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.)

Melvin ‘Mel’ Zimmerman

FLINT — Funeral services for Melvin “Mel” Zimmerman, 77, Flint, were held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 at Our Savior Lutheran Church with the Rev. John Barrington officiating.

Burial was in Cathedral in the Pines under direction of Lloyd James Funeral Home, Tyler.

He was born Sept. 20, 1924, in Amenia, N.D., to the late William and Clara Zimmerman. He worked as a farmer and later owned a John Deere dealership before moving to Mesa, Ariz., where he was a real estate developer, first with Cummard Realty and then his own company, Zimmerman Realty.

In 1977, he moved to Tyler and started Kiva Realty and Construction Co. and in 1978 moved to Lake Palestine where he and his wife established Chantilly’s Gifts at Lake Palestine in 1983.

He was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church and served on the Board of Directors for the Lake Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce.

Brothers Wilmer Zimmerman and Walter Zimmerman, preceded him in death.

Survivors include his wife, Sharon Zimmerman, Flint; three sons, Larry Zimmerman, Massachusetts; Thomas Zimmerman, San Diego, Calif.; Jeffrey Zimmerman, Chandler, Ariz.; daughter Julie Turner, Gilbert, Ariz.; stepsons, Kip Glover, Flint; Jeffrey Glover, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Michael Glover, Flint; brothers, Lester Zimmerman, Fargo, N.D.; and Lloyd Zimmerman, Austin; sister, Lorna Longlet, Fargo, N.D; 22 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Pallbearers were Larry, Tom and Jeff Zimmerman, Kip, Jeff and Mike Glover.

Honorary pallbearers were Lester Zimmerman, Lloyd Zimmerman, Ray Modlin and Lloyd Wheeler.

Roy James Cox

Graveside services for Roy James Cox, 71, of Winnemucca, Nev. and formerly of East Texas, were held Sunday, Sept. 30 at Modoc Cemetery in Henderson County with Rev. Gary Byrd officiating.

Services were under the direction of Cottle Funeral Home in Troup.

Mr. Cox died Thursday, Sept. 27, at a Winnemucca hospital.

He was born April 13, 1930, to the late James Eddie and Ora Mae Lauderdale Cox.

He was a retired laborer and had been a resident of Winnemucca for the past 10 years.

Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Jamie and John Floyd, Poynor; and Karen and Gary Byrd, Troup: a brother, Billy Joe Cox, Houston; and seven grandchildren.

Roy Smith

LARUE — Funeral services for Roy Gene Smith, 48, of LaRue were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, at New York Baptist Church with the Rev. Jack Mills officiating.

Burial was in the Jennings Mountain Cemetery, Brownsboro, under direction of Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home, Athens.

Mr. Smith died Saturday, Oct. 6, in a Tyler hospital.

He was born Jan. 8, 1953, in Athens to Ralph Dewey and Margaret Lynn Robertson Smith, and was a lifelong resident of Henderson County.

Mr. Smith worked for TXU in Tyler for the last 20 years and was a member of New York Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, Ralph Smith.

Survivors include a son, John Smith, Bedford; daughter, Karisa Glenn, Mineola; mother, Margaret L. Smith, Brownsboro; brothers, Robert D. Smith, Ronald W. Smith, Danny Smith and Randal Smith, all of Brownsboro; one granddaughter; aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces.

Honorary pallbearers were TXU Tyler softball teammates.

If desired, memorials may be made to New York Baptist Church Jack Mills Evangelistic Assn., 5465 Impala South, Athens, 75751.

JoAnn Skirlock

Funeral services for JoAnn Skirlock, 71, of Frankston were held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, at Tyler Christian Church with Brother Bill Goble and Mike Martin officiating.

Burial was in Bullard Memorial Cemetery under direction of Chandler Memorial Funeral Home, Chandler.

Mrs. Skirlock died Friday, Oct. 5.

She was born Aug. 16, 1930 in Durant, Okla., to the late Joel and Edna McGahey.

She was a homemaker and member of Tyler Christian Church.

Mrs. Skirlock was preceded in death by brothers, Jim Welch, Jack McGahey and George McGahey; and sister, Elizabeth House.

Survivors include husband of 52 years, Floyd L. Skirlock, Frankston; daughter, Barbara Snyder, Tyler; brothers, Richard McGahey, Van, and Bruce McGahey, Dallas; sisters, Lynn Hawkins, Frankston; two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; 13 nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Danny Lynch, Christopher Parks, Jimmy Pittman, Ira Skirlock, Mark McKinney and Quentin Mayfield.

Honorary pallbearer was Wayne Wedgeworth.

Donna Gail McElroy

Funeral services for Donna Gail McElroy, 46, of Frankston, were held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, with the Revs. Lee Lamb, Mark Pederson, Bob Waldman and Grover Talbert officiating.

