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 - 10/24/02

Randy Franks

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at Victory Baptist Church. The Revs. Benny Bagwell and Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Ronnie Sutton, Mike Bentley, Billy Greene, Mark Mason, Jerry Franks and Billy Cogdill. Alternate pallbearers were Lee Franks, Clay Franks, Michael Duffield and Justin Huskey. Honorary pallbearers were Garland 'Big Bear" Owenby and C.J. Franks.

A native of Gaston County, he lived most of his life in Jackson County. He was a construction worker for Smokey Mountain Drilling and Blasting and a member of Victory Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, Clifton Franks, who died in 1991; and two brothers, Clayton E. Franks and William Ronnie Franks.

Surviving are his mother, Priscilla Ridley Franks of Sylva; his wife, Annette Evans Franks; one daughter, Natasha Dawn Franks of the home; two sons, John Joseph Franks and Michael James Evans, both of Sylva; one sister, Elizabeth Ann Huskey of Sylva; two brothers, Terry Joe Franks and Russell Franks, both of Sylva; and one grandson.

Memorials may be made to the Scleroderma Foundation, 12 Kent Way, Suite101, Byfield, Mo. 01922.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Prince Powell

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, in Unity United Methodist Church in Lakeland, Ga. Burial was in Fender Cemetery.

Born March 7, 1915, in Clinch County, Ga., to the late Lewis and Lille Smith Powell, he was a former resident of Jackson County. He lived throughout Georgia and Florida before moving to North Carolina. In 2000 he returned to Florida for health reasons and to be closer to family.

He attended Homerville High School and Coyne Electrical School in Chicago. He operated his own auto repair shop in Valdosta, Ga., and Miami. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and Civil Air Patrol. He worked in aircraft maintenance at Warner Robbins AFB in Macon, Ga., and retired in 1978 with 25 years of service from Eastern Airlines's aircraft maintenance and health and welfare departments.

A former member of Coral Gales First United Methodist Church and Sylva First United Methodist Church, he was a member of Killearn Lakes United Methodist Church in Tallahassee. He was a member of Southwest Masonic Lodge 286 in Miami.

He was preceded in death by two sisters and one grandson.

Surviving are his wife, Rebecca Henderson Powell of Tallahassee; one son, Prince Powell Jr. of Walton, Ky.; one daughter, Janice Powell Ellison of Tallahassee; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Big Bend Hospice of Tallahassee, 1723 Mahan St. Blvd., Tallahassee, Fla, 32308.

Eva Buchanan

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, at Little Savannah Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Rev. Roy Burnett officiated. Burial was in Stillwell Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late Harrison Don and Minnie Watson Frizzell and wife of the late Arthur H. Buchanan Sr.

She was preceded in death by three children, Marion Lee Buchanan, Loretta Joan Buchanan and Charles Ray Buchanan.

Surviving are two sons, David Lewis Buchanan of Texas and Arthur H. Buchanan Jr. of Sylva; 10 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. An online memorial and guest registry is available at www.pemoody.com

Randy Taylor

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Eddie Stillwell officiated. Burial was in Robinson Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jim Cunningham Jr., Harold Smith, Kyle Johnson, Larry Harris, Darrin Sutton and Dale Seagle.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a son of the late John Luther and Gladys Gregg Taylor. He was a member of Long Branch Baptist Church and had been a cook at several area restaurants.

Surviving are three sisters, Brenda Keener of Balsam, Norma Taylor of Dillsboro and Sandy Harris of Virginia Beach, Va.; and two brothers, Jim Taylor and Robert Taylor, both of Sylva.

Hayes Hooper

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Dexter Tolbert officiated. Burial was in Hooper Cemetery in the Speedwell community. Pallbearers were Angus Tolbert Jr., Harold Dean Smith, Jimmy Ledford, Keith Hooper, Carl Shelton and Robby Shelton.

A native of Jackson County, where he lived most of his life, he was the son of the late Benjamin H. and Vina Williams Hooper. He was a farmer and U.S. Army veteran.

Surviving is his sister, Rose Jordan of Spartanburg, S.C.

Ruby Hooper

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, in Moses Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. Dillard Moore officiated. Burial was in Lower Stephens Cemetery. Pallbearers were Clinton Hooper, Ed Brock, Bryson Hodgin, Dean Stephens, Roger Stephens and Arthur Stephens.

A native of Virginia, she lived the last 19 years in Alabama and lived several years in Macon County. She was a member of Moses Creek Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother and three sisters.

