FRANK GILLESPIE

Funeral for Frank Gillespie, 92, of Jacksonville was at 2 p.m. Sunday at Thompson Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Kevin King officiating. Burial was in Old City Cemetery in Jacksonville.

Mr. Gillespie died Jan. 10. He was born Aug. 12, 1914, in Jacksonville. He was a theater manager for 54 years in Jacksonville, Henderson, Rusk, Nacogdoches and Port Arthur. He served in the U.S. Army. His first job was at The Clair Theater which he described as a "shotgun theater," it only showed westerns.

He began work at the Palace Theater in downtown Jacksonville, where he stayed until 1940.

He popped and sold the first sack of popcorn there in 1929. Popcorn was introduced because of the popping machine in his father's store, which was placed in the theater. He was a Methodist.

Survivors are his wife, Katie Gillespie of Jacksonville; three nephews, Lloyd Elliott of Houston, Gary Gillespie of Hartford, Ala. and Bill Groft of Arlington; five nieces, Sandra Pastiro of Dallas, Carol Tsang of Atlanta, Ga., Patricia Mercer of Katy, Frances Maness Buckingham of Horseshoe Bay and Jana Hale of Tyler; two sistersin law, Jeanette Gillespie of Jacksonville and Olivia Louden of Arlington.

Pallbearers were Lloyd Elliott, George Singleton, Steve Maness, Bill Hale, Bill Groft and Gary Gillespie.