Obituaries - 03/30/00

Eddie Melton

Eddie Melton, 42, of Arrowood Road, Sylva, died Sunday, March 26, in Harris Regional Hospital after a brief illness.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. John Swanger and Jim Dean officiated. Burial was in Sutton Cemetery. Pallbearers were Tony Mull, Andy Jones, Billy Melton Jr., Danny Messe, Eddie Earwood, Reuben Longoria, Robert and Jamie Reid.

A native of Haywood County, he had lived most of his life in Jackson County. He was a self-employed carpenter, a 1976 graduate of Sylva-Webster High School and a member of Balsam Ridge Baptist Church.

He was a son of Estalee Keener Melton of Sylva and the late William Stuart Melton, who died in 1978.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Scotty Lee Melton; and his grandparents, Hershel and Denise Sutton Melton and Robert and Lillie Strickland Keener. Surviving, in addition to his mother, are one daughter, Dawn Brady of Sylva; one sister, Marilyn Mull of Morganton; and three brothers, Billy, Stuart and Steve Melton, all of Sylva.

Gladys Maxwell

Gladys Murphy Maxwell, 95, of Mountain Trace Nursing Center, Sylva, died Friday, March 24, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at Wesleyanna United Methodist Church of Sylva and at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at Michigan Memorial Park Chapel in Flat Rock, Mich. The Rev. Daniel Stiles officiated locally. Honorary pallbearers were John Ray Jones, Woodrow Higdon, Bill Jones, Cameron Lee Buchanan, Buddy Poss and Felton Causey.

A native of Chanute, Kan., she was the daughter of the late Charlie and Etta Willis.

She graduated from Longton, Kansas High School and received her teaching certificate from Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg, Kan. She taught school in a one-room school house in Kansas and was an adult education teacher in Indiana and Michigan.

She was the village clerk of Flat Rock, Mich., a member of Wesleyanna United Methodist Church, and a member of Eastern Star and Valparasio, Ind., Woman's Club.

She was preceded in death by three husbands, Pat Murphy, Thomas Manning and Clair Maxwell; and one son, James Earl Murphy.

Surviving are two daughters, Marjorie Inmman and Sandra Jones; six grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Wesleyanna United Methodist Church or the Alzheimer's Association.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mary Morgan

Mary Ethel Morgan, 99, of Crescent City Convalescent Home, Calif., died Thursday, March 23.

Funeral services were held at Wier's Mortuary Chapel in Crescent City, Calif., at 1 p.m. Monday, March 27. The Rev. James Goodman officiated. Burial was at the IOOF Memorial Cemetery in Crescent City, Calif. Pallbearers were Jeff Morgan, Claude Morgan, Keith Morgan, Robert Broadbent, Clarence Frizzell and Lee Aldrich. Honorary pallbearers were Gene Rump, Joe Holliman and John Manning.

A native of Sylva, she was a resident of Del Norte County, Calif., for 52 years. In 1915, she married Charlie N. Morgan. They raised six children in North Carolina and in 1948 moved to Klamath, Calif. She was a past member of Klamath Women's Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charlie; and two sons, Jack and Lewis.

Surviving are one daughter, Edna Lee Thomas of Brevard; sons, C.J. Morgan of Roseburg, Ore., J.C. Morgan of Penrose and Earl Morgan of Klamath, Calif.; 16 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; 49 great-great-grandchildren; and one great-great-great-grandchild. Memorials may be made to the Sunshine Auxiliary, c/o Crescent City Convalescent Hospital, 1280 Marshall St., Crescent City, Calif. 95531.

Clinton Sutton

E. Clinton Sutton Jr., 74, of Greens Creek Road, Sylva, died Tuesday, March 21, at VA Medical Center in Asheville after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Steve Bialy and L.F. "Bill" Sutton officiated. Burial was in East Fork Cemetery.

A native of Macon County, he had lived in Jackson County and was a son of the late Elsie Clinton Sr. and Nola Buchanan Sutton. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Grace Cordillo Sutton, who died in 1998; and one sister, Hilda Bradley.

Surviving are one daughter, Judy Sutton of Albuquerque, N.M.; one son, Dennis Sutton of New York; one sister, Hazel Buchanan of Sylva; two brothers, Isadore Sutton of Virginia and the Rev. L.F. "Bill" Sutton of Sylva; and six grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Greens Creek Baptist Church, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Julie Woodring

Julie Reed Woodring, 70, of Salem, S.C., died Tuesday, March 21, at Oconee Memorial Hospital in South Carolina.

Graveside services were conducted at 4 p.m. Friday, March 24, at Boones Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in South Carolina.

A native of Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late John Henry and Lola Luker Fouch Reed. She was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith.

Surviving are her husband, James Lewis Woodring of Salem, S.C.; four sons, Daniel Woodring, William Woodring and Robert Woodring, all of Salem, S.C., and Thurmond Woodring of Gastonia; four daughters, Mamie Oshields and Elaine Grice, both of Salem, S.C., and Lessie Mae Robinson and Barbara Harris, both of Pickens, S.C.; three brothers; four sisters; 35 grandchildren; and 35 great-grandchildren.

Oma Oxner

Oma Gunter Oxner, 76, of Newport News, Va., died Sunday, March 12.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, in the chapel of Peninsula Funeral Home. Her pastor, the Rev. Lawrence J. Biermann, officiated. Burial was in Peninsula Memorial Park.

A native of Whittier, she was a daughter of the late Zeb and Lizzie Brendle Gunter. She was a member of Parkview Baptist Church, where she was active in the Sunday school program, as well as serving on various committees of the church.

Surviving are her husband of 58 years, Ralph O. Oxner; one son, Thomas Hamilton Oxner of Conway, Ark.; one daughter, Carolyn Odell Oxner of the home; three sisters, Doshia Moore of Candler, Jane Ward and Bonnie Styles, both of Whittier; one brother, Enoch Edlers of Gibsonville; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Parkview Baptist Church Building Fund, 604 Hilton Blvd., Newport News, Va., 23605.