Surviving are her husband of 54 years, Edgar N. Hooper; one son, Kevin Hooper of Hartsville, Ala.; and one grandson.

Memorials may be made to Moses Creek Baptist Church or Lower Stephens Cemetery Fund.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Opal Henderson

A memorial service was held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, at Ridgeview Presbyterian Church, Farmers Branch, Texas. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at Pine Mountain Cemetery, Pine Mountain, Ga.

She was a native of Pine Mountain, Ga., but had lived the last several years in Carrollton, Texas. She was the daughter of the late Harvey and Ethel Roberts of Pine Mountain, Ga.

She was preceded in death by one brother, Avon C. Roberts.

Surviving are two daughters, Marilyn Dunn Oxley of Carrollton, Texas, and Charlotte Dunn Cowan of Webster; one brother, Jack Roberts of LaGrange, Ga; and six grandsons.

Memorials may be made to Operation Christmas Child Samaritan's Purse, P.O. Box 3000, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, N.C. 28607; or Senior Adult Services, 13370 Branch View Suite 100, Farmers Branch, Texas 75234.

Margaret Gatlin

Funeral services were held at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Pollock-Best Chapel. The Rev. Craig Simmons officiated.

A longtime resident of Waynesville, she was an activity director with Autumn Care. Upon moving to the New Bern area, she became involved in the Ladies Auxiliary, becoming president of VFW Post 1204.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Matthew E. Gatlin; and one son, Clarence Edward Hampton.

Surviving are two daughters, Marla Mathis of Sylva and Judy King of Candler; one son, Anthony Hampton of Waynesville; one sister, Barbara Thompson of Waynesville; nine grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Mountain Area Hospice, P.O. Box 16, Asheville, N.C. 28802-0016.

Jessie Stephens

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at Bethabara Baptist Church. The Rev. Mitchell Smiley officiated. Burial was in Birdtown Cemetery.

A native and resident of Cherokee, she was the daughter of the late Jess and Ellen Bradley McCoy.

Surviving are three half-brothers, Charlie McCoy, Willard McCoy and Bud McCoy, all of Cherokee; and one half-sister, Joan Fowler of Cherokee.

Bill Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Erin Malone

A memorial service will be held Friday, Nov. 1, at University Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Rev. George Conn will officiate.

A native of Honduras, she was adopted by her parents and had lived in Virginia, in addition to Alabama and North Carolina. She fostered animals for humane societies in North Carolina and Alabama and worked at My Best Friends in Sylva. She attended Smoky Mountain High School and was a recipient of a foundation scholarship at Shelton State.

Surviving are her parents, Michael and Janice Malone of Birmingham, Ala.; and her grandparents, James and Evelyn Tarrant.

Memorials may be made to the Jackson County Humane Society, P.O. Box 1966, Sylva, N.C. 28779; or to the Humane Society of West Alabama, P.O. Box 2903, Tuscaloosa, Ala. 35403; or to the Shelton State Community College Foundation, President's Office, 9500 Old Greensboro Road, Tuscaloosa, Ala. 35405. Johns-Ridoat's Funeral Parlor in Birmingham is in charge of arrangements.

Tara Rose

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, in the Canton Chapel of Wells Funeral Homes. The Rev. Michael Gehring officiated. Burial was in Waynesville's Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.

She was a native of Fort Campbell, Ky., and daughter of Joe and Theresa Bernardini Ferrara. She was employed with Belk Department Stores as a manager trainee and had been with the company for three years.

She was a member of Central United Methodist Church in Canton and graduated from Pisgah High School in 1994, where she was a varsity cheerleader. She attended Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College for two years for a degree in marketing. She was awarded a scholarship in the Canton Miss Labor Day pageant in 1992 and 1993 and served as a state officer in the N.C. College Marketing Association.

Surviving are her father and stepmother, Joe and Joan Waldrop Ferrara of Canton; her mother, Theresa Bernardini-Ferrara of Cookeville, Tenn.; one daughter, Sophia Rose of Cookeville, Tenn.; one sister, Joanna Ferrara of Canton; one brother, Joseph Ferrara of Raleigh; paternal grandmother, Florence Ferrara of Malverne, N.Y.; and maternal grandmother, Anna Bernardini of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Memorials may be made to the Canton Central United Methodist Church Habitat for Humanity House, 34 Church St., Canton, NC 28716.

An online memorial register is available at Obituaries at www.wellsfuneralhome. com.

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