Obituaries - 01/06/00

Mary Coward

Mary Bost Coward, 95, of Floral Drive, Sylva, died Friday, Dec. 31, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral service were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Mark Sparks officiated. Burial was in Lower Coward Cemetery.

A native of Iredell County and a resident of Jackson County, she was a member of the Church of Christ, Sylva. She was a daughter of the late James Poke and Margaret Bost.

She was preceded in death by her brother, James Bost; and her sister, Vella Neill. Surviving are one son, Larry M. Coward of Dover, N.H.; one daughter, Martha Ward of Sylva; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Juanita Lawing

Juanita Lawing, 67, of Ensley Rest Home, Sylva, died Sunday, Jan. 2, in Skyland Care Center.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, at Long Branch Baptist Church. The Revs. Kenneth Carver and Charles Carnes officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late Tom and Cora Gates Lawing.

She was preceded in death by six sisters, Viola Mills, Jemima Sellers, Gladys Wilkey, Martha Hedgepath, Clara Mae Horne and Bessie Lee Blanton. Surviving are two sisters, Sina Crisp of Charlotte and Winnie Taylor of Gastonia. Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Lewis Anderson

A memorial service for Lewis "Luke" Anderson, who died Nov. 25, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at Cashiers United Methodist Church.

Following the service, a ceremony of scattering of ashes will be held at selected places in the area.

For more information, call Sherman Runions at 743-5380 or Ray Daniel at 743-5698.

Beatrice Payne

Beatrice G. Payne, 80, of Waynesville, died Sunday, Dec. 26, at Haywood Medical Center in Clyde.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 31, at Clarke Funeral Home in Toronto, Ohio. The Rev. Brad Burriss officiated. Burial was in Sugar Grove Cemetery near Empire, Ohio.

She was born in Melbourne, W.Va., a daughter of the late Madison Monroe and Martha Ann Farley Flanagan. A homemaker, she was a former resident of Toronto, Ohio, and attended the Abundant Life Assembly of God Church there.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey J. "Slim" Payne, who died in 1989; four brothers, Basil, Arvel and Harold Flanagan and Cecil Farley; and two sisters, Edna Emery and Sylvia Flanagan.

Surviving are one son, Carl Lee "Buck" Flanagan of Warwick, R.I.; four daughters, Barbara Ann Masters of Coshocton, Ohio, Cleona Mae Maxwell of Cherokee and Freda Kay Popivchak and Beatrice Juanita Tharp, both of Toronto, Ohio; one sister, Freda Hartline of Canton, Ohio; 15 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Cancer Clinic of Clyde.

Michael Stroot

Michael A. Stroot, 47, of Sylva, formerly of Bonne Terre, Mo., and Belleville, Ill., died Thursday, Dec. 23, at St. Frances Memorial Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo., from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

A memorial service will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sylva at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 8. A funeral mass was held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Belleville, Ill. The Rev. Jim Morgansen officiated. A memorial mass will be held in Sylva at a later date.

Since 1996 he was employed with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Jackson County as an agriculture and 4-H program assistant. He worked closely with Christmas tree growers and assisted in the horticulture programs for vegetable and fruit growers and horticulture issues for home owners. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sylva.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Elise Minor Stroot. Surviving are his wife, Marcia Marler Stroot; four sons, Nathan Stroot of Lee Summit, Mo., Abram Stroot of Belleville, Ill., and Jacob Stroot and Joel Stroot, both of Sylva; one daughter, Emily Stroot of Sylva; three brothers, David Stroot of Belleville, Ill., Russ Stroot of Shiloh, Ill., and Daniel Stroot of St. Peters, Mo.; one sister, Cheryl Green of Edwardsville, Ill.; and his father, Dennis Stroot.

Memorials may be made to Friends of the Smokies. For more information, call the Sugarlands Visitors Center at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Otelia Wood

Otelia Foxx Wood, 87, of Ensley's Adult Care Center in Sylva, died Sunday, Jan. 2, at Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Charles Dean, Clark Sheffield and Mike Farmer officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Grandsons and nephews were pallbearers.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she retired from C.J. Harris Hospital as a nursing assistant. She was a daughter of the late Grayson and Jane Gibbs Foxx and a member of New Hope Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Booth Wood; three sons, Bud, Glen and Kenneth; two grandchildren; one brother; and one sister.

Surviving are two daughters, Wanda Wood of Norfolk, Va., and Glenda McAliskey of Charlotte; two sons, Leonard A. Wood of Sylva and Lyndon R. Wood of Greenville, S.C.; five sisters, Minnie Reed of Enka, Hazel Butner of Hendersonville, Lettie Melton of Brevard, and Virginia Foxx and Ercie McConnell, both of Sylva; one brother, Ray Foxx of Greenville, S.C.; nine grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

Beulah Melton

Beulah H. Melton, 93, of Cabe Road, Sylva, died Saturday, Jan. 1, at Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home chapel. The Revs. Clifford Parker and Don Moffitt officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Grandsons were pallbearers.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Piney Mountain Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late George and Dealie Ashe Hoxit.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Claude Melton, who died in 1990. Surviving are three daughters, Louise Buchanan of Newberry, S.C., Ruth Brooks of Sylva and Wanda Tallent of Franklin; six sons, Howard and Glenn Melton, both of Sylva, Burder Melton of Phyllis, Ky., Grady Melton of Eureka, Calif., and Kelly and Wayne Melton, both of Franklin; three sisters, Nora Lee Cowan and Ila McConnell, both of Webster, and Azalee Painter of Washington; a brother, George Walter Hoxit of Brooking, Ore.; 30 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; 16 great-great-grandchildren.

