Obituary Information

When possible, obituaries should be submitted to The Herald from the funeral home in charge of arrangements. Information received will be printed in our standard obituary format. As is the case with all information submitted to The Herald, we reserve the right to edit obituary information to fit our standard format.

We publish names of the deceased's children; we also include the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We do not include in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews or special friends.

Included in a brief history of the deceased is items such as their employment, professional, civic, community and religious affiliations. We omit personal tributes.

To publish a more detailed obituary or one in another format, the announcement can run as a paid advertisement.

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Obituaries - 01/23/03

Robert Owl

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the residence. The Rev. Merritt Youndeer officiated. Burial was in the family cemetery. Pallbearers were Charlie Edwards, Truitt McCall, Joey Taylor, Don Kersey, Jim Bird and John Bird.

A native of Swain County, he was a son of the late Quincey Adam Owl and Winnie Mae Junaluska Cole. He was a shuttle bus driver for Harrah's Cherokee Casino and a member of Cherokee Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Thomas Jay Owl and John Quincey Owl.

Surviving are his wife of 34 years, Nell Stephens Owl; two sons, Jason Sequoyah Owl of Cherokee and Gerrelle Owl of Hendersonville; two daughters, Lola Blankenship of Cherokee and Linda Arch of Cherokee; one sister, Dinah Oocumma of Cherokee; two brothers, Soloman David Owl of Cherokee and William Eugene Owl of Cherokee; 23 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Crisp Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mae Nations

Funeral service were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Harry Vance and Larry Nations officiated. Burial was in Nations Creek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Curley, Clay and David Nations and Tim, Rex and Max Haynes. Honorary pallbearer was Greg Gibson.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Rockdale Baptist Church and a daughter of the late James and Sallie Gunter Dills. She was the wife of Charlie Nations, who died in 1980.

She was preceded in death by one son, James Nations; two brothers; six sisters; and one granddaughter.

Surviving are five daughters, Patsy Haynes, Peggy Gibson and Eula Denny, all of Whittier, and Margaret Nations and Rebecca Sue Nations, both of the home; five sons, Paul Nations of Piedmont, S.C., Arthur Nations of Mt. Vernon, Wash., and Edward Nations, Johnny Nations and Roger Nations, all of Whittier; one sister, Inez Dills of Cullowhee; 27 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Nations Creek Cemetery Fund, 14 Gloryland Way, Whittier, N.C. 28789.

Nicholas Bumgarner

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Dennis Burrell, Eddie Stillwell and Earl Holden officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Bobby Watson, Stanley Queen, Bryan Hooper, Craig Burrell, Tim Norris and Steve Bumgarner.

He was a native and lifelong resident of Jackson County. He was a molder operator with Franklin Lumber and Kiln Co., a 1998 graduate of Smoky Mountain High School and attended Southwestern Community College. He attended Calvary Baptist Church and Unity Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Mary Lucille Bumgarner.

Surviving are his wife of 2 1/2 years, Jane Carla Burrell Bumgarner; one daughter, Jessica Casey Bumgarner of the home; one son, Jared Cameron Bumgarner of the home; parents, Roy E. Bumgarner of Cullowhee and Susie Cogdill Bumgarner of Sylva; father and mother-in-law, Carlton and Sherry Robinson Burrell of Sylva; grandfather, Eulas Bumgarner of Cullowhee; grandparents, the Rev. Jim and Annie Cogdill of Sylva; and two sisters, Amy M. Bumgarner of Sylva and Ashley Ann Queen of Tuckasegee.

Sally Stiwinter

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Yellow Mountain Baptist Church. The Revs. Keith Ashe, Johnny Norris, Mike Fox and Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Stewart Cemetery.

A native of Macon County, she lived in Jackson County most of her life and was a daughter of the late Parker and Arizona Parker Blackburn. She was a member of Yellow Mountain Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher and choir member.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John G. Stiwinter, who died in 1979; five sisters, Della Hooper, Zelma Passmore, Ivey Dills, Ruth Blackburn and Alice Blackburn; and two brothers, Authur and Roy Blackburn.

Surviving are two daughters, Patricia Ann Gaulden of Rock Hill, S.C., and Sandra Hooper of Athens, Tenn.; one son, John Randall Stiwinter of Black Mountain; two sisters, Ida Mae Norris and Bertha Moss, both of Cullowhee; one brother, Howard Blackburn of Cullowhee; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Howard Fisher

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell, Tony McCall and Bo Brown officiated. Burial was in Addie Cemetery with military rites conducted by the U.S. Navy and Sylva American Legion Post 104.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, retired logger and U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was the son of the late Sam and Josephine Mathis Fisher.

Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Earlean Paris Fisher; one daughter, Patricia Ann Oliver of Canton; two sons, Hal Cecil Fisher of Whittier and Clifton Eugene Fisher of Cullowhee; four sisters, Bethel "Totsy" Rumfelt and Gertie Arp, both of Gastonia, Edith Blanton of Sylva and Gladys Hoyle of Balsam; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Addie Cemetery Fund, c/o Shirley Beasley, 344 Lee St., Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Baxter White

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Floyd's Creek Baptist Church. The Revs. Shane Kirby and Dr. Jim Diehl officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery.

A native of Rutherford County, he was the son of the late Franklin Esper and Samantha Pinson White.

