Obituary Information

The Sylva Herald prints obituaries free of charge as a service to readers.

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 - 05/23/02

Davis

Robenia Davis

Robenia Allen Davis, 88, of Live Oak Drive, Sylva, died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 17, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Jerry Jamison officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens.

A native of Buncombe County, she had lived in Jackson County since 1932. She worked at Mills Manufacturing and later at the Jarrett House. She was a member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church and attended Laurel Hill Methodist Church.

She was a daughter of the late Doyle and Elizabeth Holcombe Allen.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Delos Davis, who died in 1964; one son, Richard Keith Davis; two stepsons; one sister; and four brothers.

Surviving are four daughters, Elizabeth McCarson of Candler, Betty Willis of Woodfin, Mary Frances Mills of East Asheville and Renita Davis of Sylva; two sisters, Blanche Bennett and Mayme Brown of Candler; 15 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and 17 great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 925, Sylva, N.C .28779; or Alzheimeršs Association, WNC Chapter, 3 Louisiana Ave., Asheville, N.C. 28806.

Earnest Jordan

Earnest Kinsey Jordan, 90, of Sylva, died Thursday, May 16, 2002, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center in Sylva.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville. A native of Evanston, Ill., he was a graduate of the University of Chicago, PhB, School of Business in 1934 and was retired after 30 years as a certified public accountant.

He lived in Park Ridge, Ill., from 1921-1972. There he served as Park Ridge Park District treasurer, Park Ridge Rotary Club founding president, was a Paul Harris Fellow, member of Park Ridge Community Church, and a founding member of Park Ridge Historical Society.

Son of the late Orvis Fairlee and Ida Mae Kinsey Jordan, he moved to Jackson County in 1972 and was a member of the Sylva Rotary Club. In 1974, he moved to Henderson County, where he lived until 2001. He was a member of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Asheville and later in Hendersonville. He was a volunteer with Head Start, Lincoln Circle.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Rose Fuhrman Jordan, who died in 2001.

Surviving are two daughters, Bonnie Beam of Sylva and Shirley Wilson of Wheeling, W.Va.; one son, Dr. David Kinsey Jordan of La Jolla, Calif.; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sylva Rotary Endowment and mailed to the N.C. Community Foundation, P.O. Box 2148, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

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

Irene Cairnes

Irene Lucille Bradley Cairnes, 63, of 42 A Broadview Drive, Asheville, died Thursday, May 16, 2002, at her residence.

Funeral services were held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18, in the chapel of Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian. Pastor Tom Pierce officiated. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery. Pallbearers were William Cairnes, David Millard, Larry McSwain, Jonathan McSwain, Mark McKinney and Bobby Wooton.

A native of Jackson Countyšs Wilmot community, she was a daughter of the late James Thad and Bessie Sellers Bradley.

Surviving are her husband, Donald Cairnes; two sisters, Pat Deason and Betty Holland, both of Monroe; and three brothers, James Bradley of Wilmot, Roy Bradley of Waynesville and Wayne Bradley of Greenville, S.C.

An online memorial register may be signed at www.grocefuneralhome.com.

Michael Chambers

Michael Chad Chambers, 28, of Bryson City, died Saturday, May 18, 2002.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, in the chapel of Crisp Funeral Home. The Rev. Ed Kilgore officiated. Burial was in Swain Memorial Park.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Natasha Lee Chambers; grandmothers, Rhoda Lee Stanberry and Nannie Sue Chambers; and stepfather, Jerry R. Cochran.

Surviving are his wife, Carrie M. Chambers; three sons, Michael Cameron and Dalton Colby Chambers of the home and Kevin Matthews Cole of Bryson City; father, Michael D. Chambers of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; mother, Brenda Buchanan of Sylva; one brother, Kevin Chambers of New Smyrna Beach; one sister, Rhoda Lee Brenda Cochran of Sylva; and grandparents, Ben Stanberry and Edward Chambers of Bryson City.

Larry Wicks

Larry Ellis Wicks, 53, of Cherokee, died Wednesday, May 15, 2002, at the VA Medical Center in Asheville.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Yellow Hill Baptist Church. The Rev. Ben Tapp officiated. Burial was in Yellow Hill Veterans Cemetery.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

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

Georgia Hamrick

Georgia Cooper Hamrick, 82, of Whittier, died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at her residence after a period of declining health.

Graveside services were held at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Swain Memorial Park. The Rev. Wayne Crisp officiated.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late James Joshua and Bessie Sluder Patterson.

Surviving are two daughters, Doris Cochran of Atlanta and Woodie McCoy of Cherokee; one son, Jim Cooper of Whittier; one brother, Willard Patterson of Tampa, Fla.; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.