Lemmer Mills

Lemmer McFalls Mills, 88, of Cullowhee's Moses Creek community, died Saturday, Jan. 1, at her residence after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, at Moses Creek Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Earl Holden, L.H. Mathis and Dillard Moore officiated. Burial was in Hooper Cemetery. Grandsons were pallbearers.

A native of Hiawassee, Ga., she lived most of her life in Jackson County. She was a daughter of the late Arter and Hassletine Berry McFalls.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Elihue Mills, who died in 1997; a son, Manuel Mills; and two brothers. Surviving are four daughters, Helen Mills Snyder of Whittier, Evelyn Hoxit of Sylva, and Opal Bryson and Diann Shook, both of Cullowhee; one son, Roy Mills of Cullowhee; one sister, Annie Pearl Gunter of Cullowhee; one brother, Bud McFalls of Sylva; 27 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Thomas Keener

Thomas "Tom" Wayne Keener, 97, Cherokee, died Tuesday, Dec. 28, at his residence in Birdtown community.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, at Bethabara Baptist Church. The Revs. Ray Lambert and Dan Lambert officiated. Military graveside rites were conducted in the Birdtown Cemetery. Pallbearers were grandsons.

A native and lifelong resident of Cherokee, he was an Army veteran and member of the American Legion Post 143, and a retired farmer.

Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Mary Lambert Keener; six sons, Wayne, David and Richard, all of Cherokee, Troy of Bryson City, and Tommy and Johnny, both of San Diego, Calif.; three daughters, Ruth Hyatt of Leicester, Nancy Forrester of Highlands and Carolyn Junaluska of Cherokee; two step sons, Gilbert and Clyde Smith; one brother, James Penn Keener of Whittier; three sisters, Susan Ellingwood and Emma Keener, both of Canton, and Nancy Morgan of Newport, Tenn.; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Virginia Herberg

Virginia Herberg, 75, of Dillsboro, died Thursday, Dec. 30, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center in Sylva following a lengthy illness.

Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at Sylva First United Methodist Church. The Rev. Joe Fulk will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service. Born in Bamberg, S.C., she worked as an operator and teller for Southern Bell in Augusta, Ga., Jacksonville, Fla., and St. Augustine, Fla., retiring in 1976. She was active in the Order of Eastern Star and was a square dancer.

She and her husband, Jim, moved to Dillsboro in 1989. She was the daughter of the late Marion Albert Royal Sr. and Mamie V. Morris Royal.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Marion Albert Royal Jr. Surviving are her husband, Aaron James Herberg; one son, Lt. Cmdr. James Lerdy Herberg, USNR of Charlotte; one daughter, Dr. Erin Virginia Herberg of Atlanta; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Lewis Rathbun Wellness Center, 121 Sherwood Road, Asheville, N.C. 28803.

George Mallonee Sr.

George R. Mallonee Sr. of Sylva, formerly of Candler, died Monday, Jan. 3, in Mountain Trace Nursing Center.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) at Montmorenci United Methodist Church in Candler. The Rev. Terry R. Duckworth will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

A native of Buncombe County, he was a son of the late C.D. and Myrtle Eva Gaston Mallonee. He was married to the late Virginia N. Mallonee. He was also preceded in death by brothers Tom, Clendennon and Ed; and sisters, Eva Mallonee, Margaret Duggan and Emily Dillard.

He attended Duke University and was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, having served with his brother, Perry, with the SeeBees in the South Pacific. He was former co-owner of the Mallonee Brothers Grocery Store in Candler and worked for 42 years at American Enka. He was a former member of Montmorenci United Methodist Church, Candler, and more recently, Sylva United Methodist Church, where he had lived for 25 years. He was active in the Methodist Men.

Surviving are one son, G. Russell Mallonee Jr. of Candler; two brothers, Gaston "Russ" Mallonee of High Point and Perry Mallonee of Candler; and one stepdaughter, Jane Choate of Hickory. The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the church and request that memorials be made to the Montmorenci United Methodist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 610, Candler, N.C. 28715.

Groce Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Edith Smith

Edith Mercedes Earley Smith, 90, of Bright Mountain Road, Cullowhee, died Friday, Dec. 31, in Highlands-Cashiers Hospital.

Bryant Funeral Home will announce arrangements.

Wallace Ford

Wallace Ford of North Point Road, Sylva, died Tuesday, Jan. 4, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Henry Prince

Henry Prince of Cullowhee's Caney Fork community died Tuesday, Jan. 4, in High Point. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 7, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Chris Wayne Southern will officiate. Burial will be in Lower Coward Cemetery.

A native of Jackson County, he had lived in High Point since 1960. He retired from Highland and Oakdale Cotton Mill. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was a son of the late Sylvester James and Clearsy Nicholson Prince.

He was preceded in death by one son, Leon Prince; and his wife, Bertha Mae Queen Prince, who died in 1981. Surviving are one daughter, Martha Overcash of Thomasville; two sons, Kenneth Gordon Prince of Michigan and Clarance Edwin Prince of Thomasville; two sisters, Mary Jane Queen of Cullowhee and Ella McCoy of Sylva; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at the funeral home.