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She was a newspaper reporter, freelance photographer and writer. She began her writing career from home covering society beats of the Pompano Beach, Fla., area. In Western North Carolina she worked for various newspapers, including the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Jackson Tribune, and contributed to The Sylva Herald.
One of her most interesting careers was working for nine years as a secretary for the team now known as the Texas Rangers.
She had worked as a substitute teacher in Jackson County since 1980. She attended Broward Junior College, where she studied music education and journalism.
She was an active community volunteer with such organizations as Cullowhee-Sylva Kiwanis, REACH of Jackson County, the Golden Age Club and the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. In 1998, she was named Kiwanian of the Year.
As a musician and gospel singer, she loved to sing in church. She was a soloist at the Community Bible Church in Highlands and the Cullowhee Presbyterian Church. She was a firm believer in "using the talents God gave you, or they will be taken away."
In 1998 for her performance of the famous Glenn Miller song "In the Mood," she brought back to Sylva a silver medal from the Silver Arts division of the Senior Games in Raleigh.
Once, when somebody asked her how she would like to be remembered, she replied,"I'd like them to say, 'There goes a lady who walked with the Lord.'"
Surviving are one son, James Robert Nowlin of Cullowhee; one daughter and son-in-law, Jacqui Jean and Jim Rowe of Tuckasegee; three grandchildren, Katie Jean del Bosque of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Christopher "Ian" Cotterman of Sylva and Harmony Louise Soesbee of Candler; four sisters, Violet Bricker of Springfield, Ill., Barbara Jensen of Lansing, Mich., Gloria Conroy of Stone Mountain, Ga., and Carolyn Headly of Houghton, Mich; and two brothers, Dale Westfall of Haines, City, Fla., and Bill Westfall of Prescott, Mich.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Howard Cloer
Lawrence "Howard" Cloer, 71, of Clayton, Ga., died Tuesday, Dec. 26, in a Rabun County hospital.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, in the chapel of Macon Funeral Home. The Revs. Bobby Cloer and Andy Cloer officiated. Burial was in Sylva¹s Old Field Cemetery.
A native of Macon County, he was a son of the late John C. Cloer and Laura McCracken Cloer. He had lived in Rabun County for the past 30 years.
He was preceeded in death by one sister, Helen Ensley; and three brothers, Albert, Johnny and Glenn Cloer.
Surviving are one sister, Annie Ledford Cloer of Franklin; and one brother, the Rev. Bill Cloer of California.
Larry Bryson
Larry Neal Bryson, 61, of Cummings, Ga., died Wednesday, Dec. 27.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, in the Lawrenceville Chapel of Tim Stewart Funeral Home. Burial was in Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.
A native of Sylva, he was retired from the state of Georgia. He served in the U.S. Army and was preceded in death by his parents, James and Margie Bryson.
Surviving are his wife, Janet Bryson; one son, Neal Bryson of Lawrenceville, Ga.; five brothers, James Bryson of Liberty, S.C., Jerry Bryson of Cummings, Ga., Phillip Bryson of Commerce, Ga., Carroll Bryson of Duluth, Ga., and Lyndon Bryson of Chamblee, Ga.; and two sisters, Gene Dyer of Hazelwood and Madge Dempsey of Letart, W.Va.
Fay Golden
Fay M. Golden, 86, of Shook Cove Road, Tuckasegee, died Thursday, Dec. 28, at Harris Regional Hospital after a brief illness.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Carl Smith officiated. Burial was in Shook Cove Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jason Nicholson, Paul Graham, Alden Middleton, Berlin Middleton, Bill Messer and Benny Messer.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Cedar Baptist Church (formerly Rocky Holler Baptist Church). She was the daughter of the late Daniel Layfate and Julia Ann Middleton Shook and wife of the late William Golden.
She was preceded in death by four brothers; John Shook, Albert Shook, Ray Shook, and Dee Shook; and three sisters Florence Shook, Mae Shook, and Laura Haskett.
