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.)

Margaret Jane Dressell

Funeral services for Margaret Jane Dorman-Dressell, 78, of Frankston, formerly of Oakwood, were held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at United Methodist Church, Frankston, with the Revs. J.A. Griffin and Kevin King officiating.

Burial was in Oakwood City Cemetery, Oakwood, under direction of Thompson Funeral Home, Frankston.

Mrs. Dressell died Thursday, Sept. 28, in Tyler.

She was born Jan. 10, 1922, in Portia, Ark.

Mrs. Dressell was a homemaker and member of United Methodist Church of Frankston and Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary.

Survivors include daughters and son-in-law, Becky and Tony Campbell and Henrietta Hicks, all of Frankston; sisters, Loretta Hawk, Matagorda, and Avis Cole, Fort Worth; four grandchildren, Molly Campbell, Rejane Shackelford, Clay Morton and Shelley Vaughn, five great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Bobby Stroud, Bill Dorman, Dan Hunter, Brent Bing, Bubba Lipsey and Jim Tom Johnson.

Mary Lou DeFoy

Funeral services for Mary Lou Fitzgerald DeFoy, 90, of Brenham, formerly of Frankston, were held at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at United Methodist Church, Frankston, with Dr. Stan Copeland officiating.

Burial was in Chandler Cemetery, Chandler, under direction of Thompson Funeral Home, Frankston.

Mrs. DeFoy died Monday, Oct. 2, in a Brenham hospital.

She was born Aug. 11, 1910, in Chandler. She graduated from Frankston High School and attended Stephen F. Austin State University.

Mrs. DeFoy was a longtime member of United Methodist Church, Frankston, and active in the choir.

She was preceded in death by her husband. Joe E. DeFoy.

Survivors include a son, Harry DeFoy, Austin; and a daughter, Janie DeFoy Cornelius, Cat Springs.

If desired, memorials may be made to Choir Memorial Fund at United Methodist Church, Frankston.

Finnie "F.C." Owens

ATHENS - Graveside services for Finnie "F.C." Owens, 86, of Athens were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at High Land Cemetery in Van Zandt County under the direction of Chandler Memorial Funeral Home with the Rev. Ray Perkins officiating.

Mr. Owens died Tuesday, Oct. 3, in Frankston.

He was born Oct. 1, 1914 in Victoria.

Mr. Owens was a longtime resident of Henderson County. He was a member of Ash Baptist Church and worked for Curtis Mathes in Athens for many years. Mr. Owens served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Marie Owens; parents, Will and Rosie Lee Owens; and daughter, Rose Ann Owens.

Survivors include sons and daughters-in-law, Ward "Smokey" Owens, Jerry Wayne and Dody Owens of Troup and James and Cindy Owens of Frankston; sisters, Leona Bryan of Terrell and Luella Carter of Plano; 11 grandchildren and one-great-grandchild.

Pallbearers were Mark Owens, Jerry Owens, Justin Owens, Mike Nally, Matt Nally and Josh Vaughn.

Teresa McLane Holley

TYLER - Memorial services for Teresa McLane Holley, 53, of Tyler, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Burks-Walker-Tippitt Funeral Home chapel, Tyler, with Mike Renfroe officiating.

Mrs. Holley died Wednesday, Oct. 11, in a Tyler hospital.

She was born Aug. 18, 1947 in Jacksonville.

Mrs. Holley retired as an engineering technician for Swift Energy in Houston after 30 years service, and moved to Tyler four and a half years ago.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Vicki Joyce McLane.

Survivors include her husband, Richard Neil Holley, Tyler; sons, James Scott Dunklin, Tyler, and Ronald Brian Holley, San Diego, Calif.; daughter, Rebekah Michelle Talley, Houston; parents, Jim and Bettye Colbert, Frankston; four grandchildren, including Andrew McLane Dunklin of Tyler; and a half-sister, Marsha McLane.

Alton C. (Pete) Larkin

CISCO - Funeral services for Alton C. (Pete) Larkin, 74, of Cisco were held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at Calvary Baptist Church with Rev. Ronnie Shackelford officiating.

Burial was in Mitchell Cemetery under direction of Kimbrough Funeral Home of Cisco.

Mr. Larkin, father of Frankston ISD Superintendent Rick Larkin, died Tuesday, Oct. 17, in Cisco.

He was born July 9, 1926 in Rising Star, TX, son of Peter Cooper and Syntha (Martin) Larkin.

Mr. Larkin and Ann Custer married on July 12, 1947 in Cisco.

He graduated from Rising Star High School and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

He moved to Arlington in 1955 to join the Arlington Fire Department and retired after serving 27 years. He was also fire chief in Marshall for three years. While in Arlington for many years he served as president of the Christmas Samaritans.

Mr. Larkin was a member of Calvary Baptist Church.

Survivors are his wife of 53 years, Ann Larkin of Cisco; sons, Jim Larkin and wife Norma of Richard Chamber Lake, Rick Larkin and wife Yoli of Athens and Marty Larkin of Arlington; daughters, Pam Moore of Fort Worth, and Tina Horn and husband Wes of Arlington; honorary son, David York and wife Debbie of Arlington; sister, Zella Erwin of Cross Plains; 11 grandchildren, Tammy Hopkins, Kimberly Warren, Justin Larkin, Jocelyn Larkin, B.J. Larkin, Kelly Larkin, Michael Larkin, Heather Larkin, Casey Horn, Cynthia Anne Larkin and Cristi Lynn Huntington; five great-grandchildren, Katherine and Landry Hopkins, Christopher and Caroline Warren and Madison Paige Huntington.

