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.

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Obituaries - 01/30/03

Charles Buchanan

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. David Souderes officiated. Burial was in East Fork Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Steve Deitz, Sam Clemmons, John Lewis, Jan Buchanan, Ken Murray and Bruce Buchanan.

A native of Jackson County, he was a 1954 graduate of Webster High School, where he played basketball and was president of his senior class.

He was a radio broadcaster in Sylva, Asheville and Statesville in the late 1950s. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a broadcaster with the Armed Forces Network in Korea.

He attended Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College before going to work for Western Electronics and then Lucent Technologies for 39 years. During this time he served as a union mediation representative for the Communications Workers of America.

Surviving are his parents, C.F. and Emma Lee Deitz Buchanan of Sylva; one son, Rex Douglas Buchanan of Sylva; and one sister, Judy Buchanan Wittman of Charlotte.

Memorials may be sent to the Animal Compassion Network, P.O. Box 1704, Skyland, N.C. 28776.

Charles Harris

Services were held at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, at Moody Funeral Home.

A native of Coldwater, Mich., he lived in Anniston, Ala., for 24 years before retiring to Cullowhee in 1997. He began his 36-year career at Federal Mogul Corp. in Coldwater as a stock boy. In 1973, when the company moved its distribution center to Jacksonville, Ala., he transferred to Anniston. Before retiring, he had worked his way up to engineering manager. He worked for the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Surviving are his wife of 25 years, Patricia Gipson Harris; three sons, Albin Harris of Anniston, Andrew Harris of Atlanta and Blair Harris of Canton; one daughter, Debra Harris Snyder of Anniston; two sisters, Sue Harris Rands of West Bent, Wis., and Ann Harris Gonyea of Eden Prairie, Minn.; and one grandson.

Donations may be made to one's charity of choice.

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

Alonzo Woodard

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at Zion Hill Baptist Church. The Revs. Ernie Jamison, Wesley Hooper and Steve Webb officiated. Burial was in Zion Hill Cemetery with military rites conducted by the U.S. Army and Franklin American Legion Post 108. Pallbearers were Charles, Todd, Chad, Christian, Troy and Arnold Woodard.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a son of the late Rev. George and Ella Web Woodard. He was a veteran of World War II and a member and deacon of Zion Hill Baptist Church, where he served on the building committee, as a trustee and treasurer for 34 years.

He was preceded in death by a son, Ronald Woodard; two sisters, Gertrude Woodard and Edna Bingham; and one brother, Lester Woodard.

Surviving are his wife of 62 years, Cecile Shuler Woodard; one daughter, Frances Cloer of Bryson City; two sons, Darrell Woodard of Sylva and Gene Woodard of Wendall; one brother, Vurley Woodard of Sylva; one sister, Villa Mae Adams of Waynesville; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Zion Hill Cemetery, c/o Mary Wilson, 3110 Pumpkintown Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Eugene Gibbs

Funeral service were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Hillside Baptist Church in Bryson City. The Revs. Ed Kilgore and Al Alemany officiated. Burial was in New Whittier Cemetery.

A son of John Ulrich Gibbs and Lula Matney Gibbs, he was born in Whittier, where he spent his younger life. During World War II his service in the Army Air Force Base Unit was spent in the China, Burma and India.

He attended Bob Jones University and spent the rest of his life in Christian ministry in Western North Carolina and South Carolina.

Surviving are his wife, Amy Peigler Gibbs; one daughter, Sandra Owl of Whittier; one brother, J. Ulrich Gibbs of Greenville, S.C.; three grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to one's choice of Christian ministry.

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

Amy Jones

Funeral services were held at noon Saturday, Jan. 25, at Sylva First Baptist Church. The Revs. Robert Clegg and Jack Hinson officiated. Burial was in Keener Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jack Farmer, G.W. Revis, Frank Crawford, E.J. Pullium, Gene Middleton and Gary Frye.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a self-employed seamstress and member of Sylva First Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher and nursery worker for 43 years. She was a daughter of the late Ennis and Eleanor Cabe Thompson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Garland W. Jones, who died in 1964; one son, Col. Phillip A. Jones; one sister; and one brother.

Surviving are one daughter, Mary Lou Moore of Sylva; three sisters, Gladys Wilson and Eliza Mae Evans, both of Sylva, and Mildred Moody of Waynesville; one brother, Clarence A. Thompson of Morocco, Ind.; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Sylva First Baptist Church, P.O. Drawer 1024, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

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

Mary Trantham

Funeral service were held 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Sherrill Ammons and Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Greens Creek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Derek Trantham, Kevin Trantham, Billy Trantham, Tim Johnson, Scott Trantham, Eddie Trantham, and Craig Burrell.

