Obituaries - 12/09/99

Martha Rose

Martha Jean Myers Rose, 51, of 764 Riverbend Road, Sylva, died Friday, Dec. 3, at her home.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at Garrett Funeral Home. The Revs. Jack Jaynes and Robert Stiles officiated. Burial was at Garrett Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.

A native of Haywood County, she was the daughter of Amos H. Myers and the late Beulah G. Russell Myers. She worked for Skyland Care Center in the Medical Records Department.

Surviving, in addition to her father, Amos H. Myers, are her husband, Blythe Lee Rose; one stepdaughter, Patsy Lee Harris of Asheboro; two sons, John Shannon Plott and David Shane Plott, both of Waynesville; four sisters, Betty Teague, Peggy Jaynes, Judy Messer and Jane Meadows, all of Waynesville; three brothers, Sidney Myers and Dan Myers, both of Waynesville, and John Myers of Canton; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to WestCare Home Health Care and Hospice of Jackson County.

Wilma Frizzell

Wilma O. Frizzell, 73, of Sedro-Woolley, Wash., died Sunday, Dec. 5, at her home. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) in Hamilton Cemetery in Sedro-Woolley. Pastor Harold Thornbrough of the Hamilton First Baptist Church will officiate.

A native of Sylva, she was a daughter of Ott and Jerdie Shuler Morgan. She had been a resident of Sedro-Woolley since 1950 where she worked as a cook and caregiver at Burton Nursing Home in Burlington in the early 1970s.

She was married to Alvin Frizzell in 1943 in Clayton, Ga.; he preceded her in death in 1990.

Surviving are three sons, Gene Frizzell of Sedro-Woolley, Larry Frizzell of Aberdeen, Wash., and Johnny Frizzell of Concrete, Wash.; two daughters, Linda Moore of Marionville, Mo., and Kay Schuirman of Camptonville, Calif.; one brother, Jack Morgan of Hamilton, Wash.; one sister, Janie Hilton of Hamilton, Wash.; 22 grandchildren; and 36 great-grandchildren.

Memorials are suggested to Skagit Hospice.

Emma Bryson

Emma Tatham Bryson, 92, of South Boston, Va., formerly of Sylva, died Saturday, Dec. 4, in Berry Hill Nursing Home in Virginia after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, in the Chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Eddie Deitz and Dennis Burrell officiated. Burial was in East Fork Cemetery. Pallbearers were Marshall Bradley, Grover Cabe, Bill Buchanan, Chris Bradley, Carroll Tatham and Brainard Cumins.

A native of Jackson County, where she lived most of her life, she was a retired school teacher. She was a daughter of the late Frank and Bethie Jones Tatham and a member of Calvary Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde W. Bryson, who died in 1974; one son, Doyle Winston Bryson, who died in 1995; one sister, Vera Wetmore; and brothers, Ralph, Nelson and Corcie Tatham.

Surviving are three grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to East Fork Cemetery, c/o Carlin Cabe, 2224 East Fork Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Danny Bedford

Danny R. Bedford, 52, of Tarhelia Heights, Whittier, died unexpectedly Friday, Dec. 3, at Harris Regional Hospital.

A memorial services was held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, at First Baptist Church of Bryson City. The Rev. John Tagliarini officiated. Burial was in Swain Memorial Park.

Formerly of Louisiana, he was born in Rome, Ga.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jess Willard Bedford; and one brother, Gary Bedford.

Survived are his wife of 33 years, Patricia Fraiser Bedford; one daughter, Melissa Ellen Blalock; his mother, Bonnie Bedford; three sisters, Paula Skaggs of Destrehan, La., Ellen Rizzo of Slidell, La., and Sally Bedford of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.; four brothers, Gene Bedford of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., Sonny Fraiser of Chalmette, La., Tommy Skaggs of Destrehan and Lenny Rizzo of Slidell, La.; and three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association.

Edna Connell

Edna "Etna" L. Deitz Connell, 78, of Sylva's East Fork community, died Thursday, Dec. 2, in Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at East Fork Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Brian Bishop and Cecil Frady officiated. Burial was in East Fork Cemetery. Pallbearers were Greg Ward, Phillip Ruse, Travis Clark, Ricky Cowan, Randy Deitz, Rocky Deitz, Doug Deitz and Tim Deitz. Honorary pallbearer was Boyce Deitz.

