Obituary Information

When possible, obituaries should be sent to the Herald from the funeral home. Information received will be placed in our standard obituary format.

We publish names of the deceased's spouse, parents, grandparents, siblings and children; we also include the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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Obituaries - 01/18/01

Raymond Morgan

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, in the chapel at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Lester Sutton officiated. Burial was in Locust Field Baptist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers were Darrin Sutton, Charles Sutton, George Sutton, Ronnie Sutton, Steve Sutton and Tom Gentry.

A native of Jackson County, he lived most of his life. He was an automotive body specialist and son of Ann Snyder of Sylva and the late Raymond Glen Morgan.

He was preceded in death by his stepfather, Loren W. Snyder.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are a sister, Lorraine Snyder Sims of Franklin; and a brother, Loren W. Snyder of the home.

Memorials may be made to Locust Field Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Virginia Pangle, P.O. Box 99, Dillsboro, N.C. 28725.

Bonnie Parris

Graveside services were held at 2 p.m Saturday, Dec. 30, in Darrington Cemetery in Darrington, Wash.

A native of Jackson County's Wilmot community, she was a daughter of the late France B. and Mattie Lou Hensley Nations.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Hershell; two sisters, Mamie Jones and Ollie Ward; and two brothers, Charlie Nations and Samual Nations.

Surviving are three stepchildren, Pat, Leroy and Betty; two brothers, Troy Nations and Donald Nations; and one sister, Carrie Montieth.

Well Funeral Home in Arlington, Wash., was in charge of arrangements.

Bessie Mauldin

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15, in Milan Baptist Church. The Revs. Tommy Land, Raymond Dunn and Johnny McDuffie officiated. Burial was in Milan City Cemetery. Pallbearers were Neil Smith, Wendell Martin, Melvin Martin, Mickey Martin, Jack Shepherd, Sam Williams and Harry Ware. Honorary pallbearers were the Marie Conner Sunday school class of Milan Baptist Church.

A lifelong resident of Dodge County, Ga., she was a retired medical and X-ray technician. She had been a member of Milan Baptist Church since 1929, where she was director of Acteens and Girls Auxiliary. She was a member of the Pilot Club of Eastman, a member of the William Few Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy and the Go Go Club of McRae.

She was a daughter of the late R.C. Chambers and Bessie Cook Chambers and widow of the late Ervin Mauldin.

Surviving are a son, Gary E. Mauldin of Cullowhee; a sister, Waunelle C. Jackson of Hendersonville; and two granddaughters.

Cynthia Jackson

A memorial service was held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Edneyville.

A former resident of Jackson County, she was a native of Wales. She was the daughter of the late Richard and Gwendolyn Brooks Davies.

Surviving are three daughters, Dawn Zieba and Janet Hilliard, both of Etowah, and J'me Kinkaid of Sylva; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Lillian Bergida

Graveside services were held Sunday, Jan. 7, at New Montefiore Cemetery in New York.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., she was the wife of Irving Bergida, who died in 1970.

Surviving are two daughters, Hedy White of Cullowhee and Phyllis Lassman of Monroe Township, N.J.; two brothers, Edward Deutch and Barnet Deutch; and three grandchildren.

Woodrow Lossiah

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at Straight Fork Baptist Church, of which he was a member and Sunday school superintendent. The Revs. Tom Harris and James "Bo" Parris officiated. Burial was in the Lossiah Family Cemetery.

A native of Swain County, he was a son of the late John and Charlotte Welch Lossiah. He was an employee of the Cherokee Tribe for 35 years and was a former council member from Big Cove community, serving two different terms.

Surviving are his wife of 38 years, Velma Lossiah; three sons, Kirk, Maury and Anthony Lossiah, all of Cherokee; two daughters, Vanessa and Nancy Lossiah, both of Cherokee; three brothers, Jack, Noah and Willard Lossiah, all of Cherokee; four sisters, Martha Ross, Maggie Lossiah, Jane Taylor and Dorothy Thompson, all of Cherokee; and 10 grandchildren.

