Obituaries - 03/09/00

Eva Greenarch

Eva Gaddy Greenarch, 84, of Hemlock Road, Dillsboro, died Monday, March 6, in Harris Regional Hospital after an extended illness.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) at Sylva Church of God, of which she was a member. Brother Larry Robinson and Pervie Stines will officiate. Burial will be in Greenville Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Blain Franks, Greg Baxter, Rick Standingdeer, Eddie Phillips, Mike Terrell and Ari-Ben Betty.

A native of Haywood County, she had lived in Jackson County for the past 41 years. She was a daughter of the late Robert and Sara Messer Gaddy.

She was preceded in death by one daughter, Margaret Frizzell, and infant daughter, Carolyn. Surviving are three daughters, Barbara Stacy Helton of Cherrylog, Ga., Mary Elizabeth Stacy of Los Angeles and Shirley Ann Farmer of Cullowhee; two sons, Carl Dewayne Stacy of Sylva and James Stuart Stacy of Franklin; two sisters, Josephine Sisk and Waise Vanleeck, both of Waynesville; one brother, Richard Gaddy of Greenville, S.C.; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home, where the body will remain until placed in the church 30 minutes prior to the service.

Grace Hill

Grace E. Green Hill, 91, of Sylva, died Sunday, March 5, in Mountain Trace Nursing Center after a period of declining health.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Ed Beddingfield will officiate. Burial will be in Fines Creek Baptist Church Memorial Cemetery in Waynesville.

A native of Haywood County, she had lived in Jackson County for the past 38 years. She was a homemaker and seamstress and had a booth at the 441 Flea Market. She was a daughter of the late Robert and Julia Yarbrough Green.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William "Bill" Anderson Hill; six brothers; two sisters; and three grandchildren.

Surviving are three sons, Harold Messer of Sylva, Ronald Hill of North Pole, Alaska, and Charles Messer of Perry, Fla.; three daughters, Betty Pettyman of Perry, Fla., Jean Messer of Waynesville and Janice Christopher of New Jersey; three sisters, Pat Wood of Huntingdon, Tenn., Dot Green Tweedy of Globe, Ariz., and Naoma Green Fayer of Pennsville, N.J.; 22 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home.

Steve Strawn

Steve Strawn, 48, of Marshville, died Thursday, March 2, at Carolinas Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at Deep Springs Baptist Church in Peachland. The Rev. Ken Forrester officiated. Burial was in Phifer Family Cemetery, Old Goldmine Road, in Marshville.

A native of Union County, he was a son of Brack and Cordelia Ponds Strawn. He was branch manger for Security Solutions of Matthews.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Jeffery C. Strawn.

Surviving, in addition to his parents, are his wife, Twila Cook Strawn; one son, Adam Strawn of Albemarle; four daughters, Lorie Strawn of Albemarle, Lisa Kelly Dales of Belleville, Ontario, and Brittany Strawn and Kassidy Strawn, both of the home; four brothers, John Strawn of Cashiers, and Phil Strawn, Bill Strawn, and Art Strawn, all of Marshville; and two sisters, Rhonda Lowry of Marietta, Ga., and Teresa Davis of Monroe.

Memorials may be made to Brittany and Kassidy Strawn Education Fund, c/o John T. Burns, attorney, 107 E. Jefferson Street, Monroe, N.C. 28112.

Jackie S. Baxley

Jackie S. Baxley, 65, of Cashiers' Norton community, died Friday, March 3, in Greenville, S.C., after an extended illness.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Monday, March 6, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Johnny Norris and Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Norton Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jimmy Stewart, Jeffery Stewart, Eldon Jamison, Robbie Potts, Curley Potts and William Billy Russell.

A native of Jackson County, she lived here most of her life. She was employed as a supervisor at Cashiers Plastic. She was the daughter of the late Oliver Monroe and Blanche Goldburg Snipes.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil C. Baxley, who died in 1998.

Surviving are one daughter, Ann Jennings of Glenville; two sons, Glenn Snipes of Tampa, Fla., and Sammy Aiken of Taylors, S.C.; two stepdaughters, Leslie Taylor of Franklin and Darla McCall of Cashiers; one stepson, Clay Baxley of Woodruff, S.C.; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and eight step grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad, c/o Carl Stewart, P.O. Box 919, Cashiers, N.C. 28717; or Cashiers-Glevnille Fire Department.

