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 - 06/06/02

Amanda Queen

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Macedonia Baptist Church. The Rev. Jim Park officiated. Burial was at Queen Family Cemetery. A native of Cherokee, she was a member of Macedonia Baptist Church and daughter of the late Jonah Thompson and Nannie Catolster.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Queen; one son, James Edward Queen; one sister, Melinda Catolster; and one brother, Minoch Catolster.

Surviving are one son, Robert Queen of Cherokee; two sisters, Margaret Sneed and Nellie Driver, both of Cherokee; and two grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. An online memorial and guest registry is available at www.pemoody.com.

Aldona Sarka

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Friday, May 31, at St. Jude's Catholic Church. The Rev. Bill Evans officiated. Burial was in Howard Family Cemetery.

She was born in Lithuania and came to the United States as a refugee from communism. She lived in Omaha, Neb., and 35 years in the Chicago area. For the last 12 years she was a full-time resident of Cashiers and was a member of St. Judešs Catholic Church. She was the daughter of the late John and Francis Grigaityte Jakaitis.

Surviving are her husband, Vytautas Sarka; and one sister, Eugene Ruckus of Chicago.

Moody Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. An online memorial and guest registry is available at www.pemoody.com.

Gladys Wilkes

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 3, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Tim Dillard officiated. Burial was in Fall Cliff Cemetery.

A native of Forsyth County, she had lived in Jackson County for the past 67 years. She was a member of Speedwell Baptist Church and daughter of the late Austin and Maggie Moore Roberts.

She was preceded in death by her husband, June Wilkes, who died in 2000; one son, Eddie Austin; two brothers, Marshall and Orville Roberts; and one sister, Peggy Jo Newsom.

Surviving are one daughter, Betty Bryson of Sylva; two sons, Donald Roberts of the home and Delbert Ray Wilkes of Greensboro; three sisters, Lottie Sutphin, Lillie Mae Stoltz and Donna Faye Gibson, all of Winston-Salem; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorials to help with expenses may be made to her daughter, Betty Bryson, 19 Love Ave., Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Vernon Ashely Jr.

A native of Dade County, Fla., he had lived in Jackson County since 1979. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam era. Surviving is his wife, Michele Losey Ashley of Cullowhee.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Alton Fryer Jr.

A memorial service was held at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Clyde. The Rev. Bruce Cayton officiated.

Funeral services were held Saturday, June 1, at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Titusville, Fla. Burial was held in Brevard Memorial Park in Sharpes, Fla.

A native of Savannah, Ga., he graduated from Georgia Tech. He served in the Army Air Force as a first lieutenant and bombardier in B-29s in the Pacific during World War II, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He was retired from NASA, was a Scout leader, cabinet maker and deacon and member of Oak Grove Baptist Church. In 1941 he was a founding member of Garden City Baptist Church in Garden City, Ga.

He was the son of the late Alton D. and Eula Reid Fryer.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Martha Sue Johnston Fryer, who died in 1988; and one daughter, Mary Priscilla Fryer.

Surviving are his wife, Betty Sue Shaw Fryer; one sister, Joyce Fryer Upchurch of Garden City, Ga.; two sons, Alton D. Fryer III of Severna Park, Md., and Robert Lee Fryer of Clearwater, Fla.; one daughter, Susan Sherwood Fryer Pierce of Waldorf, Md.; one stepdaughter, Sue Singleton Smith of Canton; two stepsons, Dwayne Singleton of Huntersville and Darrin Singleton of Charlotte; 18 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Moody Funeral Home assisted the family with local arrangements. An online memorial and guest registry is available at www.pemoody.com.

Thomas Brown

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 9, at Sols Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. Keith Ashe will officiate. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Mt. View Baptist Church in Darrington, Wash., of which he was a member.

He lived in Darrington, Wash., for 42 years and was a timber faller, retiring at age 62. A native of Jackson County, he was a World War II veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Danie Brown, and stepmother, Odessa; and one sister, Ernestine Broom.