Crisp Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Rachel Houston

Funeral services were held Sunday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m. at Yellow Mountain Baptist Church. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell, Johnny Norris and Mike Fox officiated. Burial was at Buck Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Eldon Jamison and grandsons, Mark Hooper, Scott Hooper, Seth Houston and Jeff Houston, served as pallbearers.

A native of Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late Furber and Dovie Coggins Moss. She was married to William Sam Houston, who died in 1984. She was a homemaker and a member of Yellow Mountain Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by one daughter, Ella Mae McClure.

Surviving are five daughters, Wanda Houston of Sylva, Betty McClure of Highlands, Bernice Evitt of Franklin, Faye Sands of Hobesound, Fla., and Laverne Hooper of Pickens, S.C.; five sons, Clinton Houston, Ray Houston, Sammy Houston, Steve Houston and Vernon "Bud" Houston, all of Yellow Mountain; two sisters, Hazel McNair of Atlanta and Dolly Jennings of Franklin; two brothers, Herstel Moss and "Bud" Eldon Moss, both of Pine Creek; 22 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

Bryant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Allen Crowe

Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, at Sneed's Holly Bush Cemetery in Cherokee. The Rev. James Sneed officiated. Pallbearers are DeWayne Lossiah, Bobby Crowe, Michael Lambert, Timmy Ray Smith, Barry Reed and Darrell Crowe.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a member of Cherokee United Methodist Church and a veteran of the Korean Conflict, serving with the U.S. Navy. He was retired from the Hoover Corp. of Iuka, Miss.

He was preceded in death by his father, Gilbert Smith; two brothers, Dennis Smith and Robert Washington; and one granddaughter.

Surviving are his mother, Luzene Crowe Washington of Cherokee; three daughters, Carlotta Crowe and Christine Sluder, both of Cherokee, and Margaret Teesateskie of Robbinsville; one son, Jeffrey Crowe of Hazelwood; five brothers, Barry Robie, William Washington, Sammy Washington and Dennis Washington, all of Cherokee, and Perry Sequoah of Charlotte; seven sisters, Jackie Smith of Gaithersburg, Md., Kim Sequoah of California, Sarah Jane Wabagkeck, Mikado, Mich., and Mabel Parker, Nora McCoy, Betty Washington and Mary Ann Saunooke, all of Cherokee.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Don Fisher

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the chapel at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Ed Beddingfield officiated. Burial was in Old Field Cemetery. Pallbearers were Tommy and Brian McMahan, Kyle Clayton, Jimmy Lovin, Kevin Stein and Jerry Cook.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired from the N.C. Department of Corrections and was a member of Sylva First Baptist Church. He was a son of the late William and Jane Mills Fisher.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dallie Gunter Fisher, who died Dec. 23, 2000; three brothers, Frank, Carl and Dennis Fisher; one half-brother, Ranny Fisher; and one grandson.

Surviving are one daughter, Joyce Lovin of Sylva; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Together We Grow, c/o Sylva First Baptist Church, P.O. Drawer 1024, Sylva, N.C. 28779; or Old Field Cemetery Fund, c/o Scotts Creek Baptist Church, 67 Steeple Drive, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Marie Callahan

Funeral services were held at Uht Funeral Home in Westland, Mich., at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 12. Burial was at Glenwood Cemetery in Wayne, Mich.

A native of Sylva, she was the daughter of the late Freeman and Beulah Buchanan and wife of the late Floyd Callahan.

Surviving are one brother, Lester Buchanan of Cullowhee; one son, Bobby Powell of Wayne, Mich., two daughters, Gwenda Herron of Madison Heights, Mich., and Anita Townsend of Belleville, Mich.; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Ranzie Mathis

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, in the chapel of Moody-Connolly Funeral Home. The Rev. Tommy Owen officiated. Burial followed in Pisgah Gardens, with military graveside rites provided by the Brevard American Legion and VFW.