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

Mrs. McElroy died Monday, Oct. 15, in a Dallas hospital.

She was born March 24, 1955 in Bryan. She was a school teacher for the Palestine Independent School District and a member of Frankston United Methodist Church where she served as church organist and choir director.

Mrs. McElroy was preceded in death by her mother, Delora Nell House.

Survivors include her husband, Lewis Adrian McElroy, Frankston; son, Paul Craig McElroy, Frankston; daughter, Leah Gail McElroy, Frankston; father, Troy C. House, Frankston; sister, Dianna Lynn Dickerson, Frankston; nieces, Misty Dickerson and Jessica Sulser; nephews, Wade Dickerson and Brandon Sulser; several step nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were James Lade, Mike Dennis, James Beard, Danny Miller, Mark Bostick, Karl Kisamore, Al Oliver and Ronnie Clarkston.

Honorary pallbearers were Harry Smith, John and Margarete Saunders, church choir, Sonny Perry, Lance Brown, Carolyn Walker, Nancy Brinson and Wayne Kerr.

Memorials may be made to Frankston United Methodist Church.

Lottie J. Henderson

Funeral services for Lottie J. Henderson, 67, of Abilene, formerly of Covington, were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17 in the Thompson Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville with the Rev. David Wells officiating.

Burial was at Liberty Hill Cemetery in Frankston.

Mrs. Henderson died Monday, Oct. 15 in an Abilene hospital.

She was born Aug. 24, 1934 in Rusk County.

She was a member of the Redeeming Love Faith Fellowship Church in Abilene.

Survivors include her husband, H.K. Henderson Sr., of Abilene; sons, Kenneth Henderson of Covington and Rueben Henderson of Lamesa; daughters, Karrie Johnson of Bedford and Kathy Blay of Abilene; a sister, Lois Marie Redding, Garland and nine grandchildren, four great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers include Jason Henderson, Brad Henderson, Kelly Blay, Joe Hardt, Joe Redding and Jeffrey Redding.

Edna Parrish

BRUSHY CREEK — Funeral services for Edna Lorene Parrish, 89, of Waco, formerly of the Brushy Creek community, were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Bailey & Foster Funeral Home in Palestine with the Rev. Lowell Schochler officiating.

Burial was in Olive Branch Cemetery.

She was born June 8, 1912, in Hill County to the late John Franklin and Lena Hill Adcox.

Mrs. Parrish was a homemaker, lived in Brushy Creek community most of her life, and was a member of an Assembly of God.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Royce Parrish; a son, Franklin Cooper; and a sister, Johnnie Mae Glass.

Survivors include daughters, Lena Lou Kemp, Waco, Durlene Hennesey, Smithville, Sandra Baston, Pflugerville, Frieda Brown, Brushy Creek, and Eva Lee Rich, Dallas; a son, Marcellus Parrish, Brushy Creek; 26 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Grandsons served as pallbearers.

Gerald David Benedict

Graveside services for Gerald David Benedict, 45, of Bryan, formerly of Angleton, were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Frankston City Cemetery in Frankston, with Milton Pricer officiating.

Arrangements were by Thompson Funeral Home in Frankston.

Mr. Benedict died Monday, Oct. 22 at his residence.

He was born Sept. 23, 1956 in Angleton.

Mr. Benedict was a counselor for MHMR and was a Baptist.

Survivors include a brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Donna Benedict of Austin; a sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Bob Smith of Waller; nieces, Shelly Elizalde, Navasota and Nancy Benedict, Austin; nephews, Robert and Ryon Smith of Waller.

Pallbearers were Robert Smith, Ryon Smith, Shane Mason, Rudy Elizalde, John Couch and Donnie Moseley.

Honorary pallbearers were the Angleton High School Class of 1975.

Charlie Newberry Jr.

Funeral services for Charlie Lee Newberry Jr., 38, of Frankston were held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home chapel, Henderson, with the Rev. Deborah Edwards officiating.

Burial was in Mount Hope Cemetery.

Mr. Newberry died Friday, Oct. 19, in Smith County.

He was born Oct. 14, 1963 in Livingston. He worked in the house leveling business and was a Pentecostal.

Survivors include his wife, Melanie Newberry, Frankston; sons, Steven Newberry and Oscar Newberry, both of Frankston; a daughter, Stephanie Newberry, Frankston; his mother, Lucy Mitchell, Bullard; brothers, Douglas Steen, Greenville, and Shannon Mitchell, Linden; sisters, Carol Gibbs, Willis, Pauline Boswell, Bullard, Kaye Boswell, Tyler, and Harriett Steen, Greenville.

Pallbearers were Nathan Boswell, George Boswell, Tony Boswell, Samuel Boswell, Phillip McCasland and John Boswell.

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