 in Poynor to the late James Thomas Pruitt and Bessie Caroline Ferguson Pruitt. He grew up in Poynor and later moved to Portland, Oregon. He lived in Apple Valley for 23 of his 32 years in California.

Mr. Pruitt served in the U.S. Army from 1937 to 1945, including service in Europe during WWII. He was a founding charter member of the Barstow Aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles since 1975.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Barbara; a son, Edward; and a brother, Clyde Theron Pruitt of Lakewood, Calif.

Survivors include a son, David Pruitt of Apple Valley; a daughter, Jimmy Sue Pruitt Boultinghouse of Texas; a grandson; a sister, Juanita Pruitt Cheary of Simi Valley, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Pruitt was a great-great grandson of a pioneer family that settled in the Kickapoo then Fincastle areas in the latter 1850s.

Alvin J. Smith

Funeral services for Alvin J. Smith, 50, of Frankston were held Saturday, May 1, at 2 p.m. at the Frankston High School auditorium with Rev. J.B. Session, pastor, and Rev. W.D. Brown, eulogist, officiating.

Mr. Smith died Monday, April 26.

Burial was in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Frankston with arrangements by John R. Harmon Undertaking Company of Tyler.

Mr. Smith was born Jan. 18, 1954, son of Mrs. Lockie Mae Smith and Oscar Smith. He was reared in the Pleasant Hill Community and attended Frankston High School. He also attended Trinity Valley Community College where he received a degree in Automotive Mechanics.

Survivors include his father, Oscar Smith of Frankston; a sister, Ethel Jewel Austin of Frankston; a niece, Bonnie Austin of Frankston; three daughters, Janie Coleman of Tyler, Shundra Anderson of Henderson and Chrystal Redd of Jacksonville; six grandchildren; one aunt, Mae Ella Kelly of Kilgore; a special friend, Miss Mary Horn of Tyler; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers were Jimmy Donnell, Larry Martin, Willie Earl Henderson, Bobby McFarland, Hubert Warren and Forrest Field.

Honorary pallbearers were Fabian Clark, Roger Wayne Hurd, Robert Smith, Johnny Hatton, Finous Austin, Mark Williams, Alfonzo Lang and Rodney McKenzie.

Ardie Clark

PALESTINE — Funeral services for Ardie Clark, 87, of Palestine, were held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 13, at Rockhill Baptist Church in Poynor with Pastor F.F. Toney officiating.

Burial was in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Frankston under the direction of John R. Harmon Undertaking Company.

Mr. Clark died Friday, May 7, at a hospice place.

He was born April 20, 1917 in Jacksonville.

He attended Central High, Butler College and Henderson County Junior College. Mr. Clark was a resident of Anderson County for about 60 years. He was a member of Rockhill Baptist Church, a former member of the choir, member of the Brotherhood and a Mason. He was retired from Athens Brick Co. Mr. Clark served in the U.S. Army and was a World War II veteran.

He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings and three children.

Survivors include three sons, Terry Clark and Ricky Clark, both of Poynor, and Sammy Lee Clark of Fort Worth; two daughters, Shirley Ray McKnight of Arlington and Margaret Harmon of Chandler; and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Kevin Clark, Clyde Henderson, Derick Clark, Steven Eldridge, Lonnie Eldridge Jr. and Luther Henderson.

Honorary pallbearers were Melvin Clark, Lonnie Eldridge Sr., Kermit Clark, Willie Clark, Paul Hughes and Billy Clark.

Thomas Simms

Funeral services for Thomas R. “Pops” Simms, 71, of Frankston, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 15, at HillTop Baptist Church near Frankston with the Rev. Ron Key officiating.

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

Mr. Simms died Wednesday, May 12.

He was born on Aug. 12, 1932. in Wakenda, Mo., to Thomas Jefferson and Adra Mills Simms. Mr. Simms grew up in Missouri and attended Wakenda pubic schools. He entered the Army in 1952, serving as a heavy equipment operator and pole lineman. He had resided in Anderson County for the past eight years and was a retired heavy equipment operator.

He was preceded in death by a son, Thomas Richard Simms Jr.

Survivors include his wife, Deanna Simms of Skidmore, Mo.; a son, Don T. Simms of Frankston; daughters, Roxy Simms of Wakenda, Mo., Theresa Lamley of Independence, Mo, Wanda Denny of Palestine, Martha Cohen of Grandview, Mo.; a brother, William Simms of Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.; sisters, Shirley Perry, Carolyn Underwood and Teresa Mitchell, all of Clacoma, Mo.; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Don Simms, L.D. Burris, Ed Lamley, Carl Wilder, Steven Lawson, Jim Cohen, Larry Dunklin and Goat Lawson.

Fred M. Hayes Jr.

Funeral services for Fred M. Hayes Jr., 83, of Frankston were held at 1 p.m. Monday, May 24, in the Thompson Funeral Home Chapel in Frankston with Chris Hayes and Chris White officiating.

Burial was in the Frankston City Cemetery.

Mr. Hayes died Tuesday, May 18, at his residence.

He was born Nov. 20, 1920 in Fort Worth and was a self-employed office equipment salesman. Mr. Hayes was a member of the Church of Christ.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary J. Hayes.

Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Gaylord K. and Sheree Hayes of Graham; a daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Jerry Alexander of Canton; a brother, Harold Hayes of Fort Worth; sisters, Frances Thomson of Granbury and Marilyn Henson of Missouri., six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and many beloved friends.

Pallbearers were Bret Alexander, Ricky Hayes, Cory Casey, Herbert Riley, Ferrell Bizzell and Arlis Wilks.

Honorary pallbearers were James Wilson, Lowell Lewis and Jim Paul.

Memorials may be made to National Institute on Aging (Alzheimer’s Research) or the National Ataxia Foundation, 2600 Fernbrook Ln., Suite 119, Minneapolis, Minn. 55447.

Ben Paul Redding Sr.

A service of remembrance for Ben Paul Redding Sr., 50, was held at Martin Mortuary Chapel in Grand Junction, Colo. Saturday, May 22, at 2 p.m.

Mr. Redding died Thursday, May 20, at his home in Grand Junction.

He was born March 25, 1954 to Ben P. and Jesse Pauline (Stuart) Redding in Galena Park, Tex.

On May 29, 1979 he married Margaret Gwatney in Frankston. They had lived in Grand Junction for four years, moving there from Gunnison, Colo. They had moved to Gunnison from Frankston.

Mr. Redding was a retired over-the-road truck driver. He was a member of the Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret, of Grand Junction; two sons, Ben Redding of Gunnison, and John “Chris” Redding and his wife, Stacie, of Rockwall, Tex.; and two grandchildren.

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