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.)

Jeremy Luke Thomas

Jeremy Luke Thomas 33, of Spring, Texas, and a former resident of Frankston passed away May 5, 2012.

Thomas was born March 30, 1979 in Jacksonville. He attended Frankston High School and was employed by O’cavan Marketing Solutions as a copywriter.

A memorial service was held in honor of Jeremy on May 11, 2012 in Spring.

He was a beloved son, father, grandson and friend.

Thomas was preceded in death by his grandparents Larry and Juanita Thomas.

He is survived by his child Dylan Luke Thomas; parents Cyndee Davis and Ron and Shelle Thomas; his siblings Joel Thomas, Merrisa Davis, Abbey Thomas, Benjamin Thomas and Matt Davis; and grandparents Wanda Ragsdale “Mimi” and Lou King.

Alyssa Howerton

Funeral services for Alyssa Howerton, 20, of Frankston, were held Saturday, May 19, 2012, at Autry Funeral Home chapel in Frankston with the Rev. Terry Davis officiating.

Miss Howerton passed away Tuesday, May 15, 2012, in Tyler.

She was born August 31, 1991, in Tyler.

Alyssa was a member of the Frankston High School Yearbook staff, FFA and Drama Club.  She enjoyed music, went on three exotic game hunts, and was an avid radio controlled airplane enthusiast.

She is preceded in death by her grandfather Bill Coffey.

Survivors include her mother and step-father Marlena Howerton and David Greene of Frankston; father John Howerton of South Portsmouth, KY; half-sister Caleigh Howerton of South Portsmouth, KY; grandparents Jane and Larry Kepler of Lindale, Rick and Diane Greene of Tyler, and John and Betty Howerton of South Portsmouth, KY and Jerel Morton; and several aunts and uncles Annette, Marie, Jerome, Carl, Barry, Richard, Keith, Michael, Scott, Cindy, Carol, Robert, Tina, Tammy, and Tara.

Stone Haynes

Stone Haynes lived a long, full, productive life leaving a multitude of friends stretched from Vidor throughout East Texas and especially in San Augustine where he lived for the past 30 years.  He died May 17, 2012, after a battle with cancer.

Born almost 87 years ago in Silsbee, Texas, he was raised by his adoptive parents, Hugh and Odell Haynes in Vidor and his step-mother, Vesta Cornelius Haynes.  His only surviving sibling, Patricia Garrett, resides in Destin, Florida.

H & H Construction, his construction company, was founded in the mid-60s.  Later in San Augustine, he purchased a farm where he raised cows and chickens.  He eventually opened a pallet lumber business, which he operated until he was 83.

He married Johnnie Faye Godsey 20 years ago, and lived at CR 400, Texas Avenue, San Augustine from that time forward.

He is survived by his sister Pat Garrett, of Destin, Fla.; his wife Johnnie Faye Godsey; six children Linda Landsidle of Los Gatos, Calif., Dannie Smith and Ben Haynes of Poynor, Honey Haynes of Vidor, Stone Haynes Jr. of Beaumont, and Houston Haynes of Pearland.  He had 8 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and many relations from his marriage.

Services were held at Wyman Roberts Funeral Home in San Augustine on Monday, May 21, 2012.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in the name of Stone Haynes to the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation, 4301 Fillbrook Lane, Tyler, Texas 75707.

Ashley Taylor Botschon

Funeral services for Ashley Taylor Botschon, 17, of LaRue, were held Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Athens Ward.

President Don Taylor of the Tyler Stake Presidency will be presiding over the services.  Interment followed at Carroll Springs Cemetery.Ashley passed away on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in LaRue.Ashley was born Nov. 15, 1994, in Waxahachie to Stephen Douglas and Kimberly Mudge Botschon.

She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Key Club, and had applied to be a National Merit Scholar.

Ashley played the flute in band, played softball, tennis, basketball and ran cross country. She was a member of the A/B Honor Roll, and a member of the Young Women’s Organization at her church.Her dream was to be a Texas A&M Aggie, where she wanted to study biology

She was a jokester and a ray of sunshine who encouraged, and lifted up all who she knew.

She was loved by everyone who was blessed to have known her, and she will be greatly missed.Ashley is survived by her parents Steve and Kim Botschon of LaRue; brothers James Michael Botschon of Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio and Zach Botschon of LaRue; uncle Kenny Mudge of Mount Vernon, Wash.; grandparents John and Cindy Mudge of Athens, and Jim and Jane Donica of Red Oak; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.Pallbearers were Kenny Mudge, Zach Botschon, Colton Donica, James Botschon, Kurt Botschon, Alex Martinkus, Chris Martinkus, Matt Donica and Vincent Martinkus.

Donations may be made to the LaPoynor Independent School District.

Arrangements were handled by Hannigan Smith Funeral Home of Athens.

Thada E. Hawkin

Thada E. Hawkins of LaRue went home to be with her heavenly father on April 17, 2012 in Athens.

Thada was born September 4, 1931, in Sapulpa, OKla. to James Septemus William Glover and Ruthada Roberts Glover.

Thada worked as an Executive for E. D. S.

She is a member of LaRue United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her husband of 32 years John Hawkins of LaRue; three daughters Kathy and husband Mike Powers, Karen and husband Peter Nieft, Sheila and husband Gary Janssen; one son Russell Hawkins, seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2012, at LaRue United Methodist Church at 12:20 p.m.

