Obituaries - 02/17/00

Hazel Robinson

Hazel L. Robinson, 66, of Hoover Robinson Road, Dillsboro, died Wednesday, Feb. 9, at her residence after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Hardin Nicholson, Sherrill Ammons and Mark Atkinson officiated. Burial was in Robinson Cemetery. Pallbearers were John Sutton, Dale Lanning, Coy Lanning, Neil Rhodarmer, Ricky Caldwell and B.J. Young.

A native of Haywood County, she had lived in Jackson County for the past 38 years. A daughter of the late John and Dessie Mae Mathis Lanning, she was a member of Camp Branch Freewill Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Richard and Hubert Lanning. Surviving are her husband of 46 years, Herbert Hoover Robinson; one daughter, Pat Brown of Sylva; two sons, Kenneth and Lee Robinson, both of Sylva; five sisters, Louise Parker of Clover, S.C., Dorothy Mae Gibson, Virginia Rhodarmer and Florence Caldwell, all of Waynesville, and Ruth Ellis of Gastonia; four brothers, James Lanning of Maryland, Clarence Lanning of Roanoke, Va., and John Thomas and Dewey Lanning, both of Waynesville; and seven grandchildren.

Gene Britt

Gene Tunney Britt, 68, 503 S. Main Street, Roxboro, died Thursday, Feb. 10, at Person Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at the Brooks and White Chapel. The Rev. Ken Childers officiated. Burial was in Burchwood Cemetery.

A native of Person County, he was a son of the late Harvey T. and Lois Lane Britt. A former U.S. Army veteran, he a retired from Eaton Corp. and was a member of Cavel Baptist Church.

Surviving are his wife, Lula Mae Greene Britt; one daughter, Wanda Britt Ashley of Roxboro; two sons, Jack Britt of Roxboro and Jeffrey Lane Britt of Spokane, Wash.; and one brother, Bill Britt of Greensboro.

Memorials may be made to Roxboro Baptist Church Renovation Fund, P.O. Box 348, Roxboro, N.C. 27573.

Grace Elders

Grace Brooks Elders, 96, of Whittier's Qualla community, died Saturday, Feb. 12, in Mountain View Manor.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Barkers Creek Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of the Baptist faith. She was a daughter of the late Tom and Polly Gunter Brooks and wife of the late Lee Elders.

Surviving are two daughters, Hester Nations of Aberdeen, Wash., and Odeen Barker of Whittier; one brother, Richard Brooks of Whittier; two sisters, Veda Sutton and Gertie Nations, both of Whittier; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Mack Sneed

Mack Thomas Sneed, 92, of Dry Bone Road, Whittier, died Sunday, Feb. 13, in Cherokee Indian Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, in Cherokee United Methodist Church. Burial was in Campground Cemetery.

A native of Swain County and lifelong resident of Jackson and Swain counties, he attended Cherokee United Methodist Church. He was the son of the late Osco and Arvezene Rogers Sneed. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Helen Sneed.

Surviving are his wife of 60 years, Melitia Saunooke Sneed; two sisters, Charlotte Whittmore of Cherokee and Elba Kearney of Raleigh; and two granddaughters.

Memorials may be made to Cherokee EMS, Cherokee United Methodist Church and/or onešs charity of choice.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Clyde Bryson

Clyde U. "Fuddley" Bryson, 83, of Sylva's Addie community, died Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Haywood Regional Medica Center after a long illness.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Gerald Morris officiated. Burial was in Addie Cemetery.

Born in Macon County to the late June A. and Lydia Buchanan Bryson, he lived in Jackson County for most of his life. He retired from Mead Corp. and was a member of Buff Creek Baptist Church.

Surviving are his wife, Mae Snyder Bryson; one daughter, Lydia B. Cope of Sylva; one son, C. Dewey Bryson of Charlotte; one sister, Francis Hyatt of Whittier; one brother, Lloyd C. Bryson of Spruce Pine; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Buff Creek Baptist Church, c/o Shirley Beasley, 1274 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Mamie Hipps

Mamie Ruth Morgan Hipps, "Aunt Mamie," 100, of Whittier, died Saturday, Feb. 12, at Skyland Nursing Center. She would have been 101 Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Dewey Cooper and Wayne Cooper officiated. Burial was in Olivet United Methodist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers were David Cooper, Wayne Cooper, Howard Reagan, Donnie Ballew, Todd Armstrong and Dan Seely.

A native of Buncombe County, she had lived in Jackson County most of her life. She was married to Lucius Alexander Hipps, who died in 1950. She was a member of Olivet United Methodist Church for 78 years. She was the daughter of the late Jesse Peter and Sally Hawkins Morgan.

She was preceded in death by one daughter, Ruth Bradley.

Surviving are one son, Jack Hipps of Whittier; one daughter, Alice Terril of Grove City, Ohio; seven grandchildren; several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Olivet United Methodist Church.

