Obituary Information

The Sylva Herald prints obituaries free of charge as a service to its readers.

When possible, obituaries should be submitted to The Herald from the funeral home in charge of arrangements. Information received will be printed in our standard obituary format. As is the case with all information submitted to The Herald, we reserve the right to edit obituary information to fit our standard format.

We publish names of the deceased's children; we also include the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We do not include in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews or special friends.

Included in a brief history of the deceased is items such as their employment, professional, civic, community and religious affiliations. We omit personal tributes.

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Obituaries - 12/12/02

Claude Buchanan

Claude Lindon Buchanan, 71, of Cagle Branch Road, Sylva, died Sunday, Dec. 8, 2002, at his residence after a brief illness.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell, Shane Danner and Randy Hyatt officiated. Burial was in Old Savannah Cemetery. Pallbearers were Harry Wood, Donald Gates, Doyle Buchanan, Jim Hayes, Billy Cagle and Russ Cagle. Honorary pallbearers were Nick Andretti and Jimmy Green.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired from Skyland Care Center with 25 years of service in maintenance.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Barbara Ann Stearns, and one brother, Billy Buchanan.

Surviving are his wife of 52 years, Nanette Cagle Buchanan; three daughters, Linda Buchanan, Shirley Buchanan and Sandy Frizzell, all of Sylva; one sister, Janie B. Earley of Sylva; one brother, Charles Buchanan of Sylva; four grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

Emma Taylor

Emma S. Taylor, 82, of Cherokee's Birdtown community, died Saturday, Dec. 7, 2002, in Swain County Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at Bethabara Baptist Church. The Revs. Mitchell Smiley and James "Bo" Parris officiated. Burial was in Birdtown Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Cherokee, she was the daughter of the late Kimsey and Lydia Thompson Squirrel. She was a craftmaker at Oconaluftee Indian Village and a renowned basketmaker with baskets on display all over the world, including the Smithsonian Institution. She was a member of Rock Hill Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Timpson Taylor, who died in 1973; one son, Collins Taylor; two brothers, Adam and Able Squirrel; one sister, Lucinda Welch Martin; and one granddaughter.

Surviving are two sons, Goliath and Enos Taylor of Cherokee; five daughters, Louise Goings, Eva Taylor, Bear Taylor, Faye Junaluska and Katrina Maney, all of Cherokee; stepchildren, Frank Taylor, Lee Taylor, Helen Arch, Reuben Taylor and June Maldonado; 20 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson.

Crisp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Stanley Franklin

Stanley Earl Franklin, 45, of 3 Oaks Lane, Sylva, died unexpectedly Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002, at his residence.

A celebration of life service was held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home.

A native of Trenton, N.J., he lived most of his life in Jackson County. He was a self-employed landscaper and son of Jean Messer of Lincolnton and the late William Dewey Franklin.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are his wife, Dorothy Hooper Franklin; one daughter, Anna Alexie Franklin of Sylva; four sisters, Cindy Pressley of Candler, Terry Gibson of Tryon, Leslie Samuels of Charlotte and Shandra Scarfo of Delaware; and four brothers, Gary Gibson of Sylva, Steve Gibson of Greer, S.C., Johnny Gibson of Charlotte and Billy Franklin of Tryon.

Barbara White

Barbara Gail White, 45, of West Piney Mountain Road, Whittier, died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002, at Mission-St. Joseph Hospital after a brief illness.

Services were held at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Dorri Sherrill officiated.

A native of Martinsville, Va., she had lived in Jackson County since June 2001. She was a field electrical engineer with Duke Power.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Linda Sue White.

Surviving are her parents, Ben W. and Donna Atkins White of Columbia, Tenn.; two sisters, Velda Milam of Lawrenceville, Ga., and Reba Tyson of Andalusia, Ala.; and one brother, Ben N. White of Spring Hill, Tenn.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 925, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Mary Ramsey

Mary Alice Parris Ramsey, 76, of Wilmot's Nations Creek community, died Saturday, Dec. 7, 2002, at her home after a period of declining health.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Randy Miller officiated. Burial was in Nations Creek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Tex Jones, Johnny Extine, Pat Nations, Jamie Lequire, Shay Davis, Milburn Caldwell, Ira Caldwell and Mike Jones.

Daughter of the late Estes and Alice Parker Parris, she was a homemaker and a native and lifelong resident of Jackson County.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jess Ramsey; two sons, James Michael Ramsey and Elb Estes Ramsey; three sisters, including her twin sister, Martha Ramsey, Nell Bradley and Lucy Extine; two brothers, Alton and Jake Parris; and one great-grandchild.

Surviving are six daughters, Mildred Jones, Katie Brooks and Connie Hall, all of Wilmot, Linda Tolley and Eleanor Lequire, both of Sylva, and Joanie Queen of Cullowhee; two sons, William Bud Ramsey of Wilmot and Davey Ramsey of the home; one sister, Rebecca Deitz of Lowell; one brother, Junior Parris of Brookings, Ore.; 15 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Nations Creek Cemetery Fund.

Jerry Buchanan Jr.

Jerry Oarlo Buchanan Jr., 57, of Chesapeake, Va., died Friday, Nov. 29, 2002, at his residence after a period of declining health.

He was the son of Jerry O. Buchanan Sr. and the late Patsy Limparis Buchanan and grandson of the late Tyler and Vilanta Buchanan.

A native of Jackson County, he served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He worked in the Navy Department at Norfolk Naval Station in Portsmouth, Va., as a pattern maker for several years. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Rockville, Md.

Surviving, in addition to his father, is his stepmother, Annabelle Harner Buchanan of Farnham, Va.

Emily Ashe

Emily Ashe, 68, of Ashe Loop, Sylva, died Monday, Dec. 9, 2002, at Skyland Care Center after an extended illness.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Cecil Frady and Father Bud Boynton will officiate. Burial will be in Fairview Memorial Gardens.

The family was to have received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the funeral home.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Lovedale Baptist Church and a daughter of the late William Herman and Anna Tatham Ashe.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Evelyn and Mozelle Ashe; and two brothers, James and Bill Ashe.

Surviving are two brothers, Columbus Ashe and Joe Ashe, both of Sylva.