Obituaries: 11/11/99

Rachel Bancroft

Rachel "Rae" Winkler Bancroft, 79, of Cherokee, died Wednesday, Nov. 3, at Memorial Mission Hospital. Graveside services were held at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at Bethel Cemetery. The Rev. Jim Bo Sneed officiated.

A native and lifelong resident of Swain County, she was a member of Cherokee Baptist Church. She was retired from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Agency. She was a daughter of the late Tom J. and Sally Rogers Smith and wife of the late Harold Winkler and Ronald Bancroft. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Leona Sneed and Gertrude Smith; and three brothers, Buford and Gilbert Smith and Mickey Bozolyok.

Surviving are one brother, Edwin J. Smith of Spartanburg, S.C.; and one sister, Beatrice Walk of Cherokee. Memorials may be made to Cherokee Childrenąs Home, Cherokee, N.C. 28719. Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Montrose Gallardo

Montrose Phillip Gallardo of Sylva, infant son of Kevin and Mary Gallardo, died Tuesday, Nov. 2. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at First United Methodist Church. The Rev. Joe Fulk officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens.

He was the paternal grandson of Margaret Smith of Asheville and J.P. and Kim Gallardo of Sylva; the maternal grandson of Bernadine Haun of Asheville and paternal great-grandson of Mary Ruth Smith of Sylva. Also surviving are one sister, Chyan Gallardo of the home; and two half-sisters, Katie and Connie Haun of Asheville. Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Thomas Hensley

Thomas Bradley Hensley, 71, of Mountain Trace Nursing Center, Sylva, died Wednesday, Nov. 3, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at Caney Fork Freewill Baptist Church. The Revs. Carl Adams and Don Riddle officiated. Burial was at Balsam Grove Cemetery at Caney Fork. A native of Jackson County and a resident of Waynesville, he attended Caney Fork Freewill Baptist Church. He was a son of the late L.J. and Loina Sitton Hensley. He was preceded in death by three sisters and two brothers.

Surviving are his wife, Thelma Lanning Hensley of the home; three sons, Mike Hensley of California, and Danny and Gary Hensley of Waynesville; two daughters, Glenda Hensley of Hendersonville and Linda Cervantes of Waynesville; three brothers, Sterling Hensley of Cullowhee, and Calvin and Mack Hensley of Sylva; two sisters, Desi Wright of High Point and Lucille Mathis of Sylva; and eight grandchildren. Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Bertha Battle

Bertha Jane Smith Battle, 87, of the Speedwell community, Cullowhee, died Tuesday, Nov. 2, at Harris Regional Hospital. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Dexter Tolbert officiated. Burial was in Hooper Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Speedwell Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Samuel Thomas and Ida Pressley Fox. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Henry Smith and H. E. Battle; three sons, Charles, William Henry Jr., and Steven Thomas Smith; and one daughter, Betty Lee Smith.

Surviving are one son, Hanson Hoyt Smith of Cullowhee; four daughters, Dorothy Smith Powers of Anderson, S.C., Sue Smith Hooper of Cullowhee, Joyce Smith Johnston of Harrisburg, and Sandra Smith Battle of Cullowhee; one brother, Roy Fox of Cullowhee; 16 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

David Bryson Jr.

David H. "Ham" Bryson Jr., 71, of Belleview Road, Franklin, died Friday, Nov. 5, after a period of declining health. Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, p.m. in the chapel of Bryant Funeral Home. The Rev. Don Moffitt officiated. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery.

A son of the late David H. Sr. and Iva Lee Childers Bryson, he was born in Jackson County and had been a resident of Macon County for over 40 years. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict and was a member of the American Legion. He was owner-operator of B and S Haulers Inc. for 42 years. He was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by one sister, Frances B. McClure.

Surviving are his wife, Wilda V. Bryson; one son, James David Bryson of Franklin; his stepmother, Maude G. Bryson of Sylva; one granddaughter; one stepgrandson; and one great-granddaughter.

Jean Long

Jean LongJean Long died Nov. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla., after a five-year battle with cancer. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at Arlington Park Funeral Home. The Rev. Eddie Watson officiated. Burial was at Arlington Park Cemetery.

A native of Waycross, Ga., she was a resident of Florida for 50 years. She was active as a Guardian Ad Litem for the Juvenile Court System of Duval County.

Surviving are her husband, Eldon Ray Long Sr. of Jacksonville; two daughters, Debi Long Voss of Keystone Heights, Fla., and Gwen Lee of San Diego, Calif.; two sons, Eldon Long Jr. of Jacksonville, and Earl Manley Tisdale of Waycross; six grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Kenneth Veenstra

Dr. Kenneth Veenstra, 70, of Conleys Creek Road, Whittier, died Thursday, Nov. 4, at Harris Regional Hospital. A memorial service was held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, at Whittier United Methodist Church. The Rev. Greg Hershberger officiated.

