Travis Byrl Long was born on December 17, 1920 in Quail, Texas to his mother and father, Robert Dates (Dee) Long and Mattie Jane Long. He married the love of his life, Vernon Louise Nix, in December of 1939. The two were married for 63 years before she passed away. Travis was an active member of Wesley United Methodist Church where he taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. He also spent several years volunteering and serving at South Place Nursing Home. He was a master machinist and owned Pioneer Machine and Tool in Arlington before moving the business to Athens which he ended up selling in 1983. Travis loved to fish and garden and had a deep love for his family and people. He would give anything to help anyone in need. He was a self-educated man, having multiple patents and business ideas. Travis passed away on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018 surrounded by several family members.
Category: Obituaries
Obituary: Jason Wade Lambright
Jason Wade Lambright was born on March 24, 1979 to J.W. and Cheryl Lambright. Jason passed away on December 25, 2018 after a 4-year battle with cancer. The family would like to invite you to visitation at Autry’s Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. Funeral Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday Dec. 29, 2018 at First Baptist Church of Athens with Bro. Jeff Godwin and Bro Randy Jones officiating. Burial will follow at Carroll Springs Cemetery.
Jason is preceded in death by his grandparents: J.W. and Lorene Lambright, and Glynn and Bonnie Chipley.
Obituary: Virginia Richards
Graveside services for Virginia Richards, 82, of Athens are scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 22, 2018 at Pattison Cemetery in Emhouse, Texas with Bro. Mike Curry officiating. Services will be under the direction of Hannigan Smith Funeral Home.
Virginia Richards passed on December 18, 2018 in Athens.
Virginia Ann Biggers Richards was born August 3, 1936 in Dallas, Texas the daughter of James Robert Biggers and Virgie Story Biggers. She was a member of the Lake Athens Baptist Church, was an avid reader, enjoyed painting and watching old tv shows on the Hallmark channel. She especially loved flowers and gardening. Virginia was a loving mother and grandmother who will be missed.
Obituary: Debra Ask
A Celebration of the Life of Debra Ask, of Athens, will be held at 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home with Pastor David Jordan officiating.
Debra Ask passed away on December 15, 2018 in Tyler.
Debra Dykes Ask was born April 20, 1953 in Wilmington, Delaware the daughter of Elton Raymond Dykes and Julia Lynn Ingram Dykes. She enjoyed fishing, traveling and going to the casinos. She loved music, thrifting and collecting windchimes and rocks. She always liked cooking, caring for others, having company over and spending her evenings enjoying the stars and moon. She cherished her grandchildren, was loved by all who knew her and will be greatly missed.
Obituary: Menifee Lee “Ernie” Ratliff
Menifee Lee Ratliff, “Ernie”, 72, took his last fishing trip on December 13, 2018 with the best possible guide, Jesus Christ. Born in West Prestonsburg, Kentucky to George Dewey Ratliff and Alma Whitaker Ratliff on December 4, 1946. The family left the coal mines of eastern Kentucky in 1952 and moved to South Bend, Indiana where the auto industry was flourishing. Menifee attended schools primarily in North Liberty and Greene Township from which he graduated in 1965, the last in his class to walk the stage because everyone else was shorter than he. In 1966, at the height of the Vietnam War, he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as a flight engineer in the Forward Air Command. He was on the perimeter of his base during the Tet Offensive in January 1968. During his time in Vietnam, the plane on which he served as flight mechanic was shot down and thus did he cheat death for the first time. He was discharged in December 1969 as a Sargent and in January 1970, on a blind date, he met the woman that would become his lifetime fishing partner, Susan Jane Conklin. They married on August 14, 1970 in Mishawaka, Indiana. A short series of jobs led him to Indiana Bell in 1972 and he proudly served Ma Bell until his retirement in 2005. During that time, he moved his family from South Bend to Corpus Christi, Texas.