June Anne Knighten

HAVE A GREAT LIFE! Looks fade away and money is elusive to some and downright boring to those who have too much of it. Search for things and people who make you smile and smiling will make your heart smile and laugh too. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do. May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failure and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. On Thursday February 10, 2011 June Anne Wilson Knighten died at 9pm in her home with her family at her side. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Rod & Kathy Knighten of Longview, grand-daughter and her husband, Brittany and Brady Odom and great-grandchildren Grace Elise Odom and Jack Knighten Odom, of Lake Jackson, Texas. She was preceded in death by her brother Roland Ray Wilson and her sister Nancy Wilson Russell. Ada Willis Wilson gave birth to June on January 11, 1931. She was a graduate of Kilgore High School in 1948 and attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana. June was a county news staff writer, feature writer and editor for the Longview News Journal and Eunice News, Eunice, Louisiana. She held the position of Administrative Director for the Rusk-Cherokee Community Action Program in Henderson, Texas. She was also a caseworker for the State Department of Public Welfare, Kilgore, Texas and was Office Manager for Drs. Farrington & McCash for over 20 years. During this time she was elected Gregg County Treasurer and abolished the office before her term ended saving Gregg County tax payers thousands of dollars. June dedicated her life in an attempt to see that those who were less-fortunate at least had a level playing field. A memorial gathering in her honor will take place this spring to unveil her monument and celebrate her life. Memorial Donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.

June Anne Knighten

January 11, 1931 - February 10, 2011