Joe Mack Dickerson

Graveside services for Joe Mack Dickerson, 64, of Frankston, were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at Liberty Hill Cemetery with the Rev. J.A. Griffin officiating. Thompson Funeral Home of Frankston was in charge of the services.

Mr. Dickerson died Tuesday, Oct. 24 at his residence after a long illness.

He was born on June 15, 1936, in Poynor, son of B.C. and Oma Dickerson.

Mr. Dickerson married Golda Lucille Martin on Feb. 15, 1958 and they have made Frankston their home for 42 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Glenn Edward Dickerson and Virgil Clayton Dickerson.

He is survived by his wife, Golda; one son, Joe Hayden Dickerson; two daughters and sons-in-law, Jeannie Marie and Rufus Rickard of Poynor, Jamie Nell and Bubba Miller of Frankston; one sister, Alma Dee Tobin of Poynor; one brother, Billy Jack Dickerson of Jacksonville; seven grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

Honorary pallbearers were Butch Hefelfinger, Bill Harden, Mikey Jones, Shag Bizzell, L.D. Dickerson, Dan Hunter and Dan Taylor.

Onie C. Underwood

Graveside services for Mrs. Onie C. Underwood, 100, of Frankston were held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Frankston City Cemetery with the Rev. F.E. Kennedy and the Rev. Bill McDaniel officiating. Services were under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home in Frankston.

Mrs. Underwood died Monday, Oct. 23, in a Jacksonville hospital.

She was born July 27, 1900 in Stockdale.

Mrs. Underwood was a homemaker and a member of the Christian Church.

Survivors include a son, Robert C. Perry, Jacksonville; three grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Mattie Wommack

Funeral services for Mattie Ordice Ginnings Wommack, 99, of Frankston, formerly of Karnack, were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at Austin St. Chapel of the Sullivan Funeral Home in Marshall with the Rev. Kevin King officiating.

Burial was in Algoma Cemetery-North in Marshall.

She died Monday, Oct. 23, in a hospice home in Tyler.

She was born April 24, 1901 in Bloomberg, daughter of James A. Ginnings and Lorena Puckett Ginnings.

Mrs. Wommack received her education in the Bloomberg Public Schools. She married Malcolm Otis Wommack on Oct. 11, 1922 in Texarkana, Tex. He preceded her in death on March 23, 1979.

She was a homemaker, former co-owner of Big Pines Lodge at Karnack and former owner of Harleton and Ore City Telephone Companies.

Mrs. Wommack was a member of Karnack United Methodist Church and the Karnack Sewing Club.

Survivors include two daughters and sons-in law, Marjorie Ordice and Myron Melton of Shreveport, LA, Betty Jo and Johnnie Simmons of Frankston; one granddaughter and husband, Angela and Joey Fitzgerald of Athens; one granddaughter-in-law, Lisa Simmons of Watonga, OK; five great-grandchildren, Taylor Malcolm Fitzgerald and Trevor Fitzgerald of Athens, Heather Simmons, Melissa Simmons and Justin Simmons of Watonga, OK.; a sister-in-law, Virginia Watkins of Atlanta, TX; and a number of nieces and nephews.

One grandson, Malcolm Dean Simmons, preceded her in death.

Lemuel Finon Jeffus

Funeral services for Lemuel Finon Jeffus, 81, of Lake Palestine were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at Bailey & Foster Chapel in Palestine with Dr. Wendell Johnson officiating.

Burial was in Antioch Cemetery in Lovelady under the direction of Bailey & Foster, Palestine.

Mr. Jeffus died Monday, Oct. 23, in a Palestine hospital.

He was born Oct. 16, 1919 in Lovelady to the late Rev. Lem F. Jeffus and Lettie Bagwell Jeffus.

Mr. Jeffus was retired from Washington National Insurance Co. after 35 years of service.

He was a charter member and founder of Lakeside Baptist Church of Frankston. Mr. Jeffus was the song director, chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sunday School teacher, and training union teacher. He was a former resident of Palestine and a former member of the Southside Baptist Church.

Mr. Jeffus was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Dan Jeffus, Gleason Jeffus and Ira Jeffus; four sisters, Virginia Johnson, Frankie Mae Atkinson, Locie Wright and Billie Nell Jeffus.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Nelma Jeffus of Lake Palestine; daughter, Sherry Jeffus of Palestine; two sons, Brad Jeffus and wife Dollye of Palestine, and Frank Jeffus and wife Wilma of Nashville, TN; a sister, Jean Adams of San Marcos; two brothers, H.G. (Cotton) Jeffus and wife Sally of Grapeland, and David Jeffus and wife Daisy of Nacogdoches; 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were grandsons, Kenneth Jeffus, Trace Jeffus, Casey Jeffus, Cameron Jeffus, Rick Stuffers, John Brent Barnhart, and great grandson, Dustin Quick.

Honorary pallbearers were grandsons and members of the Lakeside Baptist Church.

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