Frank Arthur Slater passed away on Thursday, June 16, in Sherman, Texas.  Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 24 at 10:00 a.m. at Truth Church in Denison.  Pastor Darren Gilbert will officiate.  Interment will follow at West Hill Cemetery in Sherman.

Military-style Honors will be accorded by the Sherman Fire Department.  The family will greet friends on Thursday, June 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Waldo Funeral Home.

Born in Silsbee, Texas, August 13, 1949, to Frank and Edith Stanley Slater, Frank graduated from Sherman High School in 1967.  In the fall of l969, he joined the U.S. Army and attended boot camp in Ft. Sill, OK.  He served in Vietnam with C Battery, 6 ^th Battalion, 11 ^th Artillery.  Cpl Slater was driving a deuce and half Army truck when it hit a mine, and he was critically injured.  During his military service, he was awarded the Purple Heart, two Bronze Stars, and the Army Commendation Medal.

After returning to Sherman, Frank attended Grayson County College where he earned several certifications.  He worked for Hale Trailer Manufacturing Co. where he was a master welder.  He was also a certified farrier.  In 1976, he joined the Sherman Fire Department where he worked until his retirement in 2005.

Frank was a loving, giving, and caring person.  He was a faithful member of Truth Church.  He was a lifetime member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and served as Finance Officer of the organization.  Frank loved classic cars and trucks.  He enjoyed spending time at his shop where he built trailers, raised livestock, and collected and sold merchandise (aka "junk").

Frank is survived by his wife of 42 years, Cindy Hill Slater; three daughters:  Cherie Minchey and husband Bruce, Ellie Smith and husband Shaun, and Katie Slater; four grandchildren:  Elizabeth, Abigail, Abishai, and Zagyn Arthur; and one brother, Phil Slater.  He was preceded in death by his parents.

Pallbearers for Frank will be his sons-in-law, Bruce Minchey and Shaun Smith, and members of the Sherman Fire Department.