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 all of the deceased's children; we also include the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We do not include in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews or special friends.

A brief history of the deceased is included. We include information on their employment, as well as professional, civic, community and religious affiliations. We omit personal tributes.

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Obituaries - 08/15/02

Lois Martin

A memorial service will be held at Whittier United Methodist Church at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18.

She had been residing with her daughter and son-in-law in Chapel Hill for the past six years.

She was born to Charlie and Bessie Rice Edwards on June 27, 1906, in Whiteside Cove as the third of seven children.

While teaching, she continued her own education, acquiring her master's degree and then continuing to take other courses. She was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary sorority for women educators, and held a life-time membership in the Eastern Star.

Beginning in the 1930s, she and her husband opened their home as "The Martin House," where her family provided rooms and country-style meals for tourists. They built the Martonian Motel in the 1950s and operated it until 1991.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Henry Grady Martin, who died in 1982; and one son, Grady Joe.

Surviving are one sister, Hazel Shields of Whittier; three daughters, Carolyn Fitz-Simons of Chapel Hill, Marilyn Herron of Bryson City and Katrina Moncrief of Wilmington; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Charles House, 109 Hillcrest Street, Carrboro, N.C. 27510, an adult day care center; or to Duke Health Community Hospice Inpatient Care Facility, 1001 Corporate Drive, Hillsborough, N.C. 27278.

Mae Studer

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at Scotts Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. Rich Peoples officiated. Burial was in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Indiantown Gap, Pa.

A native of Lancaster, Pa., she had lived in Jackson County since 1983. She was a member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl A. Studer; and two brothers, Frank and George Morgan.

Surviving are three daughters, Mickey Walton of Sylva, Virginia Siegrist of Columbia, Pa., and Thelma Little of Dallastown, Pa.; two brothers, Robert and Thomas Morgan, both of Arizona; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Hospice, 132 Sylva Plaza, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Jarrett Smith

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Whittier Church of God. The Rev. Ned Pressley officiated. Burial was in Birdtown Cemetery.

A native of Cherokee County, he had lived in Swain County most of his life. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was a son of the late Sibbald Smith and Estelene Adams Payne and was a retired electrician.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Sibbald Smith Jr.

Surviving are two daughters, Teresa Carvalho of Waynesville and Rebecca Nations of Whittier; two sons, Reginald Smith of Whittier and Eric Smith of Bryson City; five sisters, Lucy Parker of Cane Creek, Ariz., Freida Huskey, Mary Smith and Paula Ison, all of Cherokee, and Trudy Nuckles of Kernersville; one brother, Richard Smith of Cherokee; one half brother, John Payne of Belews Creek; two half sisters, Phoebe Sharpe of Knoxville, Tenn., and Carrie Lambert of Cherokee; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Crisp Funeral Home of Bryson City was in charge of arrangements.

Samuel Smith

Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Crabtree Baptist Church Cemetery. The Rev. Max Smith officiated. Pallbearers were Junior Evans, Charlie Parris, Scott McClure, Dewayne Rathbone, Gerald Rathbone and Henry Rathbone.

A native and lifelong resident of Haywood County, he was a son of Isabelle Revis Smith Randall of Enka and the late Woodrow Wilson Smith. He was employed by Taylor and Murphy Construction Co. as a mechanic with 28 years of service.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Roger Smith.

In addition to his mother, surviving are his wife of 37 years, Vicky Duckett Smith; one daughter, Sharon Hartbarger of Sylva; one son, Alan Smith of Leicester; two brothers, Virgil Smith of Candler and Carroll Smith of Enka; and two grandsons.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 90 Stiles Road, Canton, N.C. 28716. Wells Funeral Home of Canton was in charge of arrangements. An online memorial register is available at Obituaries at www.wells funeralhome.com.

Mary Wikle

A native of Montgomery, Ala., and a resident of Swain County for the past 56 years, she was a member of Bryson City United Methodist Church, where she sang in the church choir and was a member of the United Methodist Women's Circle.

She was a summa cum laude (with highest honors) graduate of Western Carolina University, where she received the Distinguished Service Award. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she began her teaching career at Asheville High School before moving to Bryson City Elementary School. She taught eighth grade there for 20 years. She received her master's degree from WCU in 1958. She was a daughter of the late Soloman Carl and Teresa James Towles Gardner and wife of the late John Martin Wikle.

She was preceded in death by one brother, James T. Gardner; and one sister, Betty Bragg.

Surviving are one daughter, Mary Teresa Wikle Sweeney of Weaverville; one sister, Nancy David of Asheville; two grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

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

Mae Studer

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at Scotts Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. Rich Peoples officiated. Burial was in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Indiantown Gap, Pa.

A native of Lancaster, Pa., she had lived in Jackson County since 1983. She was a member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl A. Studer; and two brothers, Frank and George Morgan.

Surviving are three daughters, Mickey Walton of Sylva, Virginia Siegrist of Columbia, Pa., and Thelma Little of Dallastown, Pa.; two brothers, Robert and Thomas Morgan, both of Arizona; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Hospice, 132 Sylva Plaza, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Jarrett Smith

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Whittier Church of God. The Rev. Ned Pressley officiated. Burial was in Birdtown Cemetery.

A native of Cherokee County, he had lived in Swain County most of his life. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was a son of the late Sibbald Smith and Estelene Adams Payne and was a retired electrician.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Sibbald Smith Jr.

