Dewey J. Preston Jr.

Dewey J. Preston, Jr., 93, of the Midway Community in Lamar County, passed away Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, at his home, while surrounded by family and caregivers. Bright-Holland Funeral Home has scheduled funeral services for 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27th, at Highway Full Gospel Church with Rev. Dverle Archer and Rev. Bradley Miller officiating. Burial will follow in Lake Creek Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 – 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. There will be a luncheon for family and friends at noon on Tuesday at the fellowship hall of Highway Full Gospel Church. Mr. Preston, the son of Dewey J. Preston, Sr. & Annie Estelle Hutchings Preston, was born Dec. 25, 1921, in Lake Creek. He worked on his father’s dairy farm a number of years, and he & his wife, Ruby, owned and operated their own dairy farm for more than forty years. He was a longtime member of Highway Full Gospel Church where he had served as a board member. Junior was past-president and fire chief of the Midway Volunteer Fire Department and was a past-member of the board of Lake Creek Cemetery Association. The cemetery was near to his heart; he planted countless trees, installed water lines and took great pride in the appearance of the cemetery. A grandson commented, “Granddaddy would give you the shirt off his back, always putting other people’s needs first.” When asked, “What is your most prized possession?” Mr. Preston said, “My memories of family and friends”. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Bobby Preston, a daughter, Shirley Abbott, and siblings, James T. Preston, Pierce Preston, Mae Marie Preston Burket and Ray Stanley Preston. Survivors include his wife, Ruby Gray Preston, whom he married on June 7, 1941, building 73 years of family and memories, two sons, Don Preston & wife Nannette of Rockwall and Jackie Preston & wife Johanna of Grapevine, grandchildren, Shawn Abbott & wife Cescily, Stacy Abbott & wife Leigha, Keith Preston & wife Jennifer, Kevin Preston & wife Toni, Donald Preston & wife Julie, Sandra McCormick, Lisette Hitt, Annette Martinez, Matthew Preston, Mark Preston & Michael Preston, a son-in-law, Stanley Abbott, a daughter-in-law, Lovice Preston, great grandchildren, Allan & Carina Abbott, Lindsey Abbott, Anna, Amelia, Bobby & Grace Preston, Riley & Carter Preston, Ashley McCormick, Ethan, Luke & Hannah Preston, Shelby & Elijah Hitt, siblings, Leroy Preston, John R. Preston, Mary Ruth Preston Vaughn, Ann Preston Lamb, Douglas “Buddy” Preston and Gloria Preston Fitzgerald along with many nieces & nephews and a plethora of friends. Casket bearers will be: Shawn Abbott, Stacy Abbott, Keith Preston, Kevin Preston, Donald Preston, Matthew Preston, Mark Preston and Michael Preston. Honorary bearers will be: William Jackson and Doug Sanders. The family would like to extend special appreciation to his caregivers that loved him & treated him like family; Evelyn Weaver, Janet Ringwald, Nikki Cook and Holly Haygood and special thanks to Waterford Hospice for their care of Mr. Preston. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to the Lake Creek Cemetery Association, 1501 S. Lakeshore Dr., Rockwall, TX 75087.