Lynn Olvey

Lynn "Red" Taylor Olvey, 90, of Sylva's Cope Creek community, died Thursday, March 2, at Haywood Regional Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at Laurel Branch Baptist Church. The Revs. Hardin Nicholson and Carl Adams officiated. Burial was at Old Field Cemetery. Pallbearers were Thomas Franklin, Timothy Buchanan, Jamie Buchanan, Sammy Olvey, Johnny Buchanan and Robert Webb.

A native of Tennessee, he was a lifelong resident of Jackson County. He was a member of Laurel Branch Baptist Church. He retired after 28 years from Mead Corp. He was the husband of the late Etta Barnes Olvey and son of the late Burton and Icie Moore Olvey.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Elizabeth Olvey; two sisters; one brother; and two grandchildren.

Surviving are one son, James "Jim" Leonard Olvey of High Point; eight daughters, Brenda Buchanan, Shirley Long, Mary Franklin, all of Sylva, Laura Baker of Atlanta, Linda Hollaway of Murphy, Doris Miller of Waynesville, Alice Matthews of Clyde and Katie Olvey of Maggie Valley; one brother, Fred Olvey of Copperhill, Tenn.; one sister, Beulah Frady of Sylva; 30 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Jim Kees

Jim Kees, 81, of Pee Wee Branch Road, Sylva, died Monday, March 6, at St. Joseph Hospital in Asheville.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 10, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Steve Bialy will officiate. Burial will be in Greens Creek Cemetery.

A native of Marshall, Ill., he had lived in Jackson County for the past 11 years. He was a retired school teacher, coach, and U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.

Surviving are his wife, Ina Turner Kees; one daughter, Tracie Kees of Coconut Creek, Fla.; and two grandchildren.

Frank Quaife

Frank Morris Quaife, 88, of Sylva, died Tuesday, March 7, in Harris Regional Hospital.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Ruby Harris

Ruby M. Harris of Skyland Drive, Sylva, died Tuesday, March 7, in Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.

Robert Sutton

Robert L. Sutton, 75, of Enka, formerly of Sylva's Greens Creek community, died Tuesday, March 7, at Memorial Mission Hospital after a brief illness.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 10, at Greens Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. Steve Bialy will officiate. Burial will be in Greens Creek Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at Moody Funeral Home.

A native and former resident of Jackson County, he was a resident of Asheville. He was a member of Greens Creek Baptist Church and was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and was Jackson County maintenance supervisor. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Army Air Corp. He was the son of the late Thad and Maggie Brooks Sutton and husband of the late Tina Mae Green Sutton.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Hubert, Edward and Devine Sutton.

Surviving are two sons, Alan Robert Sutton of Asheville and Stephen Lee Sutton of Frisco, Colo.; one foster son, Thomas E. Sutton of John Day, Ore.; one brother, Sidney Sutton of Brookings, Ore.; one sister, Eva Mae Bradley of Sylva; two grandchildren.

The family requests that winter-hardy perennials be sent for a memorial garden to be planted in his honor.

Bob Baker

Bob Baker, 55, of Webster Road, Webster, died Tuesday, March 7, at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem while waiting for a heart transplant.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at Webster Baptist Church, of which he was a member. The Rev. Mike Dillinger and Dr. J.C. Alexander will officiate.

A native of Louisville, Ky., he had lived most of his life in Jackson County. A 1964 graduate of Sylva-Webster High School where he was a football player, he was a 1966 graduate of Blanton Business College.

Currently the mayor of Webster, he was a former Webster Town Board member and a member of the Jackson County Golf Association. The son of Nellie Baker of Webster and the late Roy Jay Baker, he was a U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam. He had been in the furniture upholstery and repair business.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Charles and Billy Baker.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are his wife, Evelyn Bennett Baker; one son, Scott A. Baker of Franklin; two brothers, Roy Baker of Easley, S.C., and Tom Baker of Sylva; and one grandson.

Memorials may be made to Webster Baptist Church Building Fund.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 10, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home.