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 - 11/01/01

Kenneth Reed

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Scotts Creek Baptist Church, of which he was a member. The Rev. Rich Peoples and the Rev. Dr. John Bunn officiated. Burial was in Old Field Cemetery with military graveside rites conducted by American Legion Post 104 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10685. Pallbearers were Chuck Middleton, Johnny Phillips, Dave Greene, Odell Haskett, Ray Knight and Doug Buchanan.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was the son of the late John N. and Beth Bryson Reed. He was a retired carpenter and farmer. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, serving as a medic in France, England and Germany. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Woodmen of the World.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Evelyn K. Reed, who died Nov. 15, 1994; and two brothers, Robert Venoy Reed and James Lee Reed.

Surviving are one daughter, Brenda Sellers of Sylva; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Scotts Creek Baptist Church for restoration of Old Field Cemetery, 97 Steeple Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

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

Pearl Wood

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Whittier Church of God, of which she was a member for 61 years, serving for 40 of those years as youth leader and Sunday school teacher. The Revs. Ned Pressley and Vernon Wood officiated. Burial was in Union Hill Cemetery.

Born April 23, 1922, at Mingus Creek in what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she was a daughter of the late Sam and Etta Denton.

She was preceded in death by her oldest son, Carl N. Wood; two sisters, Dora Ingle and Florence Jenkins; and one brother, Claude Denton.

Surviving are her husband of 59 years, Earl N. Wood; two sons, Michael D. and Samuel C. Wood, both of Charlotte; six daughters, Brenda P. Coggins and Maxine Wood, both of Whittier, Patricia A. Bailey and Janice D. Barker, both of Bryson City, Melody C. Pitts of Leicester and Debra K. Wallick of Ovieda, Fla.; one sister, Nellie G. Dunlap of Whittier; four brothers, Jack Denton, Ray Denton and Jimmy Denton, all of Canton, and Sam Denton of Alhambra, Calif.; 16 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorials can be made to Whittier Church of God Youth Fund or Building Fund, P.O. Box 129, Whittier, N.C. 28779.

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

Betty Buchanan

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at Cold Springs Baptist Church, which she attended. The Revs. Earl King and Oliver Dills officiated. Burial was in Buchanan Family Cemetery.

A native of Swain County, she lived in Jackson County most of her life. She was a certified nursing assistant with Autumn Wind Assisted Living and a daughter of the late Will and Anna Green.

Surviving are her husband, Jimmie Buchanan; four daughters, Peggy Buchanan, Cathy Buchanan and Joan Buchanan Pittman, all of Whittier, and Joyce Dyer of Bryson City; three sons, Tony Buchanan, David Buchanan and Keith Buchanan, all of Whittier; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Elva Loard

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home chapel. The Revs. Paul Christy and Phyllis Glahn officiated. Burial was in Keener Cemetery.

A native of Jackson County, she retired as the purchasing agent with TVA. She was formerly employed at Schulman's and Jackson County Soil Conservation, as well as other places.

She received recognition from the secretary of war during World War II while at the atomic research plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. She was a member of Sylva First United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Hobson Loard, who died in 1985; three sisters, Mary Rhea Hawkins, Helen Rhea and Vivian Rhea Jarvis; and one brother, Vernon Rhea.

Surviving are several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to Sylva First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 296, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Lucy Riley

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at Cherokee United Methodist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Steve Phillippi, James "Bo" Parris and Mitchell Smiley officiated. Burial was in Long Family Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late Tamer and Sally Johnson Catolster and wife of the late Jim Riley, who died in 1977. She was a former basket weaver.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by three brothers, Alex Catolster, Guy Miller and Spade Catolster; and two sisters, Liza Jane Youngdeer and Nannie Catolster.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

On-line memorials and register may be made at pemoody.com.

Willis Sutton

He was born Feb. 14, 1918, in Jackson County to the late Coleman and Dorothy Parker Sutton. A veteran of World War II, he had lived in Hoquiam, Wash., before moving to California.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Andy and Denver; and one sister, Ella Chrisp.

Surviving are his wife, Patricia Coey Sutton; one son, Richard of Medisto, Calif.; four daughters, Linda Enas of Boulder, Colo., Shirley Demet of Oregon, and Carolyn and Ellen Sutton, both of Stockton, Calif.; one sister, Lillian Reynolds of Whittier; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Joseph Dillard

Funeral services were held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Charles Dean officiated. Burial was in Dillard Cemetery with military graveside rites conducted by Sylva American Legion Post 104.

He was a native of Jackson County, where he lived most of his life. He was a retired insurance adjuster with Shelby Mutual, a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greensboro. He was a son of the late Thomas Ferman and Ellen Hatcher Dillard.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Leona Birchfield and Mae Dillard, and his stepmother, Florence Dillard.

Surviving are one daughter, Carole Denny of Greensboro; one son, Joseph Mark Dillard of Greensboro; one sister, Elizabeth Beck of Sylva; one brother, Avery Dillard of Asheville; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Hazel Potts

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Yellow Mountain Baptist Church. The Revs. Mike Fox, Eddie Stillwell and Everette Wilson will officiate. Burial will be in Evitt Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Tim Cunningham, Ricky Potts, Joe Harrold, Jeffrey Stewart, Jimmy Stewart, Ricky Phillips and Terry Potts.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was the oldest living member of Yellow Mountain Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher. She was the daughter of the late John and Jane Adams Fox.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Potts, who died in 1974, four sisters and two brothers.

Surviving are three daughters, Gertrude Hooper of Cullowhee, Juanita Dillbeck of Titusville, Fla., and Bobbie Coward of Norton; two sons, Carl Potts of Norton and Eldon Potts of Franklin; eight grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the church. Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

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