Morrow Lee Tritt

Morrow Lee Tritt, 75, of Yellow Mountain Road, Glenville died Sunday, March 14, 2010, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Services were held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, in the chapel of Appalachian Funeral Services with the Rev. Shane Danner officiating.

Born March 2, 1935, in Tuckasegee, he was the son of the late Roy and Fannie Morrow Tritt. He was a Jackson County magistrate and owned several business in Jackson County during his lifetime. He was a member of Sylva First United Methodist Church and an honorary member of the Sylva Fire Department.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters.

Surviving are his wife of 54 years, Audrey Jones Tritt; three daughters, Laura Allen of Asheville, Debbie Bell of Creedmoor, and Beverly Barron of Somerset, Ky.; one son, Lee Tritt of Sylva; three sisters, Columbine Middleton of Mt. Airy, Md., Robinette Lasley of Palm Springs, Calif., and Marcelle Moore of Winter Haven, Fla; and eight grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sylva Fire Department.

An online registry is available at www.appalachianfuneralservices.com.

Cathy McMahan Hall, 58, of Wasilla, Alaska, died March 4, 2010, at her residence.

Services will be held at a later date.

Born Feb. 24, 1952, in Sylva, she was the daughter of Blanch Moore of Sedro Woolley, Wash., and the late Dee Lloyd “Red’ McMahan.

In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, Lawrence and Susie McMahan; and her grandmother, Otha Parker Cook.

Surviving in addition to her mother are one daughter, Tina Hall of Wasilla; one son, Russell Hall of Wasilla; three brothers, Dale McMahan, Dee Allen McMahan and Stan McMahan, all of Sedro Woolley; her stepfather, Frank Moore Jr., of Sedro Woolley; and three grandsons.

Susie Douthit Gasaway, 77, of High Point, died Sunday, March 14, 2010, at Skyland Care Center.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home with the Rev. Chris Rumfelt officiating.

A native of Macon County, she was the daughter of the late Clifton and Nola Douthit. She lived in High Point until September.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Robert R. Gasaway, and three brothers, Howard, Sterling and Roger.

Surviving are one son, Stephen Gasaway of High Point; one daughter, Nancy Upton of High Point; four brothers. C.G. Douthit of High Point, Oscar Douthit of Horse Shoe, Ronnie Douthit of Topton, and Bennie Douthit of Franklin; and two grandchildren.

Georgia Lillian Brown, 91 of Whittier’s Barkers Creek community died Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center.

Services were held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11, in the chapel of Melton Funeral Home with the Revs. Clark Sheffield and Morris Tippett officiating.

Burial was in Locust Field Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was born Jan. 13, 1919, to the late Hershell and Donna Messer Brown.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.

Surviving are one son, Jerry D. Brown of Whittier; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Marrian Lee Costello, 90, of Cashiers, died Friday, March 12, 2010, at Elizabeth House, Flat Rock.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Grace Naomi Allison, 94, of Cherokee, died Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at Tsali Care Center.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 14, at Qualla Wesleyan Church with the Rev. Cody Lambert officiating.

Burial was in Birdtown Cemetery.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Bessie Murphy Sexton, 66, of Cherokee’s Birdtown community, died Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 12, at Bethabara Baptist Church, of which she was a member, with the Rev. Mitchell Smiley officiating.

Burial was in Birdtown Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Cherokee, she was a daughter of the late Luther and Elnora Ledford Murphy.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by three brothers, Joe, Jess, and Jim Murphy.

Surviving are her husband, Shawn Sexton; three daughters, Debra Slee and Nancy Brown, both of Cherokee, and Joyce Justice of South Carolina; three sons, James Rose Sr., Thomas Myers and Daniel Myers, all of Cherokee; three sisters, Katherine Crisp, Roberta Murphy and Janice Jones, all of Cherokee; and two brothers, David Murphy and Gene Brindle, both of Cherokee; 15 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Crisp Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Kenneth Gerald Holland, 58, of Spring Lane, Clyde, died Thursday, March 11, 2010.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 15, 2010, in New Hope Baptist Church, of which he was a member, with the Revs. Mike Moore, Brandon Breedlove and Lewis Gibson officiating.

Burial was in the church cemetery with Masonic rites conducted by Pigeon River Masonic Lodge 386, of which he was a member.

A native of Franklin, he was the son of the late Kenneth and Betty Holland. He enjoyed gospel singing and sang with the Under Grace Trio. He was an auto mechanic.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Leann Holland.

Surviving are his wife of 14 years, Sheena Bryson Holland; one daughter, April Ward of Clyde; four sons, Jeremy Holland of Waynesville, Tim Queen of Hendersonville, Adam Queen of Boston, Mass., and Matt Queen of High Point; two sisters, Sandra Breedlove and Polly Bradley, both of Franklin; and seven grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.

An online registry is available at www.meltonfhsylva.com.

William Gifford Webb, Sr., 76, of Balsam View Drive, Balsam, died Friday, March 12, 2010.

Crawford/Ray Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Norman Lewis Willett, 57, of Bryson City, died Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Hermitage, Dillsboro.

Private services will be held at a later date.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Madge Parker Ensley, 92 of Monteith Branch, Sylva, died Friday, March 12, 2010, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 14, at Scotts Creek Baptist Church with the Revs. J.D. Grant and Eddie Stillwell officiating.

Burial was in Old Field Cemetery. Pallbearers were Trent Dillard, Jimmy Parker, Larry Parker, David Shuler, Andy Parker and Scott Buchanan.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was born April 23, 1917, to the late Erastus and Barbara “Teole” Stephens Parker. She was active in her church and taught Sunday School for 53 years.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Olin Ensley, in 2004.

Memorials may be made to Scotts Creek Baptist Church, 97 Steeple Rd., Sylva NC 28779.

An online registry at is available at www.meltonfhsylva.com.

Samuel Perry Hyatt, 101, of Asheville, died Sunday, March 14, 2010.

Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 21, at Shoal Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Stephenson Jamison officiating.

The family will receive friends for 30 minutes prior to the service.

Pallbearers will be Russell Hyatt, Stan Cotten, Rich Byers, Ralph Johnson, Phillip Davis and Brandon Moore. Honorary pallbearers will be Joseph Cotten, Donald Bunn, Ray Kinsland, William Rogers Shelton, John Hyatt, James Hyatt, Eric Hyatt, Charles Hyatt, Gregory Hockman and William Hockman.

Born Jan. 27, 1909, in Whittier, he was a son of the late Rev. and Mrs. John L. Hyatt. He grew up in Jackson and Haywood counties. He received a teaching certificate from Cullowhee State Normal School and began teaching in 1926 at a lumber camp in what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee. He continued taking classes in Cullowhee and received an associate degree in 1930. He received a bachelor’s degree in education in 1939 from Western Carolina Teachers College and a master of arts in education from Western Carolina College in 1958. He was the oldest living graduate of what is now Western Carolina University.

He served as principal of several schools, including in Proctor and Cashiers, before accepting a teaching position in 1941 with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He was appointed Agricultural Extension Agent for the Cherokee Indian Reservation in 1943 and was instrumental in the early development of the Cherokee Boys Club and in training Cherokee veterans of World War II in profitable farming practices.

He was named principal of Cherokee Central School in 1946 and was appointed principal of the newly created Cherokee Elementary School in 1957. Upon his retirement in 1969, he received an award from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 75 years, Mursetis Young Hyatt, who died in 2007.

Surviving are one son, Robert Hyatt; two daughters, Theresa Cotten and Frances Hockman; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association, 135 Parkinson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Dorothy Belle Vorous, 91, of Sylva, died Thursday, March 4, 2010, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.