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.

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Obituaries - 03/08/01

Calvin Mills

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 5, at Ochre Hill Baptist Church. The Revs. J.D. Grant and Roger Millsap officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Kenneth Burrell, David Coggins, Jim Austin, Edd Austin, Danny Mills and Michael Hall.

A native of McDowell County, he had lived most of his life in Jackson County. He was a son of the late Spon and Kate Dyer Mills. He was a member of Ochre Hill Baptist Church and a retiree of Drexel Furniture Plant.

Surviving are his wife, Irene Cope Mills; one daughter, Paulette Hall of Tuckasegee; one son, Robert Mills of Sylva; three sisters, Grace Sneed, Mamie Henry and Annie Dee Austin, all of Sylva; two brothers, Johnny Mills of Sylva and Alvin Mills of Marlton, N.J.; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorials may made to Balsam-Willett-Ochre Hill Volunteer Fire Department, First Responders, P.O. 28707; or Ochre Hill Cemetery Fund, 1535 Blanton Branch Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Edward Mathis

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Pervie Stines and Clifford Parker officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Bill Hall, Gene Harris, Josh Moore, Chris Moore, Craig Farmer and the Rev. Larry Robinson.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a son of Mary Nicholson Mathis of Sylva and the late Claude Mathis Sr. He was a long-haul truck driver with Ryder Trucking Co.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Asbury and Samuel Mathis; and two sisters, Juanita Mathis and Frances Pearl Farmer.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are two daughters, Marina Mathis Moose of Robbinsville and Pamela Mathis Snyder of Sylva; one son, Kimsey Scott of Sylva; two sisters, Dianne Harris of Webster and Reva Hall of Sylva; one brother, Claude Mathis Jr. of Sylva; and six grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to American Diabetes Association, 3109 Poplarwood Court, Suite 125, Raleigh, N.C. 27604-1043.

Gertrude Nations

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 2, at Wilmot Baptist Church. The Revs. Johnny Ray Davis and Lanny Nations officiated. Burial was at Nations Creek Cemetery.

A native of Swain County and a lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Wilmot Baptist Church in Whittier. She was a daughter of the late Andrew and Polly Ann Williams Davis.

Surviving are her husband, Seab James Nations; three daughters, Judy Wilkey of Sylva, Faye Linda Byerly of Lexington and Nancy Rhodes of Whittier; two sons, James Nations and Kenneth Nations, both of Whittier; three sisters, Alta Elders of Franklin, Marie Wike of Whittier and Wilma Chavis of Gastonia; one brother, Marion Davis of Gastonia; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Dorine Brown

Formerly of Lauderhill, Fla., she was a native of Giles County, Va. She retired from retail in 1985, spending her retirement years in service to others through volunteer work. She moved to Franklin four years ago where she lived out her remaining years with her daughter, Deborah. She was a member of Eastern Star and a former member of Parkway Christian Church, Disciples of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clinton S. Brown Jr.

Surviving are two sisters, Barbara and Betty; three daughters, Susannah, Deborah and Ginger; and four grandchildren. Burial was at Arlington National Cemetery Monday, March 5.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to American Cancer Society.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Charlie Deitz

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at East Sylva Baptist Church. The Rev. Charles Dean officiated. Burial was at Fairview Memorial Gardens.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a member of Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church and attended East Sylva Baptist Church since 1955. He was retired after 27 years with Mead Corp. He was a son of the late Thomas W. and Mary Elizabeth Powell Deitz.

He was preceded in death by seven brothers and three sisters.

Surviving are his wife, Helen DeHart Deitz; two sons, Donnie Deitz of Bryson City and Ronnie Deitz of Kernersville; and one grandson.

Memorials may be made to WestCare Hospice, 128 Sylva Plaza, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

John Orcutt Sr.

A native of Atlantic City, N.J., he was a former resident of West Palm Beach, Fla., and a resident of Jackson County for the past 18 years. He served with the U.S. Army from 1955-1958. He was a member of the Royal Order of the Moose for the past 13 years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Connie M. Orcutt; his father, Charles R. Orcutt; and his mother, Margaret Nash Orcutt.

Surviving are five daughters, Deborah D. Dammer of Bloomington, Ind., Barbara E. Ailes of Sylva, Sharon J. Merritt of Berlin, Ga., Janet Z. Orcutt of Jacksonville and Pamela M. Reid of Concord; two sons, John E. Orcutt Jr. of Sylva and Charles R. Orcutt of Lake Worth, Fla.; and 13 grandchildren.

Lucille Shuler

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. Mike Moore, Earl Holden, Brian Bishop and Hardin Nicholson officiated. Burial was at Loves Chapel Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of New Hope Baptist Church. She was the daughter of the late James Washington and Chassie Virginia Deitz Mathis.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Roy Lyman Shuler, who died in 1990; and an infant daughter.

Surviving are one son, Luther Shuler of Sylva; six daughters, Betty May of Rogers, Ark., and Ruby Lonis Nicholson, Martha Bishop, Virginia Ammons, Nellie Buchanan and Gladys Flynn, all of Sylva; four sisters, Hettie Parker and Helen King, both of Cordova, Bennie Sue Stirk of Rockingham and Nell Sherlock of Greer, S.C.; 23 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

Shuford Cagle

Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. today (Thursday) at Fairview Memorial Gardens. The Rev. Jack Hinson will officiate. Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

William Berry

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 3, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Todd Kiger officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens.

A native of Dade County, Fla., he had been a resident of Jackson County for the past 25 years. He was a former employee of Sapphire Valley Security and worked with the Boy Scouts while living in Florida.

He was a son of Randall Berry of Deerfield Beach, Fla., and the late Ada Berry.

He was preceded in death by one brother, David Berry.

Surviving, in addition to his father, are his wife, Carolyn Berry; one son, William Berry Jr. of Cashiers; three daughters, Kim Allen of Cashiers, Kathryn Borth of Ft. Collins, Colo., and Claire Bumgarner of Cashiers; one brother, Kenneth Berry of Victorville, Calif.; one sister, Lois Gordon of Fairplay, S.C.; and five grandchildren.

Joyce Clawson

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. today (Thursday) at Laurel Branch Baptist Church. The Rev. Carl Adams and Ricky Conner will officiate. Burial will be in Parris Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Odell Aiken, Mickey Bumgarner, Calvin Autrey, Charles Blackburn, Alvin and Mack Farmer, Dickie and Terry Griffin and Derick Wooten.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she worked for Jackson County Health Department as a nursešs aid until her declining health. A 1973 graduate of Sylva-Webster High School, she was a lifelong member of Laurel Branch Baptist Church, serving as a former Sunday school teacher.

She was a daughter of Lillian Miller Clawson of Sylva and the late William Leroy Clawson.

Surviving, in addition to her mother, are a twin sister, Lois Clawson of Sylva; three additional sisters, Shirley Mace and Brenda Clawson, both of Sylva, and Patricia Tucker of Candler; and two brothers, Donald and Leroy Clawson, both of Sylva.

The family was to have received friends from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home.

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