A native of Michigan, he was a resident of Tampa, Fla., and Whittier. He was a member of Whittier United Methodist Church. He was a son of the late Theodore and Katherine Groeneveld Veenstra.

Surviving are his wife of 18 years, Shirley L. Veenstra of the home; three sons, Ken Veenstra Jr. of Tampa, Fla., Eric Veenstra of Berlin, Germany, and David Veenstra of Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; one daughter, Karen Ealy of Gainesville, Fla.; three stepdaughters, Patty Fox of Brandon, Fla., Laurie Gray of Tampa, and Julie Crooke of Silver Springs, Md.; one brother, Theodore Veenstra of Falls Church, Va.; and six grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Rufus Setzer

Rufus Setzer, 78, of Sylva, died Monday, Nov. 8, in Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell and Randy Eubanks officiated. Burial was in Pine Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers were Brad Stillwell, Chris Bowers, Terry, Joe and Brian Setzer, Brent Allison, Ron Patterson and Ricky Dougher.

A native of Haywood County, he had lived in Jackson County since 1959. He was a son of the late Ellis Rufus and Rosa Lee Edwards Setzer. He was a retired carpenter.

Surviving are his wife, Zena Carroll Setzer; one daughter, Doris Jean Clayton of Brevard; three sons, Kenneth and Ronnie Setzer of Sylva, and Lee Setzer of Chapel Hill; three sisters, Rose Morrow, Kate Gunter and Jewel McGaha, all of Waynesville; two brothers, E.R. Setzer Jr. and Eugene Setzer, both of Waynesville; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Mary Stewart

Mary Rebecca Stewart, 55, of Murphy, died Sunday, Nov. 7, in Andrews. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in the chapel of Ivie Funeral Home, Andrews. The Rev. Steve West officiated. Burial was in Aquone Baptist Church Cemetery.

A native of Macon County, she had lived in Cherokee County most of her life. She was a daughter of Thelma Pendergrass Rathbone of Marble and the late Estes Rathbone. She retired in 1996 after 15 years with the Lee Company in Andrews. She was a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church in Marble.

Surviving are her husband of 38 years, Wesley Adam Stewart; one daughter, Mary Melissa "Missy" Sanders of Sylva; three sons, John Richard, Adam Duane and Eddie Joe Stewart, all of Marble; three sisters, Martha Gibby and Margie Dockery, both of Marble, and Marlene Smith of Kansas City, Kan.; three brothers, Vincent Rathbone of Marble, Jay and Roy Rathbone of Murphy; and six grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Murphy Chapter, P.O. Box 1151, Murphy, N.C. 28906.

Mary Jay Patten

Mary Jay Patten, 41, of Sylva, died Tuesday, Nov. 11, at her home after a battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Sylva at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14. She was employed as a counselor at Smoky Mountain Mental Health for 16 years. She was preceded in death by her father, Michael Snyder Sr.

Surviving are her husband of 18 years, Pat Patten; her mother, Shirley Snyder; three sisters, Debra Heard, Michelle Gallagher and Callie Snyder; and one brother, Michael Snyder.

Memorials may be made to the Youth Ministry of Sylva First Presbyterian Church, 46 Presbyterian Drive Sylva, N.C. 28779. Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daniel Bishop

Daniel F. Bishop, 78, of Riverbend Road, Sylva, died Saturday, Nov. 6, at his residence after an extended illness. Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 8, in Fairview Memorial Gardens. The Rev. Brian Bishop officiated. Pallbearers were Ronnie Turpin, Johnny Hoyle, Delos Brown, Arnold Cabe, Leonard Dills and Jim Cowan.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired from the N.C. Department of Transportation as traffic services supervisor in 1984. A World War II Army veteran, he was a son of the late Neal and Birtie Hooper Bishop.

Surviving are his wife, Bonetia P. Bishop; three daughters, Harriett Morgan Nicholson of Cullowhee, and Helen Painter and Ellen Frady, both of Sylva; one son, Danny Bishop of Sylva; two brothers, Grover Bishop of Texas and Bill Bishop of Sylva; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Hospice, 132 Sylva Plaza, Sylva. N.C. 28779. Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Ernest Coggins

Ernest Monroe Coggins, 61, of Hampton, Va., formerly of Sylva, died unexpectedly Monday, Nov. 8, at Santara Hampton General Hospital.

The body is being returned to Sylva for services and burial. Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

William Ashe

William "Bill" David Ashe, 57, of Ashe Loop Road, Sylva, died unexpectedly Wednesday, Nov. 3, at his residence.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Cecil Frady officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Greg Ashe, Bobby Thomas, Jeff and Jason Jamison, Mike Ashe and Chad Anders.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a son of the late William Herman and Anna Tatham Ashe. He was a member of Lovedale Baptist Church. Surviving are one sister, Emily Ashe of Sylva; and two brothers, Columbus and Joe Ashe, both of Sylva.