A native of Jackson County, he was a son of the late Baxter and Lozorra Alexander Mathis. He was a World War II U.S. Army veteran.

Surviving are his wife, Janet M. Mathis; two sons, Gene Mathis and Harold Mathis, both of Pisgah Forest; one brother, Uyless Mathis of Sylva; three sisters, Laurena Shelton of Sylva, Della Henderson of Franklin and Ella Mae Moss of Cashiers; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Edna Lanning

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan.13, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home, Sylva. The Rev. Benny Bagwell officiated. Burial will be at Hamburg Cemetery.

A native of Franklin, she had lived in Florida since 1955. She was a retired machine operator for Ben, Hill and Griffin Corp.

Surviving are her husband, Troy A. Lanning; her mother, Minnie J. Moses of Travelers Rest, S.C.; one son, Jerry Lanning of Brandon, Fla.; one daughter, Joann Walker of Lake Alfred, Fla.; three brothers, Thor Moses of Travelers Rest, S.C., James Moses of Franklin and Bill Moses of Marietta, S.C. ; two sisters, Elaine Norton of Pennsylvania and Mary Wojack of Travelers Rest, S.C.; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Evelyn Feaser

Surviving are one daughter, Marjorie Bruce of Glenville; and one son, David Feaser of Sheperdstown, W.Va.

Memorials may be sent to Child Evangelism Fellowship, P.O. Box 348, Warrenton, Mo. 63383.

John Bryson

Graveside services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, at Hamburg Baptist Church Cemetery. The Rev. Lester Sutton officiated.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a member of Trout Creek Baptist Church. He was the son of the late Theodore and Mary Tally Bryson.

Surviving are his wife, Edna S. Bryson; three sons, William Bryson, Willard Bryson and Buster Stubblefield, all of Glenville; one daughter, Pam Owen of Rosman; four sisters, Betty Matthews of Las Vegas, N.M., Louise Jennings, Joan Johnson and Sandy Bryson, all of Glenville; and three grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Charles Davis

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, in the chapel of Crisp Funeral Home. The Revs. Tom Harris and James "Bo" Parris officiated. Burial was in Whittier Cemetery.

A native of Swain County, he was the son of the late Jewel Davis and Bertha McLean Conrad.

Surviving are his wife, Irene Tolly Davis; two sons, Jeffery Ted Davis of Cherokee and Haven Davis of Whittier; one daughter, Mary Jenkins of Cherokee; two stepdaughters, Janie Faulk of Rock Hill, S.C., and Dale James of Clover, S.C.; one stepson, Jimmy Styles of Clover, S.C.; 11 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; eight step grandchildren; and three step great-grandchildren.

Emerson Cathey

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. today (Thursday) at Whittier United Methodist Church. The Revs. Terry Moore and Hal Finney will officiate. Burial will be at Thomas Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a member and lay leader of Whittier United Methodist Church. A retired builder, he was the son of the late John Wike and Selma Martin Cathey.

Surviving are his wife, Helen Thomas Cathey; two sons, Charles T. Cathey of Whittier and James E. Cathey of Orlando, Fla.; one sister, Jennie H. Cathey of Sylva; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Ruby Vinson

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. Paul Brooks and Lester W. Talley Jr. will officiate. Burial will be in Double Springs Church Cemetery.

A native of Rabun County, Ga., and a lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Whittier Church of God. She was a daughter of the late William P. Talley and Elizabeth Vinson, and wife of the late Nevils Andrew Vinson.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Sarah Passmore, and one grandson.

Surviving are one son, Lester Talley of Conyers, Ga.; two brothers, Leonard Talley of Rock Hill, S.C., and Raymond Talley of Columbia, S.C.; three sisters, Mamie Taylor and Rhoda Huckabee, both of Rock Hill, S.C., and Lavada Dunning of Hampton, Va.; four grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at Moody Funeral Home.

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