Helen Brooks

Helen Bradley Brooks, 81, of Sylva, died Wednesday, Feb. 9, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, at Rockdale Baptist Church, where she was a member. The Revs. Harry Vance and Larry Perry officiated. Burial was at Barkers Creek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Joe Brooks, Kent Allen, Darby Blanton, Dirk Blanton, Tom Bradley and Clyde Brooks.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of the Log Cabin Homemakers Club. She was a daughter of the late Lee and Etta Jones Bradley and wife of the late Walter Brooks.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Dennie and Allen Bradley; and one grandson. Surviving are one son, John L. Brooks of Winston-Salem; four daughters, Gail B. Allen, Maudie Phillips and Doris Brooks, all of Whittier, and Nancy Blanton of Gaffney, S.C.; one sister, Naomi Bradley Brooks of Whittier; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and two step great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Rev. Sterling Melton

The Rev. Sterling Melton, 99, of Cullowhee, died Wednesday, Feb. 10, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at Moses Creek Baptist Church. The Revs. Carl Smith and Dillard Moore officiated. Burial was in Melton Family Cemetery with Masonic graveside rites.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a member of Sols Creek Baptist Church and was a Mason in East LaPorte Lodge 358. He was a retired minister of several churches in Jackson County since 1930. He was the son of the late Houston Melton and Sally Melton and last surviving member of the family of 11 brothers and sisters.

Surviving are several nieces and nephews.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Doris McFalls

Doris J. McFalls, 40, of Ramp Cove Road, Cullowhee, died Thursday, Feb. 10, at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem after a brief illness.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at Fall Cliff Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Jim Ed Powell and Tommy Holden officiated. Burial was in Fall Cliff Cemetery. Pallbearers were Randy Fox, Larry McFalls, Darren McFalls, Phillip Bennett, Keith Dills, Eddie Mace, Stephen Morgan and George McFalls.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was employed at Western Carolina University in Brown Cafeteria. She was a 1978 graduate of Sylva-Webster High School. She was a daughter of Roy Edward Bradley of Waynesville and Helen Mace Bradley of Whittier.

Surviving, in addition to her parents, are her husband of 18 years, Ellith McFalls; one daughter, Jessica Nicole McFalls of the home; three sisters, Elaine Janice Bradley Bennett and Delores Ann Bradley McFalls, both of Whittier, and Lora Jean Bradley Fox of Cullowhee; two brothers, Curtis Eugene Bradley and Roy Donald Bradley, both of Whittier.

Memorials may be made to Fall Cliff Cemetery Fund, c/o Joyce Crowder, 3445 Cullowhee Mountain Road, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Roger Smith

Thary Roger Smith, 49, of Inwood Drive, Sylva, died Saturday, Feb. 12, at his residence.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the McCall Memorial Chapel of Kirksey Funeral Home, Marion. The Rev. Jerry Bryant officiated. Burial was in Will Young Cemetery, Yancey County. Graveside rites were conducted by Mystic Tie Lodge 237.

Born in McDowell County to Mary Edith Buchanan Smith of Marion and the late Thary Eugene Smith, he was night manager of Codyšs Store and a member of Clinchfield Baptist Church. He was past Master of the Mystic Tie Lodge 237 in Marion, a member of Mt. Mitchell Shrine Club and Oasis Temple, Scottish Rite and served as a volunteer fireman in McDowell and Jackson counties.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are two daughters, Luzette Smith and Allison Styles, both of Marion; one sister, Mary Jean Poteat of Arden; and one granddaughter.

Memorials may be made to Shriners HospitalOasis Temple, P.O. Box 56066, Charlotte, N.C. 28256.

Rev. J.C. Burrell

The Rev. J.C. Burrell, 73, of Webster Road, Webster, died Monday, Feb. 14, in Harris Regional Hospital after a brief illness.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) in Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Carl Adams, Eddie Stillwell and John Swanger will officiate. Burial will be in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers will be Dustin Jones, Craig Burrell, Devin Burrell, David Burrell, David Bowers, the Rev. Mike Fox, Brad Stillwell and Tim Bell. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Jackson County Rescue Squad, Cullowhee Fire Department and Jackson County pastors.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a retired lumberman. He was a Baptist minister for 48 years, being ordained at Lovedale Baptist Church and serving as pastor of several area churches. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was a son of the late General Grant and Betty Nicholson Burrell. He was a greeter in the garden center at Wal-Mart.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Lewis Burrell; and one daughter, Regina Sue Burrell, both of whom died in 1992.

Surviving are his wife, Shirley Cabe Green Burrell; three sons, Carlton Burrell and the Rev. Dennis Burrell, both of Sylva, and Kenneth Burrell of Webster; two stepsons, Donald Green and Tim Green, both of Sylva; two sisters, Hettie McManus of Charlotte and Carrie Whitney of Raleigh; three brothers, Alvin Burrell of Dillsboro, Conrad Burrell of Sylva and Charles Burrell of Florida; eight grandchildren; three step grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two step great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Calvery Baptist Church Building Fund, c/o Sandra Bowers, P.O. Box 1873, Sylva, N.C. 28779.