Funeral services for Matthew Earl Hackney, 70, of Alto will be held Thursday, April 29 at 11 AM, in the Weeping Mary Baptist Church, burial will follow at the St. Thomas Chapel Cemetery. Earl passed away Thursday, April 22nd, in Nacogdoches. He was born March 11,1951 in Sweet Union to George Robert Hackney and Jethro Mae Bass Hackney. Earl had served as a deacon at the Union Hill Baptist Church and was a member of the Alto Area Christian Brotherhood. Earl had worked as a truck driver, driving from coast to coast for several years, a skider operator in the logging woods as well as working for the county barn precinct 2. He was preceded in death by father George Hackney, mother Jethro Skinner, brothers Denorris Hackney and Kelvin Hackney, sister Ella Thacker, father-in-law J.B. Moore and son-in-law Jamie Pope. He leaves to cherish his memories wife Gloria Hackney, 5 children, two of them raised as his own, Denise Pope, Jerry Moore, Frederick Hackney, Adrian Hackney and Candid Hackney, brothers Robert Hackney and Larry Hackney, sisters Bulah Hackney, Gloria D. Hackney and Vanessa Hackney, 13 grandchildren, 4 great Grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives, as well as a special friend Darlene Jones.There will be a come and go viewing Wednesday from 12 noon till 5 PM at the funeral home.