Edward Lee McKneely III

  October 8, 1946- April 22, 2025

Edward Lee “Buddy” McKneely III 78, of Newton, Texas passed away April 22, 2025 at his residence. 

He was born October 08, 1946 in Jasper, Texas to Juanita Chambers McKneely and Edward Lee McKneely II. 

Buddy was a car salesman for many years and later worked at the prison.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his loving wife, Marilyn McKneely of Newton; sons, Edward Lee McKneely IV of Newton, and Jesse McKneely of Dallas; grandchildren, Eli and Ivy McKneely. 

  It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Dale West Bernard, 69, of Burkeville, TX. A devoted father, grandfather, son, and friend departed from the world on April 13th, 2025. 

Born on June 23, 1955, Dale was the beloved son of the late Lester and Ramona Bernard whom he loved dearly and carried in his heart throughout his life. Their memory remained a guiding light for him.

Dale is survived by his loving children: Brooke Bernard, Bree Bernard, and Braxton Bailey. He leaves behind his greatest joys—his grandchildren: Preston Bernard, Logan Bailey, and Landry Bailey. He is also remembered by his sister, Renee Kiser, as well as extended family who brought joy and laughter into his life.

A man of many talents, Dale was an incredible chef whose meals were made with love and served with generosity. Whether it was a holiday feast or your favorite comfort food, he had a way of making everyone feel special through his cooking.

Dale was also a true handyman—creative, capable, and always willing to help. He could build or fix just about anything and took pride in making things better with his own two hands. He found joy in the simple things: a quiet day of fishing, watching the Dallas Cowboys, strumming his guitar, or spending time with his faithful dog, Toots. He was thoughtful, funny, and full of life lessons.

Though Dale may be gone from our sight, his spirit lives on in the laughter he sparked, the meals he lovingly prepared, and the things he built. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you share a meal with people you love.

  Jimmy Wayne Cryer was born June 24, 1941 in Wiergate, Texas to Willie and Bessie Mae Cryer. Jimmy grew up in DeRidder, Louisiana where he graduated high school. 

Over the years he worked hard to provide for his family. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and most of all, spending time with his family. The one thing he enjoyed the most, was NASCAR. He recorded every race and even kept notebooks where he would write all the driver’s stats. 

Jimmy made his journey to heaven April 21, 2025. He is preceded in death by his parents Willie and Bessie Mae Cryer, all 6 of his siblings and his son, Shannon Craig Cryer. 

Left to cherish his memory is his wife of almost 47 years, Peggy Jean Cryer. Also, his daughter, Patricia White and husband Matthew, step-son Keith Soileau and wife Tonya. Jimmy was blessed with 4 grandchildren to carry on his legacy and who blessed him with the name PaPa, Chelsea (fiancé Adam), Caylee and Emily Williams, Allison Soileau and Brandy White. Jimmy was also blessed with great-grandchildren Lucy, Zander and Ivy Maruscak. 

Jimmy leaves behind a host of relatives including several nieces and nephews that were all his favorite. 

Funeral services will be 11:00 am Sunday April 27, 2025 at Smith Funeral Home in Newton, Texas. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until service time at the funeral home.

Pallbearers are Matthew White, Adam Maruscak, Chad Miner and Tommy Adams. 

  Raymond Loyd Oliver Sr. 79, of Kirbyville, Texas passed away April 20, 2025 in Newton, Texas. He was born November 26, 1945 in Beaumont, Texas to Johnny Edward and Elsie Jeanette Hamshire Oliver.

Memorial services will be from 12 noon until 5:00pm Sunday April 27, 2025 at Smith Funeral Home in Newton, Texas. 

Raymond was a Laborer in the Oil Field industry for many years. He was a loving father, grandfather and great grandfather. 

He is preceded in death by his parents. 

Survivors include sons, Will Oliver, Lynn Oliver, Clifford Oliver, Randy Oliver, and Dwayne Oliver; daughters, Christine Oliver, and Amanda Oliver, grandchildren, Breanna Shaw, Kaylynn Shaw, Deavon Shaw, Henry Shaw, Holly Breland, Anna Breland, Jonathan Breland, Ray Ray Oliver and several great grandchildren. 

Raymond will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

  Funeral services for Doyle Wayne "Pete" Denman will be 2:00 pm Friday April 25, 2025 at Smith Funeral Home. Visitation will be Friday from 12 noon until the funeral starts at 2:00 pm. 

Doyle Wayne “Pete” Denman passed away April 21, 2025 in Beaumont, Texas.

