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 - 04/26/01

Laura Conner

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home chapel. The Rev. Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Stillwell Cemetery.

A native of Swain County, she lived most of her life in Jackson County and was a daughter of the late Robert Lee and Clem Woody Callahan. She was a member of Wayside Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Jim Tolley; one daughter, Ruby Ann Stephens; one stepdaughter, Lizzie Ramsey; and three sons, Jessie, Albert and Dink Tolley.

Surviving are her husband, George Conner; three daughters, Irene Davis of Whittier, Stella Bradley of Cherokee and Rachel Gorley of Stem; eight sons, Robert "Hurtle" Treadway of Gastonia, Arby Tolley and Harold Tolley, both of Greenville, S.C., John Tolley of Easley, S.C., and Dick Tolley, Dewey Tolley, Jerome Tolley and Jack Tolley, all of Sylva; one stepson, Medford Hampton of Marietta, S.C.; one sister, Vergie Moore of Gastonia; one brother, Harry Callahan of York, S.C.; 35 grandchildren; 68 great-grandchildren; and 51 great-great-grandchildren.

Margie Ward

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at Whittier Church of God, of which she was a member. The Rev. Ned Pressley officiated. Burial was in Union Hill Cemetery. Pallbearers were Eugene H. Regan, John Ward, DeWayne Elders, Tommy Sutton, Cecil Queen and Eddie Monteith.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late Herman and Cannie Cooper Ward.

Surviving are her husband, Edward Ward; two daughters, Shirley Elders and Joyce Sutton, both of Whittier; four sisters, Ruth Barrett and Dot Edwards of Lowell, and Bertha Watts and Margaret Jenkins of Gastonia; two brothers, Wade Cooper of Dallas and Clyde Cooper of Belmont; three grandsons; and four great-grandchildren.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Lucy Hunsucker

Funeral services were held Monday, April 23, at 11 a.m. in Winterville Christian Church. Burial was in Winterville Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Winterville, she was a graduate of Winterville High School. She attended Woman's College in Greensboro and East Carolina Teachers College.

She was a charter member of Winterville Christian Church, where she had served as an elder and as president of the Christian Women's Fellowship. She was a member and past president of the Winterville Historical and Arts Society, a member of the Pitt County Historical Society and the Sans Souci Book Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayland L. Hunsucker; her parents, Robert Lee and Annie McGlohon Abbott; and one brother, Montgomery Abbott.

Surviving are two daughters, Sandra E. Hunsucker of Winterville and Havelock and Sue Ellen Bridgers of Sylva; one son, W. Abbott Hunsucker of Winterville; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Winterville Christian Church, P.O. Box 597, Winterville, N.C. 28590; or the Winterville Historical and Arts Society, P.O. Box 2, Winterville, N.C. 28590.

James Bumgarner

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, April 23, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home chapel. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell and Carl Adams officiated. Burial was in Parris Cemetery. Pallbearers were Fred and David Griffin, Mickey and Michael Bumgarner, Steve Shuler and Bobby Burns. Honorary pallbearers were Bill Buchanan, Johnny Jones, Millard Gates and Paul Hall.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was owner and operator of Bumgarner TV Service for several years. He was a son of the late David and Ollie Mae Cope Bumgarner. He was preceded in death by one brother, Ernest Cope.

Surviving are his wife, Jackie B. Bumgarner; one son, Mickey Bumgarner of Sylva: two stepsons, John and Mike Brooks, both of Dillsboro; two sisters, Maggie Rhyne of Gastonia and Betty Smith of Falston; one brother, Willis Cope of Denver, Colo.; two grandchildren; and two step grandchildren.

Flora Mills

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 20, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home chapel. The Rev. Earl Holden officiated. Burial was in Henry Cogdill Cemetery. Pallbearers were Denny Mathis, Chas Mathis, Bobby Mathis, Lee Williams, Jeff Fisher and Jamie Dillinger.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late D.C. and Flora Alma Cogdill Henry.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel Mills Sr., who died in 1981; and an infant son, Samuel Mills Jr.

Surviving are two sisters, Sadie Henry and Nora Lee Mathis, both of Sylva.

Dallas Pressley

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at Zion Hill Baptist Church. The Revs. Wesley Hooper and Keith Ashe officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Terry Wilson, Steve Wilson, Kevin Pressley, Kenneth Pressley, Steve Pressley and James Norman.

A native of Jackson County, he was a son of the late Lewis and Sarah Johnson Pressley. He was a retired maintenance worker with the N.C. Department of Transportation and a member of Zion Hill Baptist Church.

Surviving are his wife of 55 years, Maudy Isiebell Passmore Pressley of the home; one daughter, Dicie Hopkins of Sylva; one son, Alexander "Leroy" Pressley of Franklin; one sister, Hester Franks of Franklin; one brother, Lester Wilson of Sylva; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery Fund c/o Mary Wilson 3110 Pumpkintown Road Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Bryant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

James Sutton

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home chapel. The Revs. J. D. Grant and Ray McCall will officiate. Burial will be in Bradley Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Donald Green, Alvin Wilkey, Marshall "Mitch" Bradley, Chris Bowers, Hayes Queen and Ray Crawford.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a son of the late Odell and Mildred Cope Sutton. He was a mechanic with Green's Auto Service and a member of East Sylva Baptist Church.

Surviving are his wife, Elizabeth Hooper Sutton; two daughters, Krissie Anne Red of Mountain Home and Jill Anne Cook of Cullowhee; two stepsons, Jeffery D. Hooper of Sylva and Brad Hooper of New York; one sister, Linda Lou Sutton of Tampa, Fla.; two brothers, Bob Sutton of Swannanoa and Joe C. Sutton of Sylva; and two grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Hospice, 68 Hospital Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Harry Mason

Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at Scotts Creek Baptist Church. The Revs. Rich Peoples and Lloyd Fish will officiate. Burial will be in Dills Cemetery. Pallbearers will be church deacons.

A native of Macon County, he had lived in Jackson County since 1932 and was a son of the late Walter and Bethie Hall Mason. He retired with Kirk Davis Chevrolet as an automobile salesman and was a member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church since 1945 where he also served as deacon.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Edna Barnes Mason, who died in 1997.

Surviving are one daughter, Sue Robinson of Waynesville; one son, Tom Mason of Sylva; one sister, Lucille Worley of Asheville; one brother, Harold Mason of Tampa, Fla.; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends following the services at the church.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Western North Carolina Chapter, 3 Louisiana Ave., Asheville, NC 28806.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Samuel Hoyle

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