Obituaries

Diana Denise Gabriel, 64, of Cameron, died Monday, June 11, 2018, at her home.  

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Monica’s Catholic Church with Rev. George Thirumangalam officiating. Burial will follow in the Little River Cemetery near Jones Prairie. Visitation will be Friday from 6-8 p.m. with a wake service at 7 p.m. at Marek-Burns-Laywell Funeral Home in Cameron.

Mrs. Gabriel was born April 21, 1954, in Pineville, La., in Rapides Parish to Joseph Preston and Velma Louise (Rachal) Delrie. She received her Associate Degrees in Computer Science and Application Engineering.  She married Lawrence Gabriel Jr. on Oct. 26, 1974, in Chapel Hill. Diana had two children and eight grandchildren.  She last worked at TSTC in Waco and enjoyed working with the students.

A Celebration of Life for Mr. Neil Barr, 80, of Kilgore will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13, 2018, in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore with Rev. Ron Byrd and Mike Conner officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1 until 2 p.m. one hour prior to the service. Mr. Barr passed away on Friday, June 8, 2018, at his home in Kilgore.

Donna Macklin Wilson, “Gran,” age 75, formerly of Corryton, Tenn., entered peacefully into heaven on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in Thorndale from cancer.

She was born March 22, 1943, in Knoxville, Tenn. She worked as a CNA. On July 3, 1959, she married Harvey Lee Macklin in Knoxville, Tenn. After his death she married Leslie Norman Wilson Jr. in Knoxville, Tenn.

She was preceded in passing by parents, Fate William Hucklebee and Reva Edna (Cruze) Hucklebee; brothers, Robert and Earnest Hucklebee; sister, Laura Strange; and husbands, Harvey Lee Macklin on March 15, 2002, and Leslie Norman Wilson Jr. on March 25, 2014.

Survivors are her son, Rickey Macklin and wife Connie of Knoxville, Tenn.; daughter, Connie Rogers and husband Jesse Rogers Jr. of Thorndale, who she made her home with; sisters, Janet Noe and Beatrice Drinnen, both of Knoxville, Tenn.; six grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; 9 great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Elias Adame Bahena, 60, of Cameron, passed away on Monday, June 4, at his residence. No service is planned for Mr. Bahena at this time.

Mr. Bahena was born March 22, 1958 in Mexico to Pedro Adame and Maria DeJesus Romero Bahena. He was employed by Royal Seating Co.

Survivors include: two sons, Abram Bahena and Samuel Bahena, both of Temple; two daughters, Esmeralda Bahena of Temple and Perla Bahena of Broomsfield, Colo.; three sisters, Elisea Meza of Downey, Calif., Hofelia Bahena of Mexicali, Mexico, and Christina Bahena of Cuernevaca, Mexico.

Arrangements are under the direction of Green-Patterson Funeral Home in Cameron. Condolences for the family may be left at www.green-pattersonfuneralhome.com.

James David Kercheville, 88, of Canyon Lake died Sunday, June 3, 2018. 

Mr. Kercheville was born Sept. 22, 1929, in Eagle Pass, to Gus and Jimmy (Finch) Kercheville and grew up in Del Rio. 

After graduating high school he attended San Antonio Junior College. He then was drafted into the Korean War where he was based in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  After returning, he attended the University of Texas in Austin earning a chemical engineer degree. Then he married the love of his life, Jean Bradbury and they resided in the Houston area. They were the best of friends until her passing in 2002.

Helen Annie Anderle Richter, 100, of Cameron died Tuesday, May 29, 2018, in a Cameron nursing center. 

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday, June 4, 2018, at St. Monica’s Catholic Church.  Burial followed in the St. Monica’s Cemetery. Visitation was held Sunday with a rosary being recited at Marek-Burns-Laywell Funeral Home.

Mrs. Richter was born April 18, 1918, in Milam County near Buckholts to William and Pauline (Blosch) Anderle. She attended school in Ad Hall and then C.H. Yoe High in 1936-1937. She married Raymond Eugene Richter on Oct. 25, 1941, and he preceded her in death in 2000. She had worked as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell Telephone. She was a member of St. Monica’s Catholic Church.

She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Judy Richter Hall.

Charles Henry Evan, 75, of Cameron died Monday, May 28, in a Temple hospital.

Graveside funeral services will be held 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 2, at the Oak Hill Cemetery Pavilion with Barrett Evan officiating. Visitation will be Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until service time at Marek-Burns-Laywell Funeral Home.

Mr. Evan was born April 20, 1943, in Ralls, Texas, to Ladie Fred and Ellanora Helen (Mueller) Evan. He married Charlotte Harper in October of 1965. He retired from WilsonArts in Temple. He had served in the U. S. Army during the Vietnam War and was a member of the American Legion.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Ladie, Robert, and Roy; and by a sister, Irene Pearson. 

Reuben Blair Hitchcock, 52, of Rockdale died May 28, 2018, in a Temple hospital.  Private family services will be at a later date.

Mr. Hitchcock was born June 30, 1965, in Houston.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Reuben C. and Ann (Roland) Hitchcock.  He is survived by: sister, Kristen Takara of Shreveport, La.

Marek-Burns-Laywell Funeral Home of Cameron is in charge of arrangements.

Lou Erck, of Missoula, Mont., died peacefully at home on May 21, 2018, at the age of 92.

Born Louis Charles Erck in Texas in 1925, Lou was a pilot, veteran, radio personality and in his later years a respected Missoula businessman. After service in the navy as a pilot, Lou started his radio career in Texas in the 1950’s, where he co-founded the Reilly Springs Jamboree, a music show that featured many of the greats of 50’s country music and is still going strong today. He also ran a music recording studio. The radio business took him to Wyoming, New Mexico, and eventually to Missoula where he and his wife Ruby settled their family for the rest of their lives.

In their later years Lou and Ruby built and operated hotels in Montana, Idaho and Washington, including Ruby’s Inn in Missoula. Lou built the first Hilton-branded hotel in Montana and received several awards from Hilton as an exemplary hotelier.  He is a Past President of the Montana Lodging Association.

Thomas Leo “Rowdy” Yates, 76, of Cameron died Sunday, May 20, 2018, in a Cameron nursing facility. 

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 24, at Marek-Burns-Laywell Funeral Home in Cameron with Rev. Dusty Smith officiating.  Burial will follow in the Marlow Cemetery near Cameron. 

Mr. Yates was born March 7, 1942, in Milam County to Tom and Lena (Pharris) Yates.  He became a Christian when he was 15 years old while attending Ben Arnold Baptist Church. He married Diane Whitaker on July 15, 1961.  He had worked for Alcoa Aluminum in Rockdale for 27-1/2 years in maintenance and the rod room. He was a member of Marlow Baptist Church at the time of his death. He loved gardening, fishing and doing things with his grandchildren.