Funeral services for Frankie Gene (Bub) Thorp, 74-year-old Celeste resident, are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church of Celeste. Rev. William Eason and Rev. Jerry Colgrove will officiate. Burial will be in the Celeste/Hogeye Cemetery. 

Family visitation will be from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday in the Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral chapel at Leonard.

Mr. Thorp was born April 8, 1938, at Dulaney. His parents were Ernie Lee and Lydia Edna Isham Thorp.

He attended the Prairie Hill two-room school through fourth grade. When the school closed, he transferred to the Leonard schools.

He was a member of the Class of 1956. He earned the Lone Star Farmer Degree in FFA. He lived and worked his way through college as a Farm Boy on the college farm at East Texas State College. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture.

On Jan. 23, 1960, Frankie married his college sweetheart, Lynda Lou Barnard, daughter of Dan and Stella Green Barnard of Bonham, formerly of Celeste.

He taught in the Commerce ISD for one year before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He served as a medical lab tech at Dewitt Army Hospital at Fort Belvoir, Lorton, Va. Frankie worked for 30 years for the Texas Department of Correction in the Ag Department. He retired as agricultural project manager.

While living in Angleton, he served as assistant Scout master for Boy Scout Troop 513 for 13 years where both his sons earned their Eagle Scout rank. He was involved in rabbit raising with his children while they were in FFA and 4-H. He served as a committee member for years at the Brazoria County Fair and the Houston Fat Stock Show and Rodeo.

After retiring in 1993, he moved to Celeste. He loved working on his farm and with his cows.

Frankie was very active in the Celeste Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday school superintendent for 18 years, Men’s Sunday School teacher, Methodist Men, Trustee’s Board and other committees.

He served as chair of the Building Committee during the building of the parsonage and the new fellowship hall which were his “pet” projects.

 Family was one of the most important aspects of his life. He and Lynda Lou hosted the Thorp family Thanksgiving get-together at their home for more than 40 continuous years.

He had been a big Dallas Cowboy fan since 1960. He played in the Texas State Domino Tournament for 40-plus continuous years in Hallettsville with partner Gene Judd.

He passed away Nov. 17, 2012, at the Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Lynda Lou Thorp of Celeste; his mother, Lydia Thorp of Leonard; his daughters, Belinda Jean Thorp and Donna Childres of Bonham, and  Sharon Lee Wells of Tomball and her two children, Jennifer and Matthew; his sons and daughters-in-law, Roger Glyn and Kerri Thorp of Huntsville and their two children, Kadi and Kyrbi, and Cody Norris and Rachel Thorp of Huntsville and their two children, KaLee and Keegan; his sister and brother-in-law, Linda Lee and Jack Bowling of Plano; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Norris and Martha Barnard of Houston; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Pallbearers will be Jennifer Wells, Graham Casey, Robbie Barnard, Jay Norman, Doug Bell, Gene Judd, William Daniels, Kevin McCaslin, and Sammy Griffis.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the LHS Class of ’56, The Farm Boys of Texas A&M Commerce (formerly East Texas State), and the FUMC Men’s Sunday School Class.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Celeste United Methodist Church or the Farm Boys Scholarship Fund at the Ag Department of Texas A&M University at Commerce.

Online condolences may be made at www.tjmfuneral.com