A retired farmer, he was owner of White's Poultry, Mountain View Dairy and several other farming enterprises. He was a member of Rutherford County Cattlemen's Association and an honorary member of the Future Farmers of America at Chase High School. A former director of the Federal Land Bank, he was a director of Farm Bureau.

A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was the recipient of several campaign ribbons and battle stars in the European Theatre. He was a former deacon of Floyd's Creek Baptist Church, a church clerk and Sunday school teacher.

He was preceded in death by one step great-granddaughter and one step great-great-granddaughter.

Surviving are his wife, Janie B. White; one daughter, Marilyn Gray of Bryson City, co-publisher of The Sylva Herald, and her husband, Jim, publisher of The Sylva Herald; one son, Barry B. White of Edwards, Conn.; four grandchildren; three step grandchildren; six step great-grandchildren; and one step great-great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Rutherford County, P.O. Box 336, Forest City, N.C. 28043. Harrelson Funeral Home in Caroleen was in charge of arrangements.

Carl Denton

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. David Burch and Roy Burnette officiated. Burial was at Robinson Cemetery in Dillsboro. Pallbearers were Marty Ensley, Steve Ensley, Wesley Hall, Eric Hall, Casey Hall and Roland Mock.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was of Baptist faith. He retired from Dayco Southern in Hazelwood and was a drill sergeant with the U.S. Army during World War II.

He was a son of the late Dee and Cara Harris Denton.

Surviving are three daughters, Shirley Ensley of Sylva and Judy Shope and Connie Hall, both of Franklin; one sister, Eva Nell Ward of Whittier; three brothers, Gene Denton of Rainier, Ore., Lynn Denton of Christopher, Ill., and Harold Denton of Gadsden, Ala.; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Maude Reed

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the chapel of Waynesville First Baptist Church. The Revs. Bill Lovett and Joseph Morrison officiated. Burial followed in Sylva's Old Field Cemetery.

A native of Swain County, she was the daughter of the late Luther H. and Flora Ashe Baker.

She graduated from Almond High School and later from Western Carolina University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in primary education. She taught elementary education in Swain, Jackson and Haywood counties.

She was a member of Waynesville First Baptist Church and served as a Sunday school teacher in the senior department. She was a former member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church in Sylva.

She was also preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence T. Reed, who died in 1966; and three brothers, Harlan, Claude and L.H. Baker.

Surviving are two sons, H. Thomas Reed of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Charles B. Reed of Asheville; one sister, Dorothy M. Baker of Asheville; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorials be made to First Baptist Church of Waynesville, P.O. Box 690, Waynesville, N.C. 28786.

Wells Funeral Home in Waynesville was in charge of arrangements. An online memorial register is available at "Obituaries" at www.wellsfun eralhome.com.

Elizabeth Fowler

No services are planned.

A native of Jackson County, she was the wife of the late Clyde Lee Fowler Sr. and daughter of the late Thomas E. and Lillie A. Buchanan.

She was preceded in death by two sons, Clyde Lee Fowler Jr. and Thomas Fowler.

Surviving are one sister, Selma; seven grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

An online memorial and guest registry is available at www.pemoody.com.

Fay Wells

She was born Oct. 15, 1908, in Minneapolis. A pilot for Curtiss Flying Service, she was one of four remaining charter members of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots. She was co-founder of The Forest of Friendship in Atchison, Kan., a tribute to aviation created by the Ninety-Nines as a gift to America during the bicentennial.

For her daring and bravery of parachuting from a disintegrating airplane, she was awarded membership in the Caterpillar Club, which had previously only been open to men.

During the early 1930s she accompanied her father, a mining engineer, to the Soviet Union, where she reported for the Herald Tribune and Associated Press on aviation matters. She was the first American woman to fly a Soviet airplane. In 1933, she helped with logistics for Wiley Post's first flight around the world.

In 1941, she and her husband went to Africa at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt, who sent them to find possible locations for a Jewish homeland. She and her husband covered news around the world for 40 years before settling in Virginia in 1963. Last year she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from American Women in Radio and Television in Washington, D.C.

For her last flight she flew an airplane on her 92nd birthday, landing at Elizabeth, N.J., during her high school class's 75th reunion.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Linton Wells.

Surviving are one son, Linton Wells II; one brother, Ken Gillis of Sylva; and two grandsons.

Memorials may be made to The Ninety-Nines' Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund, 7100 Terminal Drive, Box 965, Oklahoma City, Okla., 73159-0965; or to the International Forest of Friendship, P.O. Box 99AE, Atchison, Kan. 66602.

James Owen

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Charleys Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. Truett Owen will officiate. Burial will be at Bates Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. prior to the service at the church.

A native of Transylvania County, he worked most of his life as a logger in the timber industry. He was a member of Charleys Creek Baptist Church and son of the late Pearson Owen.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Sally McCall.

Surviving are his wife, Loveada Williams Owen; mother, Amanda Queen Owen of Sylva; stepson, James Daniel Scarbrough of Fletcher; five stepdaughters, Addie Scarbrough and Shelly Riddle, both of Fletcher, Ginger Fowler of Mills River, Marilyn Briggs of Fairview and Carolyn Riddle of Tuckasegee; one brother, Arvil Owen of Tuckasegee; three sisters, Imo Jean O'Steen of Brevard, Wilma Grant of Pisgah Forest and Billie Gravley of Brevard; and 10 grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. An online memorial and guest registry is available at www.pemoody.com.

Back to Archive: 01/23/03.