A native of White Hall, Ga., she had lived most of her life in Jackson County. She was a member of Greens Creek Baptist Church and a daughter of the late Jack and Mattie Brown Wykle.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Phillip Trantham, who died in 1976; four infant sons; one brother, Calvin Wykle; two sisters, Jackie Trantham and Betty Hayes; and stepmother, Belle Wykle.

Surviving are three daughters, Fannie Mae Thompson and Frankie Nell Johnson, both of Sylva, and Elizabeth Bennett of Tuckasegee; six sons, Odell Trantham of Concrete, Wash., Tom Trantham of Garden City, Mich., Paul and Wayne Trantham, both of Tuckasegee, Carl Trantham of Cashiers and Ray Trantham of Sylva; one sister, Jessie McFalls of Cullowhee; 21 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to Hospice, 132 Sylva Plaza, Sylva, N.C. 28779; or Greens Creek Cemetery Fund, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Bessie Sutton

Funeral services were held at noon Tuesday, Jan. 28, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Frank Brooks officiated. Burial was in Old Savannah Cemetery.

Born June 26, 1912, in Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late Judson Haines Green and Sarah Hensley Green. She was the wife of the late Algie Joseph Sutton

She was preceded in death by 15 brothers and sisters.

Surviving are two daughters, Barbara Sutton Brooks and Betty Sutton Barrett, both of McAdenville; one son, Billy J. Sutton of Illinois; two grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Myrtle Boone

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, in the Grindstaff Memorial Chapel of Webb Funeral Home. The Revs. Wallace Wise and Joi Williams officiated. Burial was in Rebels Creek Cemetery.

She was the daughter of the late Wilbur and Bessie Johnson and wife of Jeter Boone, who died in 1993. She was a member of Minneapolis Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by two brothers, N.E. Johnson and Elmer Johnson.

Surviving are one daughter, Lana Costner of Crossnore; two sons, Larry Boone of Burnsville and Jerry Boone of Sylva; eight grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Mountain Trace Alzheimers and Dementia Care Unit, 417 Mountain Trace Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Send condolences to condolences@webbfh.com.

Louis Jones

Memorial services were held Nov. 23 at Sunset Memory Gardens.

Son of the late John and Lola Jones, he was born April 2, 1912, in Balsam. He was a Christian and a salesman who worked for Gulf Oil Co. in North Carolina, Ferman Chevrolet and ITT, both of Tampa. He was a member of the Million Dollar Sales Club and the United Commercial Travelers of America.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie Henson Jones; and one sister, Freda J. Justice.

Surviving are one daughter, Myrtle Bowen Lowder of Jonesborough, Tenn.; two granddaughters; six great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.

Hillsboro Memorial Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Clinton Wilson

A memorial service will be held today (Thursday) at 7 p.m. at Colonial Funeral Home in Smithfield, Va. The family will receive friends immediately following the service.

Born Aug. 7, 1923, in Jackson County to the late Lenoir and Lula Wilson, he was the fifth of 14 children. A naval veteran of World War II, he served in the South Pacific and retired from Newport News Shipbuilding with 33 years of service.

In addition to his parents, he was preceeded in death by five brothers, Woodrow, James, Charlie, Lenoir Jr. and Dewey Wilson; and one sister, Pearl Rhinehart.

Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Nora; a son, Michael C. Wilson of Smithfield; a daughter, Karen W. Strachan of Hampton, Va.; three sisters, Mary Monteith of Hampton, Hazel Elders of Gibsonville and Helen Tucker of Greensboro; four brothers, John Wilson of Carlsbad, N.M., Billy Wilson of St. Petersburg, Fla., Jerry Wilson of Gloucester, Va., and Calvin Wilson of Yorktown, Va.; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to the American Cancer Society, Isle of Wight Chapter, c/o Lois R. Little, P.O. Box 659, Smithfield, Va. 23432-0659.

Dorothy Pruett

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at East Sylva Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Big Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery in Glenville. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

The family was to have received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home.

She was born Dec. 20, 1913, in Glenville to the late Columbus and Vinnie Higdon Wilson. She was a member of East Sylva Baptist Church, where she taught the Dorcas Sunday school class for 30 years.

She retired from the Jackson County school system. She served 19 years as an American Red Cross volunteer at Harris Regional Hospital, where she served as volunteer chairperson for the hospital's Red Cross volunteers.

She was a member of AARP, Golden Age Club, Webster Extension Homemakers Club, Home Health Advisory Council, Harris Regional Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop and Meals on Wheels. She was a past service volunteer in the hospital's multiphasic clinic.

She was nominated as Citizen of the Year by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce in 1986.

She was preceded in death by her husband, David G. Pruett; one brother, B.C. Wilson; two sons, Robert L. Pruett and David G. Pruett Jr.; and one daughter, Eula Lee Rogers.

Surviving are one daughter, Roberta P. Grist of Lexington; 13 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Big Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Robert P. Grist, 4 Thornridge Court, Lexington, Va. 24450.