Surviving are two daughters, Teresa Carvalho of Waynesville and Rebecca Nations of Whittier; two sons, Reginald Smith of Whittier and Eric Smith of Bryson City; five sisters, Lucy Parker of Cane Creek, Ariz., Freida Huskey, Mary Smith and Paula Ison, all of Cherokee, and Trudy Nuckles of Kernersville; one brother, Richard Smith of Cherokee; one half brother, John Payne of Belews Creek; two half sisters, Phoebe Sharpe of Knoxville, Tenn., and Carrie Lambert of Cherokee; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Crisp Funeral Home of Bryson City was in charge of arrangements.

Mary Jo Springer

Funeral services were held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Jim McElrath officiated. Burial was in Campground Cemetery in Qualla community.

A native of Haywood County, she retired in 1982 from Haywood County Hospital as a registered nurse in labor and delivery after 30 years service. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Waynesville and daughter of the late Lawrence and Olive Boone Green.

Surviving are her husband of 48 years, Freeman Springer; one daughter, Velda Davis of Waynesville; two sons, Mark H. Springer of New York and Patrick Freeman Springer of Balsam; three brothers, Emmett Green, Mack Green and John D. Green, all of Waynesville; two sisters, Merrill Ogburn of Apex and Patsy Green of Waynesville; and three grandchildren.

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

Ataloa Laney

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, at Little Brasstown Baptist Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Townson-Rose Funeral Home, Murphy, was in charge of the arrangements.

Mildred Parker

She was born July 27, 1931, in Cullowhee to Frank A. and Rose Marie Robbins Adams. She received her education there and graduated from Cullowhee High School in 1949. She married Wade Parker in December of 1948, and they moved to Washington in 1955.

She was a clerk at the Island Market on Puget Island for many years. She also worked several years as a clerk at Phil's Hiway Mart in Cathlamet before she retired. She was a member of the Cathlamet United Church of Christ.

Surviving, in addition to her husband, are a son, Tom Parker of Puyallup, Wash.; two brothers, Bob Adams of Huntsville, Ala., and Harold Adams of Asheville; one sister Nancy Adams Corbin of Puget Island, Cathlamet, Wash.; and one granddaughter.

Dorothy Buchanan

Services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home in Sylva. The Rev. Charles Jackson officiated. Burial was in New Savannah Cemetery.

A native of Jackson County, she had lived in Charlotte since November 2000. She was the daughter of the late Grady and Imogene Bryson Cline. She was a homemaker and member of Grandview Baptist Church in Waynesville.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry Buchanan.

Surviving are one son, Doug Buchanan of Charlotte; two daughters, Janet Buchanan of Charlotte and Gloria Permdo of Miami; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to New Savannah Cemetery, c/o Ann Cabe, 33 Dillsboro Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Carl Smith

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Carl Presnell officiated. Burial was in Old Field Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jimmy and Mark Turner, Steve Owen, Billy Daves, James Hoxit and Scott Mathis.

A native of Jackson County, where he lived most of his life, he retired from Wellco Enterprises. He was a minister and had pastored several churches in Jackson County. He was a member of Promise Land Baptist Church and was a son of the late Lewis and Florence Bumgarner Smith.

Surviving are his wife, Mary Sue Owen Smith; one son, William Smith of Sylva; two sisters, Daisy Smith of Sylva and Margaret Frye of Charlotte; one brother, James Smith of Easley, S.C.; and one granddaughter.

Marvin Brooks

Services were held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Old Savannah Baptist Church, of which he was a member. The Revs. David Sourdes, Clifford Parker and Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Nephews were pallbearers.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a retired logger and pulpwood harvester. He was an Army veteran, having served during World War II. He was a son of the late Varn and Otelia Barker Brooks.

He was preceded in death by an infant son and brother, Burnette "Dink" Brooks.

Surviving are his wife of 51 years, Carol Hall Brooks; one daughter, Marian Harris of Sylva; one son, Steve Brooks of Sylva; four sisters, Merckie McMahan, EllaMae Brooks, Bertha Hall and Frankie Buchanan, all of Sylva; two brothers, Melvin Brooks of Sylva and Karl Brooks of Dayton, Tenn.; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Jose Ramirez

Graveside services were held at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at Watty Cemetery.

He was a native of Mexico.

Moody Funeral Home assisted the family.

Myrtle Coggins

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Verlin Bryson officiated. Burial was in Pisgah View Memorial Park in Candler.

A native of Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late Maude Parker and Horace Phillips. She lived the past 37 years in Candler.

Surviving are her husband of 63 years, Roy A. Coggins; one daughter, Doris Young of Anderson, S.C.; one son, Gary Coggins of Candler; one sister, Fannie Mae Phillips Hooper of East LaPorte; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Richard Laird

A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Clifford Patterson and Kitty Bishop officiated.

A native of New York, he had lived in Jackson County since 1998. He was a tattoo artist and owner-operator of Fatty's Tattoo and Body Piercing. He was a member of West Franklin Pentecostal Church. He was the son of Jack and Patricia Laird.

Surviving are his wife of two years, Robin Harris Laird; one daughter, Samantha Laird of New York; one son, Richard Laird of New York; and one sister, Stephanie of New Jersey.

Charlie Browning

Willis Ray Holder Jr.

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