Obituaries - 05/18/00

Richard Wagner

Richard D. Wagner, 73, of Bugle Boy Lane, Cullowhee, died at his residence Saturday, May 13, after a brief illness.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Sylva First United Methodist Church. The Rev. Joseph Fulk officiated. Burial was in Wike Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jeffrey S. Wagner, Barry M. Wagner, Kurt R. Wagner, Joshua S. Ryczek, Ryan B. Ryczek, Erik Lex and Leland McKeown Jr.

A native of Belleville, he had lived in Jackson County for the past three years. He was owner and operator of Wagner Enterprises in Brooksville, Fla., a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and the son of the late Daniel C. and Mamie C. Smoker Wagner. He was a member of Sylva First United Methodist Church and New Beginnings Sunday School class.

Surviving are his wife, Jeanne L. Wagner; one daughter, Richelle J. Sampl of Cullowhee; three sons, the Rev. Richard C. Wagner of Jacksonville, Fla., the Rev. Barry L. Wagner of Clermont, Fla., and Steve J. Wagner of North Lawrence, Ohio; 11 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Hospice, 68 Hospital Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779; or Sylva First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 296, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Clara Lou Norris Moody, 98, of Gastonia, formerly of Glenville, died Monday, May 8.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. J.C. Robinson officiated. Burial was at Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Earl Dowdle, Shirley Dowdle, John Moss, Jim Muir, David Cook and Bobby Norris.

She was the daughter of the late Loransey and Sally Stewart Norris.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifton Moody; one son, Clifton Lyle "Goob" Moody; one daughter, Mary Alice Moody; one stepson, Mack Moody; four brothers; one sister; and one great-granddaughter.

Surviving are her husband, Carl; three daughters, Aura Lee Conner of Gastonia, Mildred Gibson of Stanley and Doris Coggins; one sister, Leota Norris of Franklin; 10 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; 11 great-great-grandchildren; three step grandchildren; six step great-grandchildren; and five step great-great-grandchildren.

Geneva Bryson

Geneva Allen Bryson, 76, of Keener Cemetery Road, Sylva, died Tuesday, May 9, at Mountain Trace Nursing Home after an extended illness.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Liberty Baptist Church. The Revs. J.E. Smith, Eddie Stillwell and Wanda Moore officiated. Burial was at Parris Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County and a homemaker, she was a member of Liberty Baptist Church. She attended the School for the Blind in Greenville and was the daughter of the late Lawrence Allen and Hattie Allen.

Surviving are her husband, Glenn Bryson; two sons, William Harold Coward of Sylva and Thomas Allen Blakley of Cullowhee; one sister, Ida Jean Bryson of Sylva; one brother, Charlie Allen of Cullowhee; 11 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Pearl Henry

Pearl C. Dills Henry, 86, of Little Ellijay Road, Franklin, died Tuesday, May 9, in a Macon County nursing home.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the chapel of Macon Funeral Home. The Revs. Jerry King and Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Ellijay Baptist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers were Dean Cook, Bobby Henry, John Henry, Mike Dills, Johnny Dills and Chris Tucker.

A native of Macon County, she was the daughter of the late Harley Dills and Ida Cagle Dills. She was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sons, James Henry and Harley Henry; and one brother, Lester Dills.

Surviving are her husband, Tom Henry; one son, Jack Henry of Franklin; two daughters, Edith Lopes of Franklin and Joyce Tucker of Pine Creek; three brothers, Verlin Dills of Brevard, Ray Dills of Franklin and Truey Dills of Hendersonville; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Ellijay Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Barbara Mashburn, 31 Canton Henry Road, Franklin, N.C. 28734.

Alexander Rebolledo.

Alexander Leon Rebolledo, infant son of Tino and Michelle Jones Rebolledo, died Thursday, May 11, in Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 14, at Wilmot Baptist Church. The Rev. Johnny Ray Davis officiated. Burial was in Hensley Cemetery.

Surviving are the maternal grandparents, Leon and Barbara Jones of Whittier; and the paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Rebolledo of Mexico.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Michael Shelton

Michael Shelton, 30, of Sylva, died Saturday, May 13, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Denny Crow and Dr. John Bunn officiated. Burial was in Birdtown Cemetery.