He was born November 27, 1943 in Newton, Texas to Obie and Nora Elouise Wilkinson Denman. 

Pete worked for many years for Bayer as a Lab Technician. He was a loving father, grandfather and great grandfather.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Pete is survived b y his loving wife Charlene Denman of Orange, Tx; sons, Clint Denman and wife Emily of Orange, Tx, and James Denman and wife Michele of Buna, Tx; brothers Lloyd Denman of Newton, Tx, and Danny Denman of Mauriceville, Tx; grandchildren, Karston, Morgan, Hunter, Katelyn and Kristen; great grandchildren, Rylee, Rylan, and Sawyer.

Pete will be greatly missed and remembered by all who knew and loved him. 

Anabel Norene Fillyaw Brack passed away peacefully at the age of 92 on April 19, 2025, at Harbor Hospice in Beaumont, Texas. Born on October 4, 1932, in Newton, TX, Norene was 1 of 5 children in a home that valued family, service, and faith in God. She resided in Groves, TX for over 65 years in the home that she and her husband built with their own hands. 

Norene is preceded in death by her husband of 70+ years, Coy Brack, her parents, Oscar and Lela Mae Griggs Fillyaw, and her siblings, Lee Roy Fillyaw, Reba Fillyaw Edgar Shue, Imagene Fillyaw Warner, and Rush Fillyaw. Norene is survived by her 3 sons, Ron, Dal (Debbie Rutledge), and Marty (Debbie Hogan). The grandchildren include Taylor (Tyne) Brack, Tanner (Rebekah) Brack, Tori Haas (Andrew), Shay (Cortney Duncan) Brack, Dillon (Monica) Brack, Gage (Jessica) Weldon, Cole (Camille) Weldon, Logan (Courtney) Brack, and Reagan Beers (Brandon) and a host of great grand kids.

Norene graduated from Newton High School in 1950, where she was active in the band as the Drum Major, was on student council, and was an offensive star on the girls’ basketball team. While Norene was in high school, she worked at Newton Bank and then worked at the Gulf Oil Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas from 1955 to 1960. She rode back home to Newton on the weekends with the man she eventually married, Coy Brack. Coy jokingly said that Norene was so indebted to him for those rides that the only way to pay off the debt was to marry him! Norene married the love of her life, Coy Brack of Burkeville, Texas on June 5, 1954, at First Baptist Church in Newton, Texas and celebrated over 70 1/2 years of marriage. They shared a deep love for each other that provided a foundation for a long marriage. They greeted each other every day in the morning and said good night every evening with a hug and kiss. They settled in Groves, Texas, raising three boys, and Norene never missed a chance to show them support by attending school events, sporting events and teaching them the value of hard work and service. She stayed home as a full-time mom for 3 boys until her youngest son began grade school, and then she worked for the Port Neches-Groves School system until she retired on January 31, 1989.

Norene was an outstanding cook, and had a servant heart, so she would rarely sit down for a whole meal because she was waiting on others. She was especially known for her chicken gumbo, and for baking home-made bread that she shared generously with family, friends, and neighbors. Those delicious loaves were often the prized possession in church fund raisers. Norene was a faithful member of Central Baptist Church and Grace Baptist Church for over sixty-years. She spent a significant amount of time serving at the church and was well known for her kind-hearted spirit. 

Norene’s life was a beautiful journey that touched the hearts of all who knew her. Norene will be remembered not just for her achievements, but for her love of life, for the love she had for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and her love for her family. She leaves behind a Godly legacy full of blessings and wonderful memories. Rest in peace, Norene. Your legacy will live on in the lives you have touched.

A celebration of life will be held at Grace Baptist Church in Groves, Texas. Visitation will be Friday evening, 4/25/25, from   5:00 – 7:00 PM, and the funeral will be at Grace Baptist Church on Saturday afternoon, 4/26/25, at 2:00 pm Central. 

The location of the church is:

Grace Baptist Church 

3417 Berry Ave.

Groves, TX  77619

(409) 962-1584

A graveside service will be held Saturday afternoon, 4/26/25, at 4:30 PM central at Newton Cemetery located on Hardy Street, Newton, TX 75966. Smith Funeral Home, Newton, Texas, will facilitate the funeral, although the funeral will not be at this location. Smith Funeral Home is located at 305 Houston Street, PO Box 1460, Newton, TX 75966, and their phone number is 409-379-5041.

