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Former Cherokee chief, Leon Jones, dies at 69
Leon Jones, 69, of Cherokee’s Big Y community, former chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, died Friday, Dec. 30, 2005, at his residence.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, in the Cherokee High School auditorium where the body lay in state for three hours prior to the service. Dr. Myron Coulter, Casey Cooper and Ray Kinsland officiated. Burial was in Sara Jones Cemetery with military graveside rites conducted by American Legion Post 143, with the assistance of the active duty U.S. Marine Corp.
Pallbearers were Ted Rose, Calvin Murphy, two police officers, two EMS paramedics and two firemen.
Honorary pallbearers were the principal chief, vice chief, tribal council, tribal police, EMS employees and firemen.
He was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in Cherokee from January 1980 until his death. He was a veteran who served two tours in Vietnam. He enlisted with the Marine Corps in 1954 and then in the Air Force in 1960, where he was a munitions officer and was also part of the Reserve for five years, giving a total of 26 years of military service.
He was on the board of directors of Southwestern Community College, Advantage West and Cherokee Children’s Home, and served as chairman of the Cherokee School Board from 1985-87. He was a member of Friends of the Smokies, Kiwanis Club, Cherokee Historical Association, Museum of the Cherokee Indians and Cherokee Boys Club Advisory Committee.
He held posts in all three branches of tribal government. He served on the First Magistrate Cherokee Tribal Court from 1980-84; worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Cherokee from 1984-88, including two years as postmaster; and was a Wolfetown Tribal Council member from 1985-87. He served as principal chief from October 1999 until October 2003. During his term as chief, he worked for education, health and jobs. He was instrumental in the tribe assuming operation of the hospital from Indian Health Service, the land swap with the National Park Service for property for new schools, negotiating the State and Tribal Gaming compact, and establishing a pension plan for tribal employees. In July 2005 the new EMS Complex was named in his honor. He spent much of his time working to improve tribal relations with federal, state and local officials.
He was a son of the late Edwin R. Jones and Sara Stamper.
Surviving are his wife, Janice Jones; one stepson, Gary Wiggins; one brother, William A. Jones of Elkhart, Ind.; two sisters, Sally A. Piper of Bath, Mich., and Wynn Jones of Cherokee; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Chief Leon Jones Scholarship Fund, c/o Cherokee Boys Club, P.O. Box 507, Cherokee, NC 28719.
Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mary Gates
Mary Sue Gates, 62, of Gastonia, died Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, at her residence.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, in the South Chapel of Greene Funeral Home in Gastonia with Pastor Nelson Hope officiating. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery in Belmont.
She was born March 8, 1943, in Jackson County to the late Sam Reese and Annie Bell Childers Jones.
Surviving are her husband of more than 45 years, Homer Albert Gates; two sons, David Gates and Wayne Albert Gates, both of Gastonia; one daughter, Debbie Lee of Gastonia; one brother, Ronnie Jones of Belmont; one sister, Bobbie Sutton of Dayton, Ohio; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Gaston County, P.O. Box 3984, Gastonia, NC 28054.
Rusty Wolfe
Wayne “Rusty” Wolfe, 17, of Cherokee’s Bigwitch community, died Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006, at his residence.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, at Acquoni Baptist Church, of which he was a member, with the Rev. Ed Kilgore and Ray Kinsland officiating. Burial was in Reed Family Cemetery.
He was a native of Jackson County, and a senior at Cherokee High School, where he was the class president and a member of the marching band. He was a son of Wayne Lamar and Martha Reed Wolfe of Cherokee.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Van Wolfe.
Surviving in addition to his parents are two brothers, Trent “Diggy” Wolfe and Brandon Wolfe, both of Cherokee; maternal grandparents, Jonah and Eva Reed of Cherokee; paternal grandmother, Janet Walkingstick-Mehaffey of Cherokee; and step grandfather, Buddy Mehaffey.
Crisp Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Robert Childers
Robert L. Childers, 60, of Sunburst Lane, Sylva, died Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, at Harris Regional Hospital after a brief illness.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home with the Rev. Mike Leslie officiating. Burial was in Old Savannah Cemetery.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired from Western Carolina University’s bookstore. He was a son of the late John B. and Jeanette Cabe Childers.
Surviving are one daughter, Anitra Sunshine Hensley of Canton; two sons, Gregg Childers of Waynesville and Russell Childers of Sylva; five sisters, Betty Frady and Ann Taylor, both of Whittier, Joyce Dupree of Cullowhee, Marie Swanger of Waynesville and Terrie Hinson of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; two brothers, Johnny and Ray Childers, both of Sylva; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Muscular Dystrophy Assoc., 100 Executive Center Dr., Greenville, S.C. 29602.
Hazel Hutcheson
Hazel M. Wood Hutcheson, 96, of Amherst, Ohio, died Monday, Dec. 26, 2005, at Welcome Nursing Home in Oberlin, Ohio.