Several nieces and nephews survive.
Ellen Deitz
Ellen Jones Deitz, 81, of Sylva, died Monday, Dec. 25.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. Melvin Brooks and Michael Carter officiated. Burial was in New Savannah Cemetery.
A native and resident of Jackson County until moving to Enka in 1970, she was the daughter of the late Tom and Lula Bradley Jones. She was the wife of the late Holmes Deitz.
Surviving are one daughter, Rhonda Wray of Ocala, Fla.; and two grandsons.
Ellen Schultz
Ellen Davis Shultz, 92, of Barkers Creek Community, Whittier, died Friday Dec. 29, at Autumn Care Center, Waynesville.
Funeral Services were held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. Burial was at Barkers Creek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Kevin Rogers, Michael Schultz, Keith Clark, Stephen Bradley, Bobby Green and Ron Schultz.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Jehovah¹s Witness. She was a daughter of the late Nelson and Dezzy Davis of Whittier, and the wife of the late Luther Shultz of Gastonia.
She was preceded in death by two grandsons; one great-grandson; six brothers, Troy, Lewis, Lee, Ellis, Howard and Walter Davis; and one sister, Bessie Beck.
Surviving are one brother, Homer Davis of Troy, Mont.; two sons, Bill Shultz of Homestead, Fla., and Charles Shultz of Castalia; four daughters, Marjorie Frady of Waynesville, Geneva Bradley of Alapaha, Ga., Ruth Greene of Murphy, and Mary Proctor of Belmont; 17 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 18 great-great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Barkers Creek Cemetery Fund, c/o Doris Brooks, 277 Beech Tree Road, Whittier, N.C. 28789.
Vernia Gillespie
Vernia lnglis Gillespie, 82, of Mystic Lane, Sylva, died Saturday, Dec. 30, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center after a period of declining health.
A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Dr. John Bunn officiated. Pallbearers were Miles Calhoun, Charles Daves, Clyde Vance, Jack Farmer, David Gillespie, Greg Gillespie and Scott LaRonde. Burial will be with many members of her family at her childhood church.
While living in Miami, she worked with Dade County Public Schools. In Sylva, she was a lunchroom supervisor for Jackson County Schools. Later she joined her husband, George, in operating the Fruit Stand on Main Street.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
She was next to youngest of nine children, two of which survive her, Mary I. Gillespie of Jacksonville, Fla., and ldus A. lnglis of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Also surviving are one son, G. Lance Gillespie of Bryson City; one daughter, Marilyn LaRonde of Austin, Texas; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ebenezer Methodist Church, P.O. Box 603, Clarksville, Ga. 30527.
James Johnson
James Fred Johnson, 47, of Jurassic Drive, Glenville, died Saturday, Dec. 30, at his residence.
A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, at Hamburg Baptist Church. The Revs. Art Fowler and Lester Sutton officiated.
A native of St. Louis County, Mo., he was a former resident of Lancaster, S.C., and had lived in Glenville for the past six months. He was employed as a concrete finisher in construction. He was the son of the late James Forrest and Catherine Bryson Johnson.
Surviving are two sons, Matthew Derrick Johnson of Cashiers and Justin Bernard Crouse of Charlotte; one daughter, Courtney Kaye Johnson of Waxhaw; and two sisters, Dottie Fisher of Waxhaw and Eugenia J. Henson of Lancaster, S.C.
Charles Buchanan
Charles Ray Buchanan, 48, of Little Savannah Road, Sylva, died unexpectedly Saturday, Dec. 30.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Eddie Stillwell will officiate. Burial will be at Stillwell Cemetery.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a son of the late Arthur H. Buchanan Sr.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Marion Lee Buchanan and Joan Buchanan.
Surviving are his mother, Eva F. Buchanan of Sylva; and two brothers, Arthur Buchanan Jr. of Sylva and David L. Buchanan of Miniola, Texas.
