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.)

Jim Lee

Jim was called home to his final and peaceful resting place Monday morning, May 3, 2015, after a lengthy illness.

He was born to Roy E. and Elder Lee on Aug. 1, 1950, in Frankston.

He is survived by his loving wife Eva, sons Michael Lee, Patrick Lee, Jesse Medina and a daughter Chelsea.

There are two granddaughters; Abby Lee of the Concord Community and Ayana Medina of Pueblo, Co. He has a brother Roy Lee and wife Beate of Jacksonville.

He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant sister Dorothy Kay.

Jim served in the U.S. Navy (1969 - 1973). He was a commercial painter and contractor for 25 years in the East Texas area after his military service.

Jim was loved by his many friends and associates over the years. He enjoyed partying and being the life of any gathering. He always enjoyed being around his many friends and their fellowship was always his best of times.

A service was held May 5, 2015, in the chapel of Autry Funeral Home of Jacksonville.

The Rev. Doug Wintermute officiated.

Billy D. Cook

Funeral services for Billy D. Cook, 87, of Frankston, were held Wednesday, May 13, 2015, at Church of Christ in Frankston with Bro. Don Canter officiating.

Interment was at Frankston City Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Autry Funeral Home.

Mr. Cook passed away Sunday, May 10, 2015, in Houston.

He was born March 31, 1928, in Frankston to Herman and Erma Cook.

Billy was a member of the Church of Christ in Frankston. He retired as a regional salesman for Entex of Houston after 39 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Harlen Cook.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Barbara Cook of Houston; son Richard Cook and wife Terri of Sugar Land; daughter Melody Cook of Pasadena; grandchildren Brian Cook, Christopher Cook, Scott McKinney, and Marisa Hostrawser; great grandchildren Gabi Cook, Analise Cook, Mathew Cook, William Cook, Haley McKinney, Caley Hostrawser, and Scotty McKinney II.

Pallbearers were Brian Cook, Scott McKinney, John Rayha, Carl Chandler, Marisa Hostrawser, and Christopher Cook.

Mable ‘Sissy Bill’ Willis

Mable “Sissy Bill” Willis, 74, of Lake Palestine, passed away Wednesday, May 6, 2015, in Tyler.

She was born July 11, 1940, in Lewisville, Arkansas to Andy and Eunice Jackson Wine.

Mable was a retired supervisor for Texas Instruments. She loved fishing, was an avid gardener, and cherished her Rat Terrier “Tutty”. Mable was fond of her many friends and her visits with them.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Billy Willis; a son Dennis Willis; and brother Willis Wine.

Survivors include her son Ronnie Willis of Lake Palestine; sister Ellen Nicholas and husband Glendon of Wylie; grandson Billy Ray Willis; and several nieces and nephews.

Family served as pallbearers.

A graveside service was held Saturday, May 9, 2015, at Garden Oaks Memorial Park Cemetery in Berryville, Texas.

Services were under the direction of Autry Funeral Home in Frankston.

Marneice Swift Whitehead

Marneice Swift Whitehead passed away at home on May 7, 2013. She was born to Jack and Maggie Green Swift on July 28, 1924, in Frankston.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Woodrow Whitehead; sister Martha Hardy; and three brothers Jack Swift Jr., Harold M. Swift and Gerald M. Swift.

She is survived by daughter Jan; three grandchildren and their spouses Matthew Aaron Downs, Nicholas Ryan and Julie Downs and Sara Elisabeth Swift; three great grandchildren Cayman Ray Downs, Asher Wilson Lee Downs and Kailtin Nicole Downs; cousin Vernon N. Marrs; nieces Ann Miller, Martinique M. Swift and Heidi A. Anderson; extended family including the Zeiger family, the William A. Jackson, Hinton family, Theresa Velasco, the Rummage family, Gladys Watson, Charlotte Walker and Dupont neighbors.

Pallbearers were her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A funeral service was held Thursday at Grand view Funeral Home in Pasadena, Texas. Interment was to take place at Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, Texas.

Deborah Fisher Vaught

Graveside services for Deborah Fisher Vaught, 65, of Frankston were held Friday, May 15, at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas.

Mrs. Vaught passed away May 9, 2015, in Frankston.

She was born March 25, 1950, in Dallas to Charles Ervin and Sybil Odell Smith Fisher.

Deborah was a resident of Athens for 15 years before moving to Frankston in 1997. She was employed by Frankston Independent School District until retirement in 2011.

She loved to crochet plastic canvas. She was a member of Englewood Baptist Church in Grand Prairie. Deborah was a very loving and caring person. She was a caregiver to many and a loving mother and grandmother.

She was preceded in death by her mother, daughter Genia, sister Janet Crouch and husband Riley Vaught.

Survivors include her daughter Crystal Vaught and Justin Moore of Frankston; father Sonny Fisher of Frankston; seven grandchildren, one great grandchild, two nieces and one nephew.

Services were under direction of Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home in Athens.

Charles Joseph Hackney

Funeral services for Charles Joseph Hackney, 79, of LaRue, formally of Dallas, are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 30, 2015, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Frankston with Father Christopher Ruggles officiating.

Graveside services will be held at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas May 30, 2015, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. Hackney passed away Saturday, May 23, 2015, in LaRue.

He was born June 4, 1935, in Dallas to O. C. and Pauline Jo Dragna Hackney.

Mr. Hackney was affiliated with St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Ministries in Frankston.

Charles owned and operated Hackney Grocery Store in Dallas.

Later in life he moved to Kaufman and began his career as a cattleman there before moving to LaRue where he continued in the cattle business for over twenty years.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a twin brother, Benjamin Hackney.

Survivors include his wife Nancy Hackney of LaRue; step-son Stephen Gentry and wife Patty of Arizona; step-daughter Vicki Carpenter and husband Randy of North Carolina; sister Carolyn Boros and husband Lee Blassingame of Mesquite; nephew John Boros, of Mesquite; and niece Michelle Boros and husband Kevin Nichols of California.

Visitation will begin on Friday May 29, 2015, with family receiving friends from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Rosary being said at 7 p.m. at Autry Funeral Home in Frankston.

Rather than customary condolences, memorials may be made in honor of Charles to the Wounded Warriors Project at WoundedWarriorsProject.org or P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, Kansas 66675.

Harold Wayne Miller

Memorial services for Harold Wayne Miller, 75, a resident of Berryville, are pending at the Hilltop Baptist Church.

Brother George Folmar will officiate.

Mr. Miller was born Oct. 18, 1939, in the Hayden Community south of Wills Point. He died on May 19, 2015, in Eldorado, Arkansas. He was the son of Willie Ambers Miller and Anna Lucile Harris Miller.

He was a self-employed carpenter and worked throughout the East Texas area. Playing music and singing with family and friends were great loves of his.

He was a member of Hilltop Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Alma Jo (Jodie) Smiley Miller; his parents, Will and Lucile Miller; also three brothers, Billy H. Miller, Randolph Miller and Roger Miller, all of Wills Point; and one sister, Frances (Dot) King of Wills Point.

He is survived by two daughters, Paula Bethrum and husband John of Kaufman; Christie Marie Goar of Frankston; son-in-law Steven Boggs of Frankston; five grandchildren, Jessie Bethrum, William Rocky Miller, Trinity Paige Boggs, Austin Boggs, and Mason Boggs; three sisters, Mary Ann Rea and husband Carl of Providence Village; Carol Smith of Wills Point; and Gayle Stanton and husband Blake of Union Valley; and special friend and care-giver Michelle Blackburn of Eldorado, Ark.

He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.

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