Funeral services were held at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Hempel Funeral Home in Amherst with the Rev. Aaron Webb, pastor of Beacon Baptist Church in Lorain, Ohio, officiating. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery in South Amherst, Ohio.
She was born Aug. 11, 1909 in Cowarts, and moved to Amherst in 2001. She graduated from Sylva Collegiate Institute, and worked as a nurse’s aid in hospitals in Ohio and Washington for many years. She was a member of Beacon Baptist Church, and enjoyed flowers, collecting trinkets, and sending and receiving cards and letters. She was a daughter of the late Early and Polly Nicholson Wood.
She was also preceded in death by her husband, Lester Hutcheson, who died in 1971; two brothers, Mason Wood and Glenn Wood; and four sisters, Juanita Wood, Frances Wood, Genoa Wood and Florence Wood.
Surviving is one brother, Jack Wood of South Amherst.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 43099 North Ridge Rd., Elyria, OH 44035; or the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 182039, Dept. 013, Columbus, OH 43218.
Robert West
Robert O. West Sr., 85, of Reelsboro, died Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005, at Craven Regional Medical Center.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30, at Reelsboro Pentecostal Holiness Church with the Rev. Steve Willis officiating. Burial was in Paul Cemetery in Silver Hill.
Surviving are his wife, Trudy West; two sons, Robert O. West Jr. of Cove City and Woodrow West of New Bern; three daughters, Jean Davenport of Webster, Mary Cayton of New Bern and Joyce Swimm of Alliance; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Bryant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Felix Ashinhurst
Felix Ashinhurst, 73, of Sylva, died Friday, Dec. 30, 2005, at his residence.
A family memorial service will be held at a later date.
Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Duane Hooper
Duane Hooper, 84, of Brevard, died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005.
Graveside services were held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, in Pisgah Gardens with the Revs. Jack Holland and Tommy Owen officiating. Military graveside rites were conducted by Brevard V.F.W. and Brevard American Legion.
He was born and raised in Glenville’s Big Ridge community, but lived most of his life in Pisgah Forest. He was born Aug. 6, 1921, and was retired from the Olin Corporation. He entered the U.S. Army on May 23, 1942, and was a World War II veteran. He was one of the first to land on Omaha Beach during the D-Day battle in Normandy. He was a son of Henry Hayes Hooper and Julia Bryson Hooper.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Billie Carver Hooper; an infant twin brother, Wayne; and twin brothers Edie and Edwin.
Surviving are two sons, William H. Hooper of Pisgah Forest and Dwight D. Hooper of Brevard; two daughters, Shiela Parris of Pisgah Forest and Rita McMichael of Sylva; three sisters, Bessie Parker of Redding, Calif., Betty Jo Hooper of Big Ridge and Peggy Jean Smith of Hendersonville; two brothers, Wendall Hooper of Glenville and Brownlow Hooper of Pisgah Forest; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, Brevard, NC 28712.
Moody-Connolly Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Maggie Bowman
Magdalene “Maggie” Calhoun Bowman, 48, of Calhoun Road, Cherokee, died unexpectedly.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday, Jan. 5) at the Walker Calhoun residence with the Rev. James “Bo” Parris officiating. Burial will be in Calhoun Cemetery.
A native and lifelong resident of Swain County, she worked in shipping at White Shields Factory Outlet. She was a daughter of Walker Calhoun of Cherokee and the late Evelyn “Babe” Hornbuckle Calhoun.
She was also preceded in death by one brother, Pee Wee Calhoun.
Surviving in addition to her father are two sons, Walker Lee Bowman and Bobby Raines, both of Cherokee; two sisters, Bernice C. Bottochenbaugh and Jennifer Calhoun, both of Cherokee; six brothers, Pat, Morgan, Andrew, Danny, Hayes and Jay Calhoun, all of Cherokee; and two grandchildren.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Jean Cook
Jean Dills Cook, 46, of Garland Ashe Road, Cullowhee, died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005, at Angel Medical Center after a brief illness.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 2, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home with the Revs. Ted Cook and Steve Reeves officiating. Burial was in Dills Cemetery.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she worked as a teacher’s assistant in the exceptional children’s program at Smoky Mountain High School and drove a school bus for a number of years. She enjoyed being outdoors and camping. She was a member of Dicks Creek Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Thomas Newton and Faye Williamson Dills.
She was also preceded in death by one sister, Margie Gail Scott; and one granddaughter.
Surviving are her husband of 29 years, Kin Arnold Cook; one daughter, Melissa Faithon Cook of Cullowhee; one son, Travis Isreal Cook of Cullowhee; two brothers, Larry Joe Bradley and Thomas Carol Bradley, both of Sylva; and three grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 925, Sylva, NC 28779; or Angel Hospice, P.O. Box 389, Bryson City, NC 28713.
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