Obituaries - 12/14/00

Guy Jones

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at Ochre Hill Baptist Church, of which he was a member. The Revs. Earl Holden and Dillard Moore officiated. Burial was at Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Clay Cogdill, Chad Hall, Mike Deitz, Jack Parris, Jackie West and Derrick Cunningham. Honorary pallbearers were Jack Cope and Lewis Keener.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired with the N.C. Dept. of Transportation. He was a U.S. Army veteran and son of the late Roy Lee and Swannie Mills Jones. He was preceded in death by two sons, Jeffery Jones, who died in 1980, and Mark Jones, who died in 1987; and one sister, Belle Jones Cogdill.

Surviving are his wife of 46 years, Jessie Blanton Jones; one son, Randy Jones of Sylva; four sisters, Betty Wilkes, Billie Jo Buchanan and Mary Hall, all of Sylva, and Mae Holden of Bryson City; three brothers, Annas Lee Jones and John Ray Jones, both of Sylva, and Noel Jones of Robbinsville; one grandson; and one great-grandson.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

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

Marilyn Zullo

A funeral mass was held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Father James Cahill officiated. Burial was in Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain.

A native of Franklin, N.H., she had lived in Jackson County since 1978. She was formerly employed by New York State and N.C. Employment Security Commission, was an active volunteer for Hospice and West Care Auxiliary Thrift Shop, a former member of the Sylva Garden Club, and an oil painter.

She was a former resident of Franklin, N.H., Lexington, Mass., New Britain, Conn., and Massapequa, N.Y. Daughter of the late Elmer and Marion Collins Powers, she was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Surviving are her husband of 51 years, Antonio Zullo; five sons, David A. Zullo of Sebastian, Fla., Dr. Mark C. Zullo of North Attleboro, Mass., Kenneth N. Zullo of Sylva, James C. Zullo of Dix Hills, N.Y., and Paul A. Zullo of Weaverville; two sisters, Mary Avery of Ashville, N.Y., and Althea Powers of Southbury, Conn.; seven grandsons; three granddaughters; two stepgrandsons; and one step-granddaughter.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association, 6512 Six Forks Road, Suite 602 A, Raleigh, N.C. 27615.

Alyene Shuler

Funeral services were held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Gerald Morris and Dr. Harold Anderson officiated. A private burial was held Wednesday, Dec. 13, at Addie Cemetery.

A native of Buncombe County, she had lived in Jackson County most of her life. She was an LPN at Harris Regional Hospital and the Angel Clinic and was later cafeteria manager at Scotts Creek School. A member of Buff Creek Baptist Church, she was the daughter of the late Tom and Mae Penley Chapman.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert E. Shuler Sr., who died in 1974; one son, Ronald J. