Obituaries - 02/24/00

Laura Allen

Laura J. Allen of 406 Willow Tree Drive in Simpsonville, S.C., formerly of Sylva, died Tuesday, Feb.15, at her home.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at Liberty Baptist Church. The Revs. G.W. Dixon, J.E. Smith, Adam West, Richard Bryson and Wanda E. Moore officiated. Burial was in Parris Cemetery.

Daughter of the late Ode F. and Hattie Howell Bryson, she was a lifelong resident of Sylva. She joined Liberty Baptist Church at an early age and retired from Western Carolina University after 18 years of service. She spent the last five years of her life in Simpsonville, where she attended New Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 27 years, James Jackson Jr.; two sisters, Martha Jean Allen and Anna Liz Bryson; and four brothers, James Bryson, Hal Bryson, Bob Bryson and George Bryson.

Surviving are one son, Thomas Bryson of Sylva; one daughter, Laura Allen-Blasingame of Simpsonville; one brother, Daniel Bryson of Sylva; two granddaughters; and one great-grandson.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Janice Mills

Janice Kay Ammons Mills, 48, of Parris Branch Road, Sylva, died unexpectedly Sunday, Feb. 20, at her residence.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Ernest Messer will officiate. Burial will be in Addie Cemetery.

A native of Clay County, she had lived most of her life in Jackson County. She was a daughter of Lillie Hall Ammons of Sylva and the late George W. Ammons. She was a machine operator at Q.C. Apparel.

Surviving, in addition to her mother, are her husband, Ervin Mills; one daughter, Rebecca Lammon of Kansas; one son, Richard Mills of Sylva; four sisters, Shirley Acre of Idaho, Dorothy Bacon of Waynesville, Linda Taylor of Ocean Springs, Miss., and Betty Moffett of Sylva; four brothers, Ray Ammons of Idaho, Hubert Ammons of Hendersonville, Bob Ammons of Florida and David Ammons of Sylva; and three grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, at the funeral home.

Sally George

Sally Tramper George, 76, of Cherokee's Paintown community, died Saturday, Feb. 19, in Cherokee Indian Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Rock Springs Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Bobby Watts and Dan Lambert officiated. Burial was in George Family Cemetery. Grandsons were pallbearers.

She was a daughter of the late Ammons and Lucinda Welch Tramper and was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Guy George Sr., who died in 1990; and one brother, John Tramper.

Surviving are five daughters, Eloise Maney, Lucinda McCoy, Roberta Walkingstick, Martha Swilling and Sally N. Shehan, all of Cherokee; one son, Guy George Jr. of Cherokee; two sisters, Alzina Bradley and Dorothy Tooni, both of Cherokee; one brother, Leroy Tramper of Cherokee; 22 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Lawrence Bixby

Lawrence "Larry" Henry Bixby II, 68, of Cullowhee, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Harris Regional Hospital.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. Father Polk Culpepper will officiate. Burial will be in the Church of Good Shepherd Cemetery. The family will receive friends following the service.

A native of Signal Mountain, Tenn., he had been a resident of Cullowhee since 1976 and was a member of the Church of Good Shepherd of Cashiers.

He was a graduate of the University of Georgia, receiving a bacheloršs degree in 1958 and a masteršs degree in 1963. He retired as associate director of counseling, advising and placement at Western Carolina University.

He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was a past president of the N.C. Beekeepers Association, Eastern Apiculture Association, and Jackson County Beekeepers Association.

A member of Sigma Phi fraternity and the St. Andrews Society, he was a son of the late Ethan W. Bixby and Zara Solomon Bixby.

Surviving are his wife of 42 years, Elaine Jones Bixby; two sons, Lawrence Henry Bixby III of Blowing Rock and Charles Jones Bixby of Roseville, Calif.; two daughters, Virginia Battle Bixby of Cullowhee and Rosemary Elizabeth Bixby Turner of Charlotte; one brother, Nicholas M. Bixby of Orlando, Fla.; and six grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Cullowhee Valley School Library, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723..

