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.

Read More . . .

Obituaries - 02/14/02

Yvonne Messer

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Clifford Parker officiated. Burial was at Old Savannah Cemetery.

Born in London, England, she was the daughter of the late Kenneth Charles and Elsie Cooke and wife of the late Vaughn Messer.

She retired from Contel after 19 years of service and was past president and member of Carolina Mountains Telephone Pioneers, ITPA, Tar Heel Chapter of North Carolina.

She was a member of Phi Mu sorority and Old Savannah Baptist Church, and she volunteered for the board of elections.

Edna Bingham

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, at Zion Hill Baptist Church. The Revs. Keith Ashe, Ernie Jamison and Benny Bagwell officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Steve McMahan, Rick Crane, Will Stewart, Jason Lavigne, Bobby Henry and John Henry served as pallbearers.

A native of Jackson County and a daughter of the late George Woodard and Ella Webb Woodard, she was married to Mack Bingham, who died in 1992. She was a mother, homemaker and a member of Zion Hill Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Gertrude Woodard, and one brother, Lester Woodard.

Surviving are six daughters, Evelyn McMahan and Brenda Bateman, both of Sylva, Maxine Henry, Doris Elders and Freda Green, all of Franklin, and Sue Schultz of Lake Jackson, Texas; one sister, Villa Mae Adams of Waynesville; two brothers, Alonzo Woodard and Verley Woodard, both of Sylva; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Zion Hill Cemetery Fund, c/o Mary Wilson, 3110 Pumpkintown Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779; or WestCare Hospice, 132 Sylva Plaza, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Bryant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Richard Walkingstick

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) at Big Cove Baptist Church. The Rev. James "Bo" Parris will officiate. The family was to have received friends after 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the church, where the body will remain until the service hour. Burial will be at Yellow Hill Military Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Cherokee, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during the Vietnam War. An employee of Ferguson Trucking in Cherokee, he was the son of the late James and Edna Armachain Walkingstick.

Surviving are one daughter, Reva Bird of Cherokee; one sister, Margaret Swayney of Cherokee; two half-brothers, James and Jack Walkingstick, both of Cherokee; and three grandsons.

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

Bynam Anderson

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, at Whittier Baptist Church, of which he was a member. The Revs. Clifford Willis and Ray Fox officiated. Burial was in Holly Springs Cemetery.

A native of Macon County, he had been a resident of Whittier for the past 40 years. He was the son of the late Maiden and Sally Collier Anderson. He was a retired crane operator on heavy construction and a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.

Surviving are his wife of 55 years, Ella Mae Anderson; one daughter, Mary Childers of Brevard; one son, Bill Anderson Jr. of Martinsville, Va.; one sister, Zannie Hardin of Statesville; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Crisp Funeral Home in Bryson City was in charge of arrangements.

Lee Ensley

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.

Bea Davis

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 11, at Christy-Adams Funeral Home, 111 S. Main St., Elmer, N.J. Burial was at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Pitman, N.J.

She was born in Jackson County and moved to New Jersey 18 years ago after retiring from Appalachian Home, where she worked as a nurse. She was a daughter of the late David and Docia H. Bishop.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Claude Davis, and two brothers, Gudgra and Bob Bishop.

Surviving are one son, Jim Bishop of Pittsgrove, N.J.; four brothers, Dan Bishop of Franklin, Kenneth Bishop of Sylva, Woodrow Bishop of Washington and Ed Bishop of Newport News, Va.; two sisters, Emily Treadway and MaryLou Green of Franklin; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Stacey Saunooke

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, at Cherokee Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Merritt Youngdeer and Ray Cantrell officiated. Burial was in Saunooke Family Cemetery.

Pallbearers were T.W. Saunooke, Josh Washington, Harley Young, John Davis Jr., and Sherry and David Dean. Honorary pallbearers were Robert Youngdeer, Glenn Ladd, Sam Saunooke and M.G. Bell.

A native of Swain County and the daughter of the late Mose and Elkin Wolfe Powell, she was the wife of the late Anderson Saunooke.

A member of the Cherokee Home Extension Club for many years, she also served as president of the Senior Citizens Club, as well as the Yellowhill Community Club. She taught Sunday school for more than 45 years and was very active in many church functions.

She was preceded in death by two sons, Robert G. Saunooke and Joseph B. Saunooke.

Surviving are one son, James A. Saunooke of Chicago; two daughters, Edna Goshorn of Whittier and Valeria Saunooke of Cherokee; one half-sister, Berdina Crowe of Cherokee; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Cherokee Baptist Church, 1 River Road, Cherokee, N.C. 28719.

Crisp Funeral Home in Bryson City was in charge of arrangements.

Back to Archive: 02/14/02.