Surviving are his wife, Pearlene; two sons, Tom Brown Jr. and Larry Brown of Darrington, Wash.; one daughter, Joyce Dawson of Arlington, Wash.; one brother, Jesse Brown Jr. of Darrington, Wash.; 10 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and several relatives in Jackson County.

Weller Funeral Home in Arlington, Wash., was in charge of arrangements.

Irene Dunn

Private family services were held Tuesday, June 4, at Florida Memorial Funeral Home in Rockledge, Fla. Burial followed in Florida Memorial Gardens.

She was a daughter of the late Roy W. and Fannie Hamilton.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Jo Doris Hamilton; and two brothers, Russell and Ted Hamilton.

Surviving are her husband, Gene Dunn; one daughter, Peggy Vincent of Rockledge, Fla.; one sister, Carol Styles of Bryson City; one brother, Joe Hamilton of Sylva; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Terrie Watty

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 1, at Cherokee Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Rev. Ben Tapp officiated. Burial was in Swaney Cemetery. A native of Charlotte, she lived in Cherokee most of her life.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Lois K. Morris, and one brother, Kenny Morris.

Surviving are five sons, Steven Watty, Jason Watty, Jesse Watty, John Watty and Quinton Watty, all of Cherokee; one daughter, Tiyona Wolfe of Cherokee; two sisters, Mary Harris of Ranlo and Diane Yandle of Charlotte; one brother, Jeffery Morris of Sevierville, Tenn.; her father, Homer Morris of Ranlo; and three grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.

Chester Sequoyah

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Macedonia Baptist Church. The Rev. Jim Park officiated. Burial was in John Bradley Family Cemetery. He was a lifelong resident of Cherokee and the son of Nikki Bradley of Cherokee.

In addition to his mother, surviving are his maternal grandparents, Nick Jr. and Wanda Bradley.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Robert Crawford Jr.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 5, at Bryant Funeral Home. The Rev. John Raby officiated. Burial was in Tippett Cemetery. Franklin VFW Post 7339 and American Legion Post 108 conducted military graveside rites. Pallbearers were Clarence Hubbell, Josh Sutton, John Robinson, Caleb Crawford, Bob Crawford and Philip Greene.

A native of Macon County, he was a son of the late Robert Lester Crawford Sr. and Bertha Cope Crawford. He was a retired service manager for an automotive dealership and a member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church. He was an Air Force veteran of World War II and a lifetime member of Franklin VFW Post 7339.

Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Thelma Baldwin Crawford; one daughter, Linda Robinson of Charleston, S.C.; one son, Robert L. Crawford III of Sylva; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to National World War II Memorial Fund, 2300 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 501, Arlington, Va. 22201; or Tippett Cemetery Fund, 328 Wilds Cove Road, Franklin, N.C. 28734.

Joyce Hooper

Services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at Shady Brook Baptist Church. The Rev. George Sherman officiated. Burial was in Forest Lawn West.

She was born in Sylva, a daughter of the late Guy Fisher and Jeanette Sheehan Fisher. She was a member of Shady Brook Baptist Church and a homemaker, wife, mother and grandmother.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Clyde Hooper, who died in 2000.

Surviving are two daughters, Kim McGee of Charlotte and Janet McCullogh of Mooresville; one son, Ronnie Hooper of Charlotte; one brother, Tom Fisher of Sylva; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.

McEwen Funeral and Cremation Service of Charlotte handled arrangements.

Ruth Godwin

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. The Rev. Eugene Steele officiated. Burial was at St. Johnšs Cemetery. She was a member of Olive Baptist Church and the Senior Adult Sunday school class.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Alvlin O. Godwin Jr., parents, grandparents, and one brother.

Surviving are two sons, Alvin Godwin III and Timothy Godwin; one daughter, Martha Kelly; two sisters, Arlene Youngston of Iowa and Marion Degulau of South Dakota; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Kit Zachary

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.

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