Obituaries
From The Frankston Citizen April 2007
April 5 Edition
R. B. Williams
Services for R. B. Williams, 78, of Frankston were held at 1 p.m. Friday, April 6, at Rockhill Baptist Church in Cuney with the Rev. Efrem Collins officiating.
Mr. Williams died Sunday, April 1, in hospice at Tyler following a lengthy illness.
He was born on March 23, 1929, in Frankston. He was a life-long resident of Frankston and was employed at Curtis Mathes for 20 years. He also worked for Tidmore and Smith Construction in Frankston as a diesel mechanic. He was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.
Survivors include his nine children, Gladys Williams of Tyler, Brenda Lankford of Frankston, Debra Birdow of Frankston, Ricky Williams of Frankston, Sharon Marshall of Jacksonville, Gary Williams of Frankston, Donna Collins of Lindale, Mark Williams of Frankston, and Colitha Williams-Paul of Frankston; 23 grandchildren; and 14 greatgrandchildren.
Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be his grandsons.
His wife, Dorothy, preceded him in death.
April 12 Edition
Walter 'Papa' Ray Gayle
Walter “Papa” Ray Gayle, brother of a Frankston woman, passed away on March 21.
Services were held on Saturday, March 24, at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Cleveland. Interment took place in High Prairie Cemetery in Madisonville. Brother Terry Gibson officiated.
Born on February 23, 1938, he was preceded in death by his mother Ola Mae Crow; father Carl Vivian Gayle; grandparents Aruther M. and Clara Crow, Emmett C. Gayle and Minnie Yelverton.
He is survived by daughter Tammy L. (Gayle) Berger and husband Johnnie; son Steven R. Gayle; brothers Melvin D. Gayle and Alton L. Gayle; sister M. Clarice Caldwell of Frankston; grandchildren Angela M. (Berger) Burlson and husband Steven, Jonathan W. Berger, Amanda A. Gayle and Aaron Ray Warren Gayle; great-grandchildren Cameron W. B. Burlson and Heaven L. Burlson; nephew George E. Wier; nieces Rebecca Wawzyniak and husband Marcus, Elain Weir, Audrey Allen and husband Scott, Andrea Smith and husband Troy and special friends Luis and Ramona Grimaldo and Kenneth Westbrook, and many cousins and additional family members and friends.
Pallbearers were Colt Beaver, Luis Grimaldo, Jerry Hill, Kenneth Westbrook, Kevin Westbrook and Chris Linton.
Honorary pallbearers were Johnny Wheaton and Billy “Little Bill” Westbrook.
April 19 Edition
Truman Wayne Bruno
Truman Wayne Bruno, 73, was surrounded by his children when he died peacefully on April 1, 2007, after a long battle with cancer.
Brother of Frankston resident Marie Morgan, Mr. Bruno was born in Houston on Feb. 27, 1934. He was an outstanding athlete in football and boxing and attended schools in Magnolia and Houston. After graduation, he worked for the railroad and served in the Air Force from 1954 to 1957 as a helicopter mechanic. After serving in the Merchant Marines, he spent six years
as a crop duster. He then flew his own Cessna 182 plane as a pilot for Electro-Coating of Houston and California. He later owned barbeque restaurants in Houston and
Waller, Texas.
Mr. Bruno was preceded in death by his daughter, Sissy Smith; his parents, the Rev. and Mrs. L. M. Bruno who were residents of Frankston; siblings, Doris Bruno and Bonard Bruno.
He is survived by his children, Renee Ham and husband, Joel; Forrest Bruno and wife, Tina; and Jeanna Bruno; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; siblings Marie Morgan of 20330 CR 4228 in Frankston, Joyce Rabel, Michael Bruno I, Kathy Gore and husband, Robert; and numerous other relatives and friends.
Services were in Magnolia Funeral Home Chapel on April 6 officiated by the Rev. Jack Carr.
Military honors were conducted by the Magnolia VFW. Burial was in the Magnolia Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers were Bobby Pratka, Dave Smith, Chris Crosby, Charles Jackson, Delbert Riley, Joel Ham, Michael Bruno II, and Marion Wischnewsky.
Gladys House Huddleston
Gladys House Huddleston, sister and sister-in-law of Frankston women, died Tuesday, April 17, in a Longview hospital.
Services were expected to be pending at Cason-Monk Funeral Home in Nacogdoches with a graveside service anticipated in Frankston later in the week. Mrs. Huddleston was a long-time Merle Norman Cosmetic business owner from the 1970s to the 1990s, as is her sister-in-law, Pat House of Frankston. Her sister is Opal Bragg of Frankston, and her late husband, Clovis Huddleston, is buried in Frankston.
A few weeks ago, Mrs. Huddleston had moved from Nacogdoches to be with her daughter, Phyllis Huddleston Jolley of Longview. She became ill in Longview.
April 26 Edition
Gladys House Huddleston
Gladys House Huddleston, of Nacogdoches, passed away Tuesday, April 17, at the age of 88, in Longview.
Funeral services were Friday, April 20, at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church Chapel in Nacogdoches. Dr. Allen Reed of First Baptist Church officiated. Interment followed at 2:30 p.m. at the Frankston City Cemetery in Frankston with Rev. Jonathan Jehorek officiating.
She was born on April 2, 1919, in Frankston, the fifth of nine children to Joe and Mattie Horton House. She was married on July 27, 1942, to William Clovis Huddleston who preceded her in death in 1976. She had resided in Nacogdoches for the last 56 years where she was an active member of First Baptist Church and served as secretary of the Joy Sunday School Class.
Upon moving to Nacogdoches, she became an accountant for Commercial National Bank and later for the Bookstore at Stephen F. Austin University. In 1970 she began her career as business owner of the Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio until her retirement in 1986. She served on the Northview Plaza Retail Merchant Association and was a member of the Altrusa Club and Pilot Club of Nacogdoches.
Surviving Mrs. Huddleston is her daughter, Phyllis Huddleston Jolley of Longview; sister, Opal Bragg of Frankston; special niece, Mary Elizabeth Johnson and husband Jim of Frankston; great nephew, Jim Johnson, Jr. and wife Jennifer of Flint; great niece, Dana Wilson and husband Kelly of Frankston; great-great nieces and nephews, Jacob and Jessica Johnson of Flint and Colin and Kelsey Wilson of Frankston; sisters-in-law, Patricia House, Pat House, Gracie House and Gradie House, all of Frankston, and also several other nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Huddleston is preceded in death by her husband, William Clovis Huddleston; infant son, Ronald Eugene Huddleston in 1948; her parents, Joe and Mattie House; six brothers and one sister.
Pallbearers were Dr. Claude Eddy, John Barbe, Jim Johnson, Jr., Jacob Johnson, Bill Paul, Jim Short and Colin Wilson.
The family would like to give special thanks to Gail Hake, Milly Rea, Martha Dye and Ruby Holt for their loving care.
Memorials may be made to Love INC at P.O. Box 630423, Nacogdoches, TX 75963 or to Heartsway Hospice of Longview, TX at 1306 Pinetree Rd., Longview, TX 75604.
