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 - 05/16/02

Grace Sneed

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, at Ochre Hill Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Rev. J.D. Grant officiated. Burial was in Love Cemetery. Nephews served as pallbearers.

A native of McDowell County, she had lived in Jackson County for the past 85 years. She was a retired hospital worker and daughter of the late Spon and Kate Dyer Mills.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Vardie Sneed; one brother, Calvin Mills; and one sister, Hattie Florence.

Surviving are one son, Kenneth Mills of Marlton, N.J.; two sisters, Mamie Henry and Annie Dee Austin, both of Sylva; one brother, Johnny Mills of Sylva; and three grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Ochre Hill Baptist Church, 1535 Blanton Branch Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Anna Henson

Graveside services were held at noon Friday, May 10, in Fairview Memorial Gardens. The Rev. Max Cochran officiated.

A native of Lyman, Wash., she spent her childhood in Jackson County and later lived in Haywood County for several years before moving to Winter Park in 1963. She was the daughter of the late Luther Franklin and Ollie Green Deitz and wife of the late Frank B. Henson.

Surviving are one son, Robert Henson of Asheville; and one sister, Gypsy Deitz of Sylva.

Memorials may be made in her name to Carolina Day School, 1345 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, N.C. 28803.

Moody Funeral Home in Sylva was in charge of arrangements.

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

Hattie Watson

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Yellow Mountain Baptist Church. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell and Matt Fox will officiate. Burial will be at Pine Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in the Pine Creek community. Pallbearers will be Robbie Potts, Jeffery Stewart, Jermey Stewart, Curly Potts, Jimmy Stewart and Elden Jamison.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Yellow Mountain Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Sam and Fannie Ash Franklin.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Grover Watson; one daughter, Ina Watson; and four brothers, Robert Franklin, Desmond Franklin, Charlie Franklin and Thurmond Franklin.

Surviving are one son, Ira Watson of Stanley; one daughter, Fannie Jane Kirkland of Glenville; two sisters, Christine Barnes of Tuckasegee and Laura Bell Franklin of Sylva; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, at Moody Funeral Home.

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

Ronald Gammon

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 11, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Larry Foster officiated.

A native of Burlington, he was a six-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, winning back-to-back world championships in first-of-their-kind competitions in comedy while touring the military bases and entertaining troops in combat zones. He was appointed a Kentucky colonel in 1984 by the governor of Kentucky.

Since 1983 he had entertained children at Santa's Land in Cherokee and the Asheville Mall as Santa Claus during the Christmas season.

He was a son of the late Arnold James and Essie Rumple Gammon.

He was preceded in death by one son, Brian Scott Gammon, and twin brother, Arnold Gammon.

Surviving are his wife, Sharon Perkins Gammon; five sons, Frank Gammon of Cullowhee, Kent Gammon of Brookfield, Wis., Ronald Gammon of Smithfield, Mark Gammon of Burlington and Kirk Horne of Graham; one daughter, Kathy Mitchell of Burlington; nine grandchildren; and two great- grandchildren.

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

Billy Stiles

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, May 13, at Balsam Missionary Baptist Church. The Revs. Johnny Swanger, Clifford Parker and Dennis Queen officiated. Burial was at Green Hill Cemetery.

A native of Haywood County, he was a son of Lavon Gunter Stiles of Waynesville and the late George Clifford Stiles. He was employed by Dayco for 28 years and Lea Industries.

He was the pastor at Speedwell Baptist Church in Cullowhee and was ordained at Balsam Missionary Baptist Church in 1981. He served as pastor for Dicks Creek Baptist Church in Sylva, Fairview Baptist Church in Waynesville, Long Branch Baptist Church in Dillsboro and Wilkesdale Baptist Church in Sylva.

He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served during the Vietnam War.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife of 35 years, Brenda McGaha Stiles; one daughter, Pamela Stiles Evans of Etowah; one son, Jeffrey Keith Stiles of the home; two sisters, Barbara Medford of Waynesville and JoAnn Medford of Canton; and one brother, the Rev. Robert Stiles of Waynesville.

Wells Funeral Home in Waynesville was in charge of arrangements.

An online memorial register is available at www.wells funeralhome.com.

Reva Estes

Memorial services were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, at First Assembly of God in Marysville, Wash. Graveside services followed at Darrington Cemetery.

A native of Johnson City, Tenn., she was a member of First Assembly of God in Marysville, Wash.

Surviving are two sons, Ken Estes and Gene Estes; one daughter, Margaret Blanton of Sylva; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Weller Funeral Home in Arlington was in charge of arrangements.

Robenia Davis

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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