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Fred Holcombe
Fred B. Holcombe, 87, of Thomas Valley Road, Whittier, died Sunday, March 23, 2008, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center after a brief illness.
Services were scheduled to be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, at Southwestern Community College’s Myers Auditorium with the Revs. Charles Dean and Johnny Ray Davis officiating. The family was to receive visitors for two hours prior to the service.
Burial will be at 1 p.m. today (Thursday, March 27) in Bumgarner Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Bobby Cook, James Taylor, Ronnie Melton, Jim McClure, Lindon Allen, Jimmy Ashe, Jeff Jamison and Ray Lewis.
Honorary pallbearers will be David Clark, Donnie Parris, David Hall, Deloise Hooper, Bill Peak, Jack Shields, Mark Buchanan, Mike Coggins, Debbie Jamison, Libby Jamison, Howard Allison, Bob Allen, Jim Cruzan and all law enforcement officers, retired and active.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was the sheriff of Jackson County from 1962 until 1986, retiring after six terms. A son of the late Jode and Mary Brooks Holcombe, he was a member of Wilmot Baptist Church. He was an avid outdoorsman ,cattleman and farmer, and bear hunter, he enjoyed going on the wagon train and spending time with his mules.
In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by three brothers, Quinn, Kelly and Clifford Holcombe; two sisters, Stella and Nellie Holcombe; and two infant siblings.
Surviving are his wife of 28 years, Britta Phillips Holcombe; one son, Mark Holcombe of Sylva; one stepdaughter, Suzanne Young of Sylva; one sister, Lucy Grasty of Canton; one grandson; and four stepgrandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Fred Holcombe Scholarship Fund, Southwestern Community College Foundation, 447 College Dr., Sylva, NC 28779.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Joshua Lee
Joshua Eugene Bernhisel Lee, 26, of Whittier, died Sunday, March 16, 2008, at his residence.
Services were held at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at Yellowhill Baptist Church with the Revs. Red Bradley and Denny Crowe officiating.
Burial was in the church cemetery. Members of the Wolfetown stickball team were pallbearers.
A native of Swain County, he was a son of Violet Bernhisel Lee of Whittier and the late Glen D. Long. He was a construction worker, Baptist by faith and a member of the Wolfetown stickball team.
Surviving in addition to his mother are his wife, Angela Esquivel; three daughters, Emma Gene Bernhisel, Oliva Mae Bernhisel and Jaylynne Kay Esquivel, all of Cherokee; two stepdaughters, Kami Esquivel and Bryton Esquivel, both of Cherokee; and two brothers, Brandon W. Lee and Chad L. Bernhisel, both of Whittier.
Bryant-Grant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Claudine McDonald
Claudine Dillard McDonald, 61, of Sylva, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at Harris Regional Hospital after an extended illness.
Services were held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 21, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home with the Revs. Earl Holden and Mike Moore officiating.
Burial was in New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery.
A native of Jackson County where she lived most of her life, she worked in food service at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. A daughter of the late Britt Jefferson and Dora Brown Dillard, she was a member of New Hope Baptist Church.
Surviving are her husband of 44 years, Leslie Paul McDonald; two sons, Jeffery Paul McDonald and Stephen Craig McDonald, both of Sylva; one sister, Phyllis Young of Asheville; and one grandchild.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Jackson County Chapeter, P.O. Box 925, Sylva, NC 28779.
Pat Kirkpatrick
Mattie “Pat” Bates Kirkpatrick, 75, of Breeze Lane, Sylva, died unexpectedly Thursday, March 20, 2008, at Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.
Services were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home with the Revs. Roger Stewman and Larry Cagle officiating.
Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Robert, Russell and Randy Hill, Trent Kirkpatrick, Alan Hermes, and Mark Buchanan. Honorary pallbearers were Toby Painter and Harold Messer.
A native of Macon County, she had lived in Jackson County since 1962. She enjoyed cooking and game shows and she was an avid gardener and canner. She was a cook at The Jarrett House for several years and a member of Rockdale Baptist Church.
A daughter of the late Oliver J. Underwood and Margaret Dalrymple Bates, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Dewey Charles Kirkpatrick, who died in 1978; one sister, Nina Cates; and two grandchildren.
