Obituaries - 12/07/00

Joe Denton

Joe Harrison Denton, 76, of Ferguson Road in Sylva's Beta community, died Thursday, Nov. 30, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at Scotts Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. Rich Peoples officiated. Burial was at Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were James Hall, John Hall, James Lewis, Jeff Greer, Randy Cabe and Joe Allen Denton.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church and a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy. He was retired from Dayco Corp. after 35 years.

He was a son of the late Dee Allen and Cara Harris Denton and husband of the late Peggy Price Denton.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Earl, D.K. and Ben Denton; and one sister, Montez Ward.

Surviving are four sons, Joe Price Denton of Bryson City, John Britt Denton of Asheville and Jerry and Jay Denton, both of Sylva; one daughter, Jana Denton Fulton of Sylva; five brothers, John Denton of Florida, Gene Denton of Oregon, Carl Denton of Sylva, Lynn Denton of Illinois and Harold Denton of Alabama; and one sister, Eva Nell Ward of Whittier.

Memorials may be made to the charity of one's choice.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Jesse Shelton

Jesse Leroy Shelton, 78, of Sylva, died Sunday, Dec. 3, at Harris Regional Hospital after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Charles Dean and Gene McAbee officiated. Burial was in Cullowhee Baptist Church Cemetery, with military rites conducted by Sylva American Legion Post 104.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired from Western Carolina University's security department. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, a member of East Sylva Baptist Church and the son of the late Elbert and Nellie Parker Shelton.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Christine McCracken and Gussie Mae Smith; and two infant sisters.

Surviving are his wife, Bonnie Tolley Shelton; two sons, Randall L. Shelton of Brevard and Dennis W. Shelton; two sisters, Bessie B. Ashe of Franklin and Nancy Wiseman of Black Mountain; and four grandchildren.

Alice Jones

Alice Bertie Ledford Jones, 95, of Balsam Road, Waynesville, died Saturday, Dec. 2, at Harris Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, in the chapel of Bryant Funeral Home. The Rev. John Raby officiated. Burial was in Riverview Methodist Church Cemetery. Grandsons served as pallbearers.

A native of Swain County, she was a daughter of the late Hensley and Elizabeth Barker Ledford. She was a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Monroe Jones, who died in 1979; two daughters, Ruth Hedden and Irene O'Riley; and three sons, Vance Lakey, Mailon Lakey and Denny Jones.

Surviving are one daughter, Jennie O'Riley of Sylva; one sister, Edna Procter of Bryson City; and 16 grandchildren.

Nancy Marshall

Nancy Joan Marshall, 45, of Sumac Lane, Sylva, died Sunday, Dec. 3, at her residence.

A private memorial serivce for family and friends was held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home.

Surviving are by her mother, Francis Joan Moore of Dillsboro; her father, William B. Moore of Arden; two sons, Micheal and Kevin Marshall of Sylva; two daughters, Courtney Marshall and Cyndi Hoyle of Sylva; one brother, William B. Moore Jr. of Fort Mill, S.C.; and one granddaughter.

Emily Miner

Emily C. Miner, 100, died Saturday, Dec. 2, at Mountain Trace Nursing Center.

Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Dr. Frank Padgett will officiate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the services.

Graveside services will be held Monday, Dec. 11, at Oakland Cemetery in Sac City, Iowa.

Born in Manona County, Iowa, she was the fifth of seven children and the first daughter of Christen and Juliane "Moller" Madsen. She was raised on a farm and received her education in a country school. She married Kingsley A. Miner at Elk Point, S.D., on Nov. 27, 1929, and they moved to Sac City, Iowa, where she continued to live until 1995, when she moved to Cullowhee to live with her son and daughter-in-law.

She was baptized, attended and later confirmed in the Ingemann Danish Lutheran Church in Manona County, Iowa. When she moved to Sac City, Iowa, she attended and supported the Methodist church. She worked on the election board counting ballots for her ward in local and national elections and solicited for local charities. During World War II, she helped interpret correspondence received by residents from Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; four brothers, Axel, Magnus, Richard and Ted Madsen; and two sisters, Ingrid Shaffer and Olive Burke.

Surviving are one son, Kingsley Miner of Cullowhee; and two grandsons.

Viola Jones

Viola Bradley Jones, 88, of 711 Barkers Creek Road, Sylva, died Saturday, Dec. 2, at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The Rev. Tommy Ashe will officiate. Burial will be at Old Savannah Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Kelly and Myrtle Brooks Bradley and the wife of the late Ira Jones. She was preceded in death by her infant son, Billy Ray Jones.

Surviving are one son, Gerald Jones of Whittier; five daughters, Jean Allison of Wilmington, Ann Styles of Gallatin, Tenn., Norma McCormick of Matthews, Dee Harkey of Charlotte and Shirley Davis of Charlotte; one brother, Ralph Bradley of Whittier; three sisters, Eloise Atchley of Burley, Idaho, and Mary Alice Sutton and Mildred Patterson, both of Whittier; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Moody Funeral Home.