The family wishes to say a special thank you to the nurses and staff at Harbor Hospice, in particular Alisa Jones and Brenda Lewis, and to Takisha Fobbs for taking great care of Norene during her last days. You do a terrific job taking care of patients under trying circumstances. In addition, we would like to thank Ron Brack for faithfully caring for our parents for the last 5 years. Your care and support has been invaluable.

Kohlstan Wayne Alex Olson passed away April 11, 2025 in Jasper, Texas. Kohlstan was born October 13, 2024 in Plano, Texas to Laine Olson and Kalyn Szembroski. 

He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Paul Szemborski.

Kohlstan is survived by his parents, brother, Koghan Olson of Newton; sisters, Kimberleigh, Kayleigh and Karleigh Olson of Newton; grandparents, Shaunna Arnold of Merryville, La, Jason Carroll of Merryville, La, and Janna Curtis of Newton, Tx; great grandparents, Marvin and Marilyn Gooch of Newton, Tx and Stanley and Debbie Hebert of Merryville, La.

Funeral services will be 10:00 am Friday April 18, 2025 at Smith Funeral Home in Newton, Tx with burial at Cannon Cemetery in Merryville, La. Visitation will be Thursday April 17, 2025 from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the funeral home. 

Lester C. Platt, 96, of Newton, Texas, died Sunday, April 6, 2025, passing peacefully into the arms of his Savior, with his wife Jackie at his bedside. A great music lover, L.C. is now celebrating with the heavenly chorus in unending song. 

L.C. will always be remembered for his love of family, love for God, and love of music, serving as a music minister in the many churches he and his first wife, Pattie Don Kelley Platt, attended. L.C.'s passion for music began at three years old, listening to the Grand Ole Opry on his parents' radio. By third grade he was leading the rhythm band at Burkeville Grammar School, and by fifth grade he was playing the trombone. He was largely self-taught on piano and could play hymns, jazz and classics by ear, leading family gatherings, church congregations, and even the Newton County prison choir, in making a joyful noise to the Lord.

L.C. was born in Burkeville, Texas in Newton County on March 10, 1929, the only son of Lester Carroll Platt and Vessie May Miller Platt. The family was also blessed by the addition of a daughter, Octavene Miller, after the untimely death of Octa’s parents. Social life centered around school and church and, at ten years old, L.C. committed his life to Christ and was baptized in Little Cow Creek at Shady Nook, the local swimming hole. 

At age 11, L.C.’s family moved to Beaumont, Texas where they lived during World War II. After the war ended in 1945 his family moved back to Burkeville where L.C. graduated as high school valedictorian. In 1948 he graduated from Lamar Junior College in Beaumont as valedictorian. He then transferred to the University of Texas in Austin majoring in mechanical engineering. 

L.C. met his first wife, Pattie Don Kelley, during visits home to his parents who had relocated to Newton, Texas. The couple was married on October 15, 1949, and had four children: Carol Don, Martha Jane (who died shortly after birth), Michael Kelley, and Sarah Jo.

L.C. was not only musically talented, but had a brilliant technical mind and began his engineering career in 1949 working for Texas State Highway Engineers, followed by the Seismic Oil Explorations crew headquartered in Houston. In 1957 L.C. accepted a job with the Mobil Oil Refinery engineering department, completing his mechanical engineering degree at Lamar Tech in Beaumont during the evenings. For the next sixteen years L.C. made his career in maintenance and project engineering at the Beaumont Refinery, while he and Pattie raised their three children on East Circuit Street. Church and family were the mainstays of their lives and they immersed themselves in the music and youth ministries at the Church of God- Beaumont while their children attended Beaumont schools. 

In 1973 L.C. accepted a job as project manager with Mobil Research and Development in Princeton, New Jersey, relocating with his family to nearby Yardley, Pennsylvania. L.C.’s position as Project Manager and Lead Facilities Engineer opened the doors to worldwide work and travel. After Princeton, L.C., accompanied by Pattie, lived and worked on projects in London, England; Bergen, Norway; Bellingham, Washington; San Francisco, California; Kyoto, Japan; and New Zealand. 

In 1985 L.C. took early retirement and he and Pattie re-settled in their hometown of Newton, Texas, purchasing a home across the street from where Pattie was born. Both L.C. and Pattie loved music, L.C. directing church choirs and Pattie accompanying on piano and organ over the years. After retirement L.C. and Pattie continued their work in music, directing church and community choirs, including organizing and directing the Newton County Prison Inmate Choir, giving concerts at local churches and schools. L.C. and Pattie were also active in civic and community service, and as volunteers at the Newton County Historical Commission, pursuing an avid interest in Platt, Miller and Kelley family history and genealogy.