Surviving are three daughters, Linda Hill of North Pole, Alaska, Debbie Styles of Bryson City, and Kristi Hermes of Sylva; one son Monty Kirkpatrick of Sylva; one stepson, Jim Kirkpatrick of Sedro-Woolley, Wash.; one brother, Glenn Bates of Sedro-Woolley; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Ila Henson
Ila Bumgarner Henson, 104, of Fairview Road, Sylva, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at her residence after a period of declining health.
Services were held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at Love’s Chapel United Methodist Church, of which she was a lifelong member, with the Rev. Dan Stiles officiating.
Burial was in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were John Owens, Ronnie and Tony Bumgarner, Sam Whitaker, Gilbert Atmip and Ernie Bumgarner.
Born in Bluefield, W. Va. on Feb. 26, 1904, she was a daughter of the late Minnie Hester Nunn Bumgarner and Rufus Oscar Bumgarner, she had lived most of her life in Jackson County’s Fairview community. She was the last surviving member of the old Sylva High School’s class of 1922. She received her teaching certificate and taught school for five years at various schools throughout Jackson County.
She taught piano lessons at her home from 1948 until 1971, as well as music lessons at Glenville, Cashiers and Log Cabin schools. She played piano and organ at her church for more than 55 years, starting at the age of 14 on the old pump organ that is still located in the church.
In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, William Grady Henson, who died in 1971; and one sister, Love Bumgarner Kilpatrick.
Surviving are one daughter, Jeanne Henson Bumgarner of Sylva; and two grandsons.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Isabell Coffey
Isabell Farmer Coffey, 83, of Sylva, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at Skyland Care Center after an extended illness.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Lois Burch
Lois Edwards Burch, 71, of Hayesville, died Friday, March 21, 2008, in a Union County, Ga., hospital.
Services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 24, in the Chapel of Ivie Funeral Home, with the Revs. Jackie Sellers and Harry Hawk officiating.
Burial was in Ledford’s Chapel Cemetery. Pallbearers were Denny Patterson, Matt Lambert, Darren Cook, Todd Merchant, Josh Best and Josh Lambert.
A native of Jackson County, she had lived most of her life in Hayesville. A daughter of Louise Edwards of Hayesville, formerly of Whittier, and the late Alton Edwards, she was a retired school teacher, having worked 30 years with the Clay County School System. She was a member of the N.C. Teacher’s Association and Ledford’s Chapel United Methodist Church.
Surviving in addition to her mother are her husband, Bobby S. Burch; three daughters, Pam Patterson and Kristi Cook, both of Hayesville, and Kellie Lambert of Peachtree City, Ga.; one sister, Janie E. Merchant of Conover; and eight grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Ledford’s Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery, c/o Betty Jane Ashe, 285 W.J. Cabe Road, Hayesville, NC 28904 or to Hayesville Elementary School, 72 Elementary Dr., Hayesvile, NC 28904.
An online registry is available at www.iviefuneralhome.com.
Floy Digh
Floy Wenonah Whitetree Digh, 91, of Cherokee, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008, in Bryson City Living Center.
Services were held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 20, at Macedonia Baptist Church, with the Revs. Wayne Carson and James Sneed officiating.
Burial was in Jarrett Blythe Cemetery.
A native of Cherokee, she was an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She graduated from high school in Flint, Mich., in 1936, before returning to Cherokee with her family, which owned several businesses. During World War II, she worked in Oak Ridge, Tenn. After returning to Cherokee, she operated the Cherokee Bus Station for several years and was a well-known business woman on the Qualla Boundary. She also worked for the tribe from 33 years as an English clerk and in tribal operations before retiring in 1989.
She was an active member of the Cherokee Historical Association, NAIWA, Lions Club, Painttown Community Club and various other organizations such as Fall Festival and PTA and was a volunteer at Soco Head Start.
A daughter of the late Alva and Floy Burgess Whitetree, she was also preceded in death by two brothers, Johnny and Alva Jr.
Surviving are one son, Buddy Cooper of Cherokee; one daughter, Rosalee Robinson of Cherokee; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
An online registry is available at www.crispfuneralhome.org.
Lymon Powell
Lymon Ashley Powell, 82, of Tuckasegee, died Friday, Feb. 29, 2008, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at Tuckasegee Baptist Church.
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