The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, at Moody Funeral Home.
Julia Moore
Julia Baye Bumgarner Moore, 91, of Sylva, died Saturday, Dec. 30, while a resident of Skyland Care Center.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, in the Chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Loy Kennedy will officiate. Burial will be at Fairview Memorial Gardens.
A lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a daughter of Thaddeus Bowman and Laura Stewart Bumgarner. She attended school in Jackson County and was a lifelong member of Speedwell United Methodist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, James Edgar Moore; four sisters, Ethel Bumgarner, Lucy Bumgarner Holden, Mae Bumgarner Pressley and Maude Bumgarner Hooper; three brothers, Edgar Bumgarner, Alvin Bumgarner and James Olin Bumgarner; and two children, Betty Jo Ward and Lane H. Moore.
Surviving are one brother, Fred Bumgarner; four sons, James R. Moore of Las Vegas, Nev., Russell Moore of Cornelius, Stephen Moore of Charlotte and Douglas Moore of Franklin; two daughters, Jean Dinsmore of Las Vegas and Elizabeth Ann Amster of Gaffney, S.C.; 20 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Speedwell United Methodist Church, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at Moody Funeral Home.
Roxanna Geeslin
Roxanna Higdon Geeslin, 50, of Sylva, died Thursday, Dec. 28, at Tsali Care Center.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 5, at Wesleyanna United Methodist Church in Sylva. The Rev. Dan Stiles will officiate.
A native of Greensboro, she was a homemaker and of the Presbyterian faith.
Surviving are her parents, Woodrow and Helen Gibbs Higdon; two sons, Will Geeslin of Los Angeles and Thomas Geeslin of Cuba, Ala.; one daughter, Elizabeth Geeslin of Cuba, Ala.; and one brother, Mitchell Higdon of Des Palines, Ill.
Memorials may be made to WestCare Hospice.
Macon Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Samuel Crutchfield
Samuel Eugene Crutchfield, 41, of Bryson City, died Wednesday, Dec. 27, in Wake Forest Medical Center in Wintson-Salem from Cushings Disease.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, in the chapel of Crisp Funeral Home. The Rev. Tim Hayes officiated. Burial was in Bryson City Cemetery.
A native of Macon County, he had lived most of his life in Swain County. He was a Swain County High School graduate and a graduate of UNC-Charlotte. He was an employee of the N.C. Department of Transportation. He was the son of Martha Hyatt Crutchfield of Bryson City and Ansil L. Crutchfield of Cherokee.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Hiram and Dolly Byrd Crutchfield, and maternal grandparents, D.E. "Gene" and Ruth E. Hyatt.
In addition to her parents, surviving are his wife, Kim Robertson Crutchfield; two daughters, Alyssa and Jenna Crutchfield, both of the home; his stepmother, Janice Crutchfield of Cherokee; and one half-brother, Christopher Crutchfield of Cherokee.
John Summerlin
John R. Summerlin of Cashiers died Wednesday, Jan. 3, at Harris Regional Hospital.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.
Wilma Conner
Wilma Hooper Conner, 58, of Love Avenue, Sylva, died Wednesday, Dec. 27, in Mountain View Manor Nursing Center after an extended illness.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell and Sherrill Ammons officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens.
A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Wilkesdale Baptist Church and daughter of the late Vernon and Edna Lanning Hooper.
Surviving are her husband, Alvin Conner; three sons, Charles and Johnathan Conner, both of Sylva, and Clifton Conner of Leighton, Pa.; three sisters, Mildred Pressley of Waynesville, Ruth Robertson of Harper Heights, Texas, and Judy Griffin of High Point; two brothers, Joe Hooper of Glenville and Aldridge Hooper of High Point; and one granddaughter.
Clarence Dillard
Clarence Harold Dillard of Jim Sellers Road, Sylva, died Tuesday, Jan. 2, in Harris Regional Hospital.
Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.
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