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Frances Mathis
Frances Harverson Mathis, 68, of Sylva, died Wednesday, April 19, 2006.
Graveside services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 22, in Henry Cemetery in Maggie Valley.
She was a daughter of the late Dave Harverson and Truly MaGaha Harverson.
She was also preceded in death by her husband, Clinton Mathis; one son, David G. Troutman; and two sisters, Jinny Rupe and Jimmie Troutman.
Surviving are three sons, Cecil Mathis of Sylva, Jerry Harverson of Bryson City and Barry Mathis of Candler; five sisters, Bell and Ellen, both of Indiana, Candice of Alaska, and Margaret and Dare, both of North Carolina; two brothers, Steve and James, both of North Carolina; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
George Smoker
George Y. Smoker, 70, of Monteith Branch, Sylva, died Saturday, April 22, 2006, at Haywood Regional Medical Center after a brief illness.
No services are planned.
He was a native of Columbia, Penn., but had lived in Jackson County for the last 23 years. He was retired from the U.S. Air Force and was formerly a supervisor in the maintenance department at Western Carolina University. At the time of his death, he was working in the electrical department in Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. He was a son of the late George Smoker.
He was also preceded in death by one brother, Jerry Smoker.
Surviving are his wife of 21 years, Judith Massie Smoker; one daughter, Melinda Toney of Lake Charles, La.; three sons, Brian Smoker of Chicago, Ill., Terronne Smoker of Little Rock, Ark., and Kevin Smoker of Washington; one sister, Connie Eells of Lancaster, Penn.; two brothers, John Smoker of Oklahoma and Bill Smoker of Arizona; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Western Carolina University Baseball Program, 401 H.F. Robinson Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
George McMahan
George C. McMahan, 88, of Gay Road, Sylva, died Wednesday, April 19, 2006, at Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.
Services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home with the Rev. Ernie Sanders officiating. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers were Kevin McMahan, Greg McMahan, Scott McMahan, Benji McMahan, Chris McMahan and Dickie McCall.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he had stayed in Inman, S.C., for the last 28 months. He retired from Western Carolina University as a custodian and was a member of Greens Creek Baptist Church. He enjoyed fox hunting and ginseng digging. He was a son of the late Arch and Dosia Beasley McMahan.
He was also preceded in death by his wife, Zilla Buchanan McMahan; one daughter, Georgie Marie Austin; six sisters, Ellsie Buchanan, Clercia Buchanan, Mammie Hall, Gency Buchanan, Letha Buchanan and Annie Buchanan; and two brothers, Adam McMahan and Charlie McMahan.
Surviving are two daughters, Virgie Mae Guyer of Franklin and Janice Ann Lyerly of Sky Valley, Ga.; three sons, Roy Lyle “R.L.” McMahan of Franklin, Ted Lawson McMahan of Clinton, Tenn., and Benny James McMahan of Inman; nine grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Lillie Mills
Lillie Cope Mills, 84, of Sylva, died Tuesday, April 18, at Mission Hospitals in Asheville.
Graveside services were held at 3 p.m. Friday, April 21, in Love Cemetery with the Revs. Gerald Morris and Robert Blanton officiating.
She was born in Haywood County on Jan. 20, 1922, to the late Andy Lon and Gracie McGaha Cope.
She was also preceded in death by her husband, Luther Mills, who died in 1979; two sons, Charlie and Ralph Mills; and three brothers, Ed, Arthur and Paul Cope.
Surviving are four sons, Walter William Mills, Ervin McDale Mills, Ray Luther Mills and Earl G. Mills, all of Sylva; four daughters, Reethie Lee Bradley, Alva Dee Worley and Bethel Louise Mills, all of Sylva, and Ruby Tacket of Cave City, Ark.; one brother, William R. Cope of Sylva; two sisters, Elizabeth McClure of Sylva and Edith Long of Grasco, Ark.; 13 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.
Garrett Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
An online guest registry is available at www.garrettfuneralsandcremations.com.
Harriet Francis
Harriet Bryson Dillard Francis, 86, of Waynesville, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at Wellstar Community Hospice in Marietta, Ga.
Services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 21, at Scotts Creek Baptist Church with the Revs. Eddie Deitz, Earl Holden and Ray Talley officiating. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers were Chris Dillard, Billy Dillard, Keith Ward, David Boone, Gary Surratt and Jared Boone.
She was a native of Jackson County, where she lived most of her life, before moving to Waynesville. She moved to Hiram, Ga., as her health was failing. She was retired from Mountain Projects’ Nutrition Center for the elderly and was a member of Allens Creek Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Lee and Mary Etta Henry Bryson.
She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Lyle Ray Dillard; and one brother, Burger Bryson.
Surviving are her husband, Willard Francis; three sons, Noel Ray Dillard of Hiram, William W. “Bill” Dillard of Clermont, Ga., and Jeffery Lee Dillard of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; three sisters, Audrey Ward and Louise Davis, both of Sylva, and Catherine Williams of Seattle, Wash.; one brother, Farris Bryson of Mukilteo, Wash.; one stepdaughter, Judy King of Maryland; one stepson, Pete Francis of Waynesville; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Mountain Projects Nutrition Center, 25 Schulman St., Sylva, NC 28779.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Frank Cowan
 Frank C. Cowan, 84, of Sylva, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at Mountain View Manor in Bryson City after a long period of declining health.
Services were held at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 20, at Sylva First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. John Bunn officiating.
Pallbearers were Jack Farmer, G.W. Revis, Clyde Vance, Gary Frye, Sam Beck and Roy McClure.
He was born July 26, 1921, in Sylva, where he lived his entire life. He attended Jackson County schools and was a picture framer and locksmith. He enjoyed history, and was a member of the Jackson County Historical Society and served as historian for Sylva First Baptist Church. At the church he was in charge of the reproduction of audio tapes of worship services. As church historian, along with his sister, he helped to track down pictures of past ministers for a display. As a member of the historical society, he donated a bread plate, made from local clay, that was originally the property of the Leatherwood Hotel in Webster. He was a longtime supporter of Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library Special Collections, to which he made several donations. He was the son of the late James Donald and Mary Woods Reynolds Cowan.
Surviving is one sister, Anne Cowan of Sylva.
Memorials may be made to the proposed child development center at First Baptist Church, P.O. Drawer 1024, Sylva, NC 28779.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Douglas Eye
Douglas Michael Eye, 47, of Sterling, Va., died unexpectedly Friday, April 14, 2006, at his home.
Graveside services will be held Wednesday, June 7, in Arlington National Cemetery.
He was a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of the Fort Rucker (Ala.) Aviator Qualification Course with a warrant officer commission. He served in Ft. Lewis, Wash., and the Republic of Korea DMZ as a helicopter pilot before being honorably discharged as a W-2 in 1980. He attended Western Carolina University and UNC-Wilmington, where he earned a degree in American history. At the time of his death, he was employed as a senior technical recruiter in engineering at Employer Services Corporation in Herndon, Va. He was the son of Winona C. Eye of Cullowhee and the late Douglas M. Eye.
Surviving in addition to his mother are four sisters, Mary Kathleen Boland of Minneaplois, Minn., Claire Eye of Cullowhee, Rebecca Hadeed of Sterling, Va., and Sara Burrows of Columbia, S.C.; and one brother, Charles Eye of Herndon.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
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