A native of Young Harris, Ga., she had lived in Jackson County most of her life. A daughter of the late Alvin N. and Danah Hall Deitz, she was a retired waitress and seamstress. She was the wife of the late Bill Connell.

She was also preceded in death by three brothers, Cline, Arvil and Carter Deitz.

Survivors include three sisters, Evelyn Buchanan and Frankie Ward, both of Sylva, and Bobbie Derrickson of Harpers Ferry, W.Va.; and two brothers, Clayton and Loy Deitz, both of Sylva. Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Charlie Young

Charlie Hayse Young, 87, of 25 Shady View Way, Waynesville, died Friday, Dec. 3, at Haywood Regional Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home. The Revs. Jerry Nelson and Chuck Sojack officiated. Burial was in Shook Cemetery in Tuckasegee. Pallbearers were Marty Ledford, Shane Shuler, Jeffrey Sutton, Phillip Ray, Bruce Beck, Carroll Young, Darrell Young and Kenny Woodring.

A native of Jackson County, he was a son of the late William L. and Georgia Burrell Young. He was a construction worker.

He was preceded in death by four brothers, Herbert, Walter, Richard and Jesse Young; and two sisters, Mary Ella Meese and Dillie Watson.

Surviving are his wife, Nora Payne Young; three daughters, Marie Sutton and Doris Kepley, both of Waynesville, and Joyce Smith of Canton; one stepson, Keith Payne of Cheraw, S.C.; one sister, Rose Hooper of Brevard; two brothers, Theodore Young of Easley, S.C., and Wesley Young of Brevard; 18 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Rodney Leftwich

Rodney L. Leftwich, 82, professor emeritus at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, died Friday, Dec. 3, at Harris Regional Hospital.

A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, at Cullowhee United Methodist Church. The Rev. Dr. Frank Padgett officiated.

Son of the late Lycurgus and Voncile Henderson Leftwich, he was born in Columbiana, Ala., grew up in Nashville, Tenn., and had lived in Cullowhee since 1947, when he was employed by Western Carolina Teachers College. He was the schooląs first full-time industrial-arts teacher and became head of the division of fine arts, industrial education and home economics. He was instrumental in plans for Belk Building, which houses these three departments. He introduced the first industrial technology major in North Carolina.

Leftwich received his bachelor of science and master of arts degrees at George Peabody College and his doctorate degree from Bradley University. He also did graduate study at the University of Oklahoma, University of North Carolina and University of Tennessee.

He was the author of "Arts and Crafts of the Cherokee," which won the Thomas Wolfe Literary Award presented by the N.C. Historical Association. He also wrote numerous articles for professional magazines.

Leftwich was a charter member and president of the Cullowhee Lions Club; and was also a charter member of the Town and College Club. He worked with Boy Scouts and was a Merit Lodge counselor. Before coming to Cullowhee he taught in Watauga County, Greenville, Nashville, Tenn., and Ferguson, Mo. During World War II, he was an instructor at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Norman, Okla.

Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Janie Allison Leftwich; one daughter, Linda Allison Leftwich Moore of Spanaway, Wash.; three sons, Rodney Henderson Leftwich of Asheville, David Brent Leftwich of Clayton and Phillip Robbins Leftwich of Waynesville; one sister, Mary Francis Ray of Brentwood, Tenn.; and five grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Leftwich Scholarship Fund, c/o Western Carolina University Foundation.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Loraine Royal

Loraine Bishop Royal, 72, of Bethesda, Md., died Monday, Dec. 6, at her residence after battling leukemia since 1995.

A private memorial service will be held at Zion Hill Baptist Church today (Thursday). Kitty Bishop will officiate. The ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

She was a native of Jackson County and spent most of her life in the Washington, D.C., area as a nurse with the FBI and the National Institute of Health.

She was preceded in death by her parents, David B. and Julia F. Bishop; and three brothers.

Surviving are her husband, Doyal P. Royal; one daughter, Lisa Butterfield of Riverton, Utah; one son, Derry Royal of Palo Alto, Calif.; eight sisters, Callie Cabe, Jo Auleta, Arlene Bishop and Pauline Mathison, all of Sylva, Mildred Robertson of Lilburn, Ga., Gladys Pendergrass and Kitty Bishop of Franklin and Christine Brooks of Waynesville; and one grandchild.

Memorials may be made to Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery Fund.