The church is located at  11259 CR 4353.  

Donations can be made in memory of Mrs. Hawkins to the LaRue United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 70, LaRue, TX  75770.

Online condolences can be made to www.tomlinsonfuneral.com .

James Forrest Widener Jr.

James Forrest Widener Jr., 88, of Irving, Texas died on May 17, 2012.

He was born Sept. 2,1923, in St. Louis, Missouri to James Forrest Widener Sr. and Flora Mackay Turner. Due to the Great Depression, the family moved to the Trinity Heights area of Oak Cliff in Dallas where his father bought a Sinclair Service Station.

One of the best parts of his life came in 1930, when, because of the Depression, he was sent to live with his Aunt Gertrude Dill, a grade school teacher at Mitchell Elementary in Little Rock, Arkansas. She taught him living and study habits with loving discipline, which served him well throughout his lifetime.

Jim began his working career at age six by selling “The Saturday Evening Post” and “The Country Gentleman” door-to-door in St. Louis. During high school and junior college in Dallas, he could be found working at the family filling station while keeping a Dallas Morning Newspaper route. He had the most eye-popping experiences while working as a bellboy for two summers at the old Sanger Hotel in Dallas.

The Texas Centennial at Fair Park came to Dallas in 1936. His mother got a job distributing student tickets to all six Dallas high schools. She bought hundreds of regular ticket books paying $3 per book that sold for $6.50, which included the entrance fee and six shows.  All summer he bought three books from her each day, rode the street car from home to Fair Park, stood outside the gate until they were sold, then enjoyed the park for the day with $19.50 in his pocket (an immense sum at the time).

He entered North Texas Agriculture College, in Arlington, in the fall of 1940. When Jim’s father died in January 1942, it was necessary to postpone further education to support his mother and two siblings.

WWII started in December and Jim received a draft deferment because he worked as a roadman and chainman on a survey crew in Lake Charles, La. Jim was drafted on August 23, 1943. With his engineering and surveying experience he was assigned to First Army, Company B, 164th Division, Combat Engineers serving in England, France, Belgium and Germany.He received his Honorable Discharge from the US Army on February 20, 1946, from William Beaumont General Hospital in El Paso, Texas.

Jim graduated from SMU in 1950, obtaining degrees in business and law. He practiced law while representing the Dallas Title Company in Irving, Texas for the next 38 years.

At age 32, he resided as Municipal Judge in Irving for three years. He felt that he did a good job as a judge due to his unwavering enforcement of the law, particularly regarding the school board strikes in the 50s.

Jim married Betty Grace Bell of Irving, Texas in 1949 and they had two children. He married Helen Marie Ogden Browning in 1971 and they had one child. Helen had three children by a previous marriage. Both Jim and Helen treated all the children as if they were their own while enjoying over 40 years of marriage.

Jim and Helen owned and operated a mare farm and raced horses professionally in Texas, Louisiana & Arkansas.  Their love of horses kept this operation going for over 20 years in Berryville. They spent many proud moments in the Winner’s Circle.

When Jim moved to Irving in the late 1940’s the population was around 2,500. He was one of the leaders in Irving whose foresight, determination and imagination helped form the city in which he lived until his death.  

During his life, Jim was a world traveler, served as chief justice of his legal fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta, secretary and treasurer of Barristers Honorary Legal Organization, charter member and president of Irving Jaycees, director/president/committee chairman of Irving Chamber of Commerce, Member of Eastern Board of Lone Star Transportation Authority, Zoning Commission/Zoning Board of Adjustment of City of Irving, treasurer for the legal sale of mixed beverages of Irving, city judge for the City of Irving (1952-1955), director of Irving Bank & Trust Company, director of American Bank & Trust Company, special director of Independent American Savings Association, appointed after its failure to determine if and how any value could be recovered.  

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Helen Ogden Widener of Irving; son James Forrest Widener III of Irving; daughter Stephanie Widener Hendrie and husband, Christopher Pennywitt Hendrie of Tujunga, California; son John Mackay Widener of Frankston; stepchildren Samuel David Browning of Frankston; Sonya Annette Jester of Irving; and 1SG Tad A. Browning and wife, Ki Steelman Browning of Georgetown, Texas; grandchildren James Forrest Widener IV and Josey Curtsinger of North Richland Hills, Texas; Zachery Warren Widener of San Marcos, Texas; William Wolfgang Widener, Whitney O Widener both of Irving; Alyssa Belle Hendrie and Tessa Marie Hendrie of Dana Point, California; and step-grandchildren, Scott Christopher Hendrie of Garland, Aloria Selene Browning of Dallas, Shaun William Jester Jr., Cordia Marie Jester and Chloe Michaela Jester (who Jim personally named) all of Irving, Tad Alan Browning, Jr. of Temple, Heather Lynn Browning of Frankston; and the latest edition to the family, Jim’s great grandson, James Forrest Widener V of North Richland Hills.  

Funeral services were held Sunday, May 20, 2012, in the Trinity Ballroom at the Westin DFW Hotel in Irving. Burial with honors presented by the Irving Fire Department Honor Guard followed at Bear Creek Cemetery in Euless.

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