After the death of his first wife, Pattie in 1998, L.C. married Bonnie Jacqueline “Jackie” Dyar Fries of Purvis, Mississippi, on September 5, 1999. L.C. and Jackie enjoyed twenty-five eventful years together, living part-time in Newton, Texas and part-time in Purvis for their first twenty years. The couple filled their days with family events and travel throughout the U.S., with a special love for vacations in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Branson, Missouri. Together with L.C.’s brother-in-law, Joe Ben Kelley, the couple also enjoyed antiquing, and exploring estate and garage sales. As the couple entered their nineties, they made Newton their full-time home, surrounded by family and friends. 

L.C. is preceded in death by parents, Lester C. Platt Sr. and Vessie Miller Platt; first wife, Pattie Don Kelley Platt; daughters, Martha Jane Platt and Carol Don Platt Ayres; sister, Octavene Miller Booker; sister-in-law, Luvenia Kelley Miller; brother-in-law, Joe Kelley; step-son George Marshall “Sonny” Fries III; and step-daughter, Marcia Fries Anderson.

L.C. is survived by: his wife, Jackie Platt; son Michael Kelley Platt and his wife, Kathie; daughter Sarah Pfeiffer and her husband, Thomas; and son-in-law, Daniel Ayres (husband of deceased daughter, Carol Platt Ayres); by five grandchildren: Jason Ayres (and wife, Jennifer); Joshua Pfeiffer (and wife, Tanya); Jessica Pfeiffer Heale (and husband, James); Emily Platt Priebe (and husband, Chris); Laura Platt; and nine great-grandchildren.

L.C. is also survived by three step-children: Rosemary Fries Williams (and husband James); Suzanne Fries Burleson; and Jennifer Fries; nine step-grandchildren, twelve step-great-grandchildren, and two step-great-great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be Friday, April 11, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. - 7 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home in Newton, Texas. A graveside service will take place Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 11 a.m., at the Newton City Cemetery, on Hardy Street.

Funeral services for Martha Eugenia “Jean” Black of Newton will held Saturday, April 12, 2025, 2:00 p.m. at Trout Creek Baptist Church in Kirbyville, Texas, with Pastors Randy Fults, Garrett Williamson, and son, Dr. Mike Black officiating. Burial will follow at Trout Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be prior to the services from noon until 2:00 p.m. 

Mrs. Black was born April 26, 1934, in Rusk County, Texas to L.V. and Mollie Smith and passed peacefully from this life April 4, 2025, after a brief illness. She was married to Robert E. Black April 16, 1955, and they were blessed with 50 years together.

Survivors include her daughter, Bobbie Jean Jackson, and husband Ronnie of Call, Tx; son, Mike Black and wife Anita of Clarksville, Tx. She was Grandma or Granny to six grandchildren: Seth and Becca Black, Whitehouse, Tx; Courtney and Scott DeBose, Many, La; Carolyn Jackson, Houston, Tx; Elizabeth and Will Johnson, Kirbyville, Tx; Leslie Robert and Eri Black, Matsuyama, Japan; Pamela Jean and Joseph Woods, Call, Tx. She became “Gigi” to nine great-grandchildren: Lincoln Black; Nathanael, Anna Ruth, twins-David and Evan DeBose; Lyle Black; Jessa Jean Laird; Ayden and Kingston Woods. She will also be missed by numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Family feasts and church fellowships were not complete without her homemade pound cake. Grandma-Granny, Gigi loved her family and enjoyed family gatherings and all the laughter she could handle. Her devotion to her family and church was surpassed only by her love for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

A faithful member of Trout Creek Baptist Church since 1960, Mrs. Black served as Church Clerk, Ladies’ Auxiliary teacher and Sunday School and VBS teacher, She was an active member of over 50 years in The Order of the Eastern Star in Newton serving in several capacities. 

Mrs. Black was preceded in death by her husband and parents, brother John, and sisters Pauline, Alice, Nova, and Margie, and one brother-in-law, E.C. Black, Jr.

Pallbearers: Olen Bean, Ben Wilson, Neal Smith, Ronnie Phillips, Troy Grimes, Bob Giannoni, Jason Wiley, Guy Gibbs. Honorary Pallbearers: Ronnie Jackson, and Sam Payne.

The family wishes to thank our loved one’s care team at Olive Branch Hospice: Wanda Roseman and Debra Tyson, Hope Staley, Paul Swearingen, and Garrett Williamson. Memorial contributions may be made to Trout Baptist Church or Olive Branch Hospice.