Obituary Information

The Sylva Herald prints obituaries free of charge as a service to its readers.

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.

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Obituaries - 02/20/03

Ellen Bryson

Ellen Paxton Bryson, 82, of Glenville, died Friday, Feb. 14, 2003, at her residence after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, at Hamburg Baptist Church. The Revs. Matt Ledbetter and Ray Lewis officiated. Burial was in Hamburg Cemetery.

Born in Spartanburg County, S.C., she had lived in Glenville since 1936. She was retired from the state after having worked in food service at Blue Ridge School. As a member of Hamburg Baptist Church she was active in church and in Glenville community civic affairs.

She was a daughter of the late Christopher Winfield and Rhoda Iola Burris Paxton.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bickett Bryson, who died in 1996.

Surviving are two daughters, Sandra Bryson and Kathy Robinson, both of Glenville; one sister, Grace Poole of Atlanta; three grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.

Mary Callahan

Mary Lou Ray Callahan, 89, of Sylva, died Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003, at her residence after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. Harry Vance and Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Sherrill Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County and member of the Hyatts Chapel Baptist Church, she was a daughter of the late Charlie and Isabell Jordan Ray.

She was preceded in death by her husband, David Earl Callahan; one brother, Walter Ray; and three sisters, Annie Mae, Lillian and Selma.

Surviving are two daughters, Helen Callahan of the home and Dorothy Hampton of Waynesville; one brother, Randolph Ray of Whittier; three grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

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

Robert Rains

Robert Earl Rains, 66, of Cullowhee's Wayehutta community, died Thursday, Feb. 13, 2003, at Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Cullowhee Church of God. The Revs. Pat Farmer and O.H.White officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens with military rites conducted by the U.S. Air Force.

A native of Cumberland County, he had lived in Jackson County since 1977. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran, serving in Vietnam and Thailand.

He was a member of Cullowhee Church of God, where he was the Sunday school superintendent and a Sunday school teacher. He was the son of the late Lawrance and Reba Redmond Rains.

Surviving are his wife of 45 years, Judith Madden Rains; one daughter, Kathleen Ancheta of Raleigh; three sons, Tommy Rains of Dallas, Texas, Roy Rains of Sylva and Mark Rains of Raleigh; two sisters, Mildred Norris of Fayetteville and Mary Beatrice Madden of Charlotte; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Cullowhee Church of God Building Fund, P.O. Box 96, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Floyd Faulkner

Floyd Robert Faulkner, 29, of Hendersonville, died Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2003, at N.C. Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. Arthur Locust and Rev. James "Bo" Parris officiated. Burial was at Birdtown Cemetery.

A native of Wake County, he was a son of the late Billy James Faulkner.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Timothy James Faulkner.

Surviving are his mother, Billie Mae West, and stepfather, Alfred West of Cherokee; one brother, Raymond Faulkner of Cherokee; one stepbrother, Nika West of Batesville, Ark.; and three sisters, Patty Jo Rogers of Batesville, Ark., and Sarah Jane Faulkner and Inez Welch, both of Cherokee.

Sallie Jackson

Sallie Otter Jackson, 82, of Cherokee, died Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2003, at Tsali Care Center after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Macedonia Baptist Church. The Revs. Jim Park and James "Bo" Parris officiated. Burial was in Jackson Family Cemetery. Grandsons served as pallbearers.

A native of Swain County, she was a lifelong resident of Jackson County. She was a lifetime member of Macedoia Baptist Church, a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, active in senior groups and a previous gold medal winner with walking organizations.

She was a daughter of the late Jackson and Mary Jo Squirrell Otter.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter S. "Bull" Jackson, former chief of the Eastern Band; three brothers, Sam, Henry and Oliver Otter; and one sister, Myrtle Jumper.

Surviving are three sons, Richard Sneed, George Sneed and Walter Jackson Jr., all of Cherokee; one daughter, Mary L. West of Cherokee; one sister, Lawanda Shelton of Sylva; 19 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Cherokee Children's Home, Cherokee Center for Family Services, P.O. Box 507, Cherokee, N.C. 28719.

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