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 - 11/29/01

Nannie Otter

Funeral services were held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at Yellowhill Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. James "Red" Bradley, Denny Crowe and James "Bo" Parris officiated. Graveside services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, at Otter Family Cemetery on Yellowhill Road.

A native of Cherokee, she was the daughter of the late Williett and Josephine Locust Standingdeer and wife of the late Oliver Otter Sr. She was a nurse's aide and retired as a food service worker at Cherokee Indian Hospital.

She was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.

Surviving are two sons, Kenneth Allen Otter and Oliver Otter Jr., both of Cherokee; one daughter, Martha St. Clair of Cherokee; and two grandsons.

Bill Moody Funeral Home, Bryson City, was in charge of the arrangements.

Otis Davis

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, at Whittier Missionary Baptist Church. The Revs. Larry Nations and Ray Fox officiated. Burial was in Whittier Cemetery in Taraheilea Heights. Pallbearers were Jason Patterson, Ritchie Hallman, Dale Davis, Tom Blanton, Shawn Sessoms and Aaron Cozart.

A native of Swain County, he was a son of the late Rastus and Lillie Revis Davis and husband of Alawayne Hosea Davis, who died in 1967. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a member of Whittier Missionary Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by four brothers, Haven Davis, Clayton Davis, Coolidge Davis and Legrast Davis.

Surviving are four daughters, Jerrlin Hallman of Lincolnton, Rosettia Cozart of Belmont, and Claudia Paterson and Theresa Lee of Liberty, S.C.; one son, Otis Wayne Davis of Belmont; two sisters, Toleda Childers of Pisgah Forest and Hazel Blanton of Whittier; one brother, Perry Davis of Etowah; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to Whittier Missionary Baptist Church.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Ethel Mull

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Gerald Morris officiated. Burial was in the Addie Cemetery. Grandsons served as pallbearers.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Buff Creek Baptist Church. A daughter of the late Ervin and Lillian Henson Pannell, she was the wife of the late Fred A. Mull, who died in 1986.

She was preceded in death by one son, Emil "Dick" Mull; one daughter, Elizabeth Monteith; two brothers; and one sister.

Surviving are four daughters, Dottie Pope of Charlotte and Betty Cole, Jackie Alexander and Judy Parris, all of Sylva; three sons, Fred Mull of Fletcher, Joe and Jim Mull of Sylva; three sisters, Velma Fisher and Katie Deitz, both of Sylva, and Jean Dalton of Alabama; 17 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

Seab Mathews

Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26, at Tow String Cemetery. The Revs. Ray and Dan Lambert officiated. Grandsons were pallbearers.

A native of Swain County, he was the son of the late Levi and Lilly Lambert Mathews. He was retired from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was a World War II veteran, having served in the U.S. Army. He was a member and deacon of Tow String Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by one son, Wayne Mathews.

Surviving are his wife of 60 years, Floy Mathews; three daughters, Bertha Pilkington, Janice Crutchfield and Rachel Mathis, all of Cherokee; four sons, Doug Mathews, Robert Mathews, Raymond Mathews and Roy Mathews, all of Cherokee; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.

Crisp Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

James Myers

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, at Bryson City First United Methodist Church, of which he was a member. Pastor David Russell officiated. Burial was in Bryson City Cemetery. Pallbearers were Paxton Myers, Barak Myers, John Myers, Dr. Daniel Myers, Frank H. Brown III, Michael Poteet and Andrew Bain.

He was a former mayor of Bryson City and a retired motel operator. A native of Swain County, he was born in Fontana. He was a son of the late Cannie Feeldon and Essie Norton Myers.

He attended the University of Tennessee, Duke University, Carson Newman College and Western Carolina University. He was a U.S. Navy veteran. He was a former member of the N.C. Board of Transportation, having served under Govs. James Holshouser and James Martin. He was a former member of the N.C. Economic Development Commission and the N.C. Park, Parkway and Forest Development Commission.

Former chairman of the Swain County Board of Elections, he was past president of the Bryson City Rotary Club; founding member of the Western North Carolina Associated Communities; member of the Cherokee Historical Association; and past president of the Western North Carolina Tourist Association. He was active in the athletic program in Swain County.

Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Ida Ann Bain Myers; three sons, James Paxton Myers Jr. of Cherokee, Joseph Feeldon Myers of Tallahassee, Fla., and Jeffrey Bain Myers of Bryson City; one brother, Taylor Norton Myers of Bryson City; three grandchildren; and four adopted grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Bryson City United Methodist Church, Main Street, Bryson City, N.C.; or to the James P. Myers Scholarship Fund, 1415 Fontana Road, Bryson City, N.C. 28713; or Unto These Hills Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 398, Cherokee, N.C. 28719.

Bill Moody Funeral Home, Bryson City, was in charge of arrangements.

Thomas Underwood

Funeral arrangements are pending and are under the direction of Asheville Mortuary Services.

He was a native of Sebastapol, Miss., but was raised in Cherokee. He received his bachelor degree from Western Carolina College. During World War II, he worked for the Atomic Energy Commission in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

He was a former member and guiding force of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. He was an author of several books and owned and operated Cherokee Publishing Co., The Medicine Man Craft Shop and several other businesses in Cherokee.

Surviving are his wife, Otie Grace Turnage Underwood; and one sister, Mildred Marguerite Underwood Blosson of Virginia Beach, Va.

Stephen Pierce

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, in the chapel of Macon Funeral Home. Father Bill Evans officiated. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery. Pallbearers were Mike Hoyle, David Stephenson, Terry Riouff, Ronnie Sutton, Ray Knowles and Andy DeGrove.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., he was a son of Irene Pierce Bremigan and the late Stephen Pierce. He was an employee of Western Carolina University, a musician and was of the Catholic faith.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his stepfather, Charles Bremigan; and one stepbrother, Nick Bremigan.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are two daughters, Melissa Waldroop and Kimberly Pierce, both of Franklin; one brother, Gerald Pierce of Rochester, N.Y.; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Macon County Unit, P.O. Box 1648, Franklin, N.C. 28744.

Charlie Parker

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Robert Blanton and J.D. Grant officiated. Burial was in Blanton-Norman Cemetery. Pallbearers were Steve Mathis, Steve Mathis, Harold Henry, Charles Messer, Joey Mull and Lee Metcalf.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired from the N.C. Department of Transportation. He was a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. He was a son of the late Lawrence and Lorie Fisher Parker.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marian Blanton Parker.

Surviving are his daughter, Betty Messer of Sylva; one sister, Georgia Hoyle of Sylva; two brothers, Fred Lane Parker and Bobby Ray Parker, both of Sylva; and one grandson.

Jack Queen

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.

Charles Stevens

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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