Obituaries

Charles Louis “Chuck” Heaberlin — father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and loving husband for 70 years — passed away on March 3, at age 95, while under hospice care following a brief illness.  Born in Russell, Ky., in 1930 to Alberta and Herald Heaberlin. Chuck lived in several locations in Illinois and Texas with his wife and family before settling in Decatur […]

  Bobbie Alene Laing, 63, of Decatur, went to be with her Lord Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Plano. Funeral is 2 p.m. Friday, March 13 at House of Prayer in Newark, with burial at Aurora Cemetery. Rick Neathery will officiate. Bobbie was born May 22, 1962, to Harold Joe and Eva Charlene (Hopper) Norris, Sr. in Fort Worth. She […]

William “Bill” Woolaver went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 4, 2026, in Decatur.  Born on April 1, 1934, to Charles L. and Pauline (Gill) Woolaver in Decatur, Bill lived a full and meaningful life centered around his family, faith, and work. He married Ruth Nell Bryan on May 5, 1951, in Decatur, and together they built […]

Linda Nell Stogner, 75, went to be with our Lord Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Decatur. Memorial service is at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Hawkins Funeral Home Chapel in Boyd. Linda was born on Nov. 25, 1950, to Warren Austin and Arlene Ruby (Ferrell) Stogner in Cordell, Okla. She earned her Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Tarrant […]

Phil Ryan, a decorated Texas Ranger who later served three terms as Wise County Sheriff and helped restore professionalism and public trust to the Sheriff’s Office, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at the age of 80, following a battle with heart disease. Born in Oklahoma and raised in the Houston area, Ryan began his law enforcement career with the […]

Ronald Lee “Batman” Messenger, 77, passed away in Bridgeport on Feb. 18, 2026. He was born on Dec. 9, 1948, to Zelma and Loyd Messenger in Denton, and was the youngest of five boys. He attended Bridgeport High School and thereafter began working for Mitchell Energy, where he earned the nickname that stuck with him for the rest of his […]

Memorial services for Billy Fred Walker, 88, of Bridgeport, are scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at First Methodist Church in Bridgeport. Visitation will be held from 6–8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, at Hudson and Torres Family Funeral Home in Bridgeport. Billy Fred Walker passed from this earth on Feb. 21, 2026, surrounded […]

Diana Ketchum, 49, of Decatur, passed on to her heavenly reward on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. Born on July 1, 1976, Diana lived a life rooted in faith and devotion. She was the loving wife of her husband, Jayson, and a very devoted mother to her daughter, Sidney and son-in-law, Geovanni Arcos. Embracing the nickname “Ga Ga” with pride and […]

Virginia Darlene Hamm, 86, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Feb. 14, 2026. After a life so faithfully lived, her earthly journey ended peacefully as she stepped into eternal healing and perfect peace. Funeral is 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Victory Family Church in Decatur, with burial at Oaklawn Cemetery. Family will receive friends […]

Jana Sue Long Woodruff was born on Mar. 31, 1948, and died Feb. 2, 2026, after a short battle with cancer. She was the daughter of Althea (Nielsen) Long Forbis and Emory Eugene Long, and was raised by Althea and Ed Forbis after the death of her father in 1956. Because her father was a pilot and an officer in […]