A native of Swain County, he had lived in Jackson County for most of his life. He was a member of Johns Creek Baptist Church. He was the son of Wanda Shelton of Sylva and the late R.M. Shelton.

Surviving are his wife, Helen Shelton; one daughter, Amanda Leigh Shelton of Cullowhee; two sons, Daniel Michell Shelton and Donathan Nathaniel "Coby" Shelton, both of Cullowhee; one sister, Mary Regina Watkins of Cullowhee; one brother, John Wilburn Shelton of Cullowhee; and three half-brothers, Samuel Ralph Otter and Craig Alexander Otter, both of Cherokee, and Henry Junior Otter of Sylva.

Nellie Baker

Nellie Baker, 93, of Webster Road, Webster, died Friday, May 12, at Harris Regional Hospital after a brief illness.

A memorial service was held at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Webster Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Rev. Mike Dellinger officiated. Burial will be at a later date.

A native of Louisville, Ky., she had lived in Jackson County since 1952. She was a retired nursešs aide from Harris Regional Hospital.

She was preceded in death by her adoptive parents, Lewis Henry and Julia Baker; her husband, Roy J. Baker, who died in 1993; three sons, Charles Baker, who died in 1941, Billy Baker who died in 1964 and Bob Baker who died in March.

Surviving are two sons, James Roy Baker of Easley, S.C., and Tom Baker of Sylva; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Webster Baptist Church, P.O. Box 34, Webster, N.C. 28788.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Marion Sherrill

Marion F. Sherrill, 55, of Acquoni Road, Cherokee, died Tuesday, May 16, at her residence.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Yellowhill Baptist Church. The Revs. James "Red" Bradley, Jim "Bo" Sneed, and Roland Whitaker will officiate. Burial will be in the Swimmer Family Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Swain County, she was a member of Yellowhill Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Louisa Crowe Barnes and wife of the late Robert Sherrill Sr.

Surviving are two sons, Dink Sherrill and Spook Sherrill, both of Cherokee; two brothers, Clayton Crowe of Indiana and James Barnes of Kissimmee, Fla.; three sisters, Edwina Jones of Lexington, Cindy Crowe of Cherokee and Esther Barnes of Lawrence, Kan.; and five grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Moody Funeral Home.

Robert Thutt

Robert "Bob" Thutt, 84, of Griffin Street, Sylva, died Wednesday, May 17, in Mountain Trace Nursing Center after a period of declining health.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at First Presbyterian Church of Sylva, of which he was a member. The Rev. Bill Serjak will officiate. Burial will be in Dills Cemetery.

A native of Elida, Ohio, he had lived in Jackson County for 46 years. He was a mortician, working in several area funeral homes. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a surgical technician sergeant. A son of the late B. Frank and Mayme Stutzman Thutt, he graduated from Blufton College in Ohio with a bacheloršs degree and Cincinnati College of Arts and Science as a mortician.

Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Mildred T. Morgan Thutt; a daughter, Anne Thutt Nicholson of Sylva; two sons, Paul Morgan Thutt of Hillsboro, Ore., and Thomas Russell Thutt of Kinston; and four grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Robe Fund, 28 Presbyterian Drive, Sylva, N.C. 28779 or the Presbyterian Home for Children, Black Mountain, N.C. 28711 or the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Nora Montelongo

Nora Thompson Montelongo, 73, of the Yellowhill community of Cherokee, died Tuesday, May 16, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 16, at 4 p.m. at her residence. Burial was in the Nora Thompson Family Cemetery. She was a daughter of the late Simon and Sarah Thompson and wife of the late Anacleto Montelongo Sr.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Helen T. Mays; and one daughter, Elvia Montelongo.

Surviving are seven sons, Cleto, Manuel and David Montelongo, all of Cherokee, Mark Espinosa of San Francisco, Raymond Montelongo of Idaho, Danny Montelongo of California and John Espinosa of Canada; four daughters, Sara Montelongo and Lisa Montelongo, both of Cherokee, Mary Esther Duran and Erma Linda Montelongo, both of California; two brothers, Johnny Thompson of California and Dave Sequoyah Thompson of Cherokee; two sisters, Annie Ramos of California and Pauline Thompson of New Mexico; 45 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.