Glenn Carver

Glenn F. Carver, 66, of Sylva, died Thursday, Feb. 17, in Sylva.

Born in South Carolina, he graduated from N.C. State University and moved to California, living there for 37 years. He spent the next six years retired in North Carolina.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Audrey Laingen Carver, who died in 1988.

Surviving are his wife, Susan Norlander Carver of San Diego, Calif.; one sister, Melinda Carver; two daughters, April and Julie Carver; one son, Greg Carver.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Charles Sutton

Charles Thomas Sutton, 77, of 109 Sutton-Carpenter Road, Gastonia, died Thursday, Feb. 17, in Gaston Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at Greene Funeral Service Westside Chapel in Gastonia. The Revs. Vernon Cope and Odel Cook officiated. Burial was in Gaston Memorial Park in Gastonia. Pallbearers were Tom Ervin, Andy Godfrey, Eric Massie, Chris Sutton and Dwain Sutton. Honorary pallbearers were Billy Brown and Jack Moore.

A native of Jackson County, he was a former member of Sharon Freewill Spring Baptist Church. He retired from Bryant Electric after 42 years. A World War II veteran in the U.S. Army, he was a craftsman of handmade musical instruments and swings.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Jessie and Lori McMahan Sutton; one son, Charles Thomas Sutton Jr.; one brother, Jay P. Sutton; one sister, Mary Louise Sutton; and one grandchild.

Surviving are his wife, Louise Sutton; two sons, Jimmy Sutton of Gastonia and Terry Sutton of Spencer Mountain; two daughters, Gail Williams of Belmont and Betsy Cook of Bessemer City; one brother, Jesse Sutton Jr. of Sylva; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and three step grandchildren.

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

Ruth Sparks

Ruth P. Sparks, 89, of Sylva, formerly of Clay County, Ala., died Saturday, Feb. 19, at Brithaven Nursing Home in Franklin.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21, at Benefield Funeral Home Chapel in Ashland. The Rev. Jerry Colquett officiated. Burial was in Clay County Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Randall Sparks, Steve Sparks, Scott Sparks, Randy Sparks, Tommy Burdette and Billy Langley.

A native of Washington County, Ga., she lived a number of years in Clay County, Ala. She was a member of Lineville Baptist Church and was a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Q.P. Sparks.

Surviving are one daughter, Sharon Plant of Mobile, Ala.; one son, Carl Sparks of Sylva; and 10 grandchildren.

Gwen Ledford

Gwendolyn Ann "Gwen" Hooper Ledford, 52, of 80 Cross Creek Lane, Waynesville, died Wednesday, Feb. 9, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at Fines Creek Memorial Baptist Church. The Rev. Jimmy Moore officiated. Burial was in Fines Creek Memorial Cemetery. Pallbearers were Kevin Hatfield, Lynn Hetherington, Nathan Grant, Ricky Haynes, Shane Shuler and Ricky Evans.

A native of Jackson County, she was a daughter of George Leon and Myrtle Pressley Hooper. She was a member of Fines Creek Memorial Baptist Church.

Surviving are her husband, Gerald Blaine Ledford; two daughters, Tina Mae Haynes and Shreé Ledford, both of Clyde; one son, James Keith Ledford of Clyde; two brothers, Paul Leon and Buddy Hayes Hooper, both of Waynesville; and two grandsons.

Robert Childers

Robert "Bob" Marion Childers, 94, of Old School House Road, Whittier, died Saturday, Feb. 19, in Swain County Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21, in the chapel of Bill Moody Funeral Home. Burial was in Union Hill Cemetery. The Rev. Larry Nations officiated.

A native and lifelong resident of Swain County, he attended Whittier Baptist Church. He was a son of the late Edward and Lula Lee Childers.

He was preceded in death by four brothers, John, Dan, Bill and Walter Childers.

Surviving are one son, Cecil Ray Childers of Whittier; two sisters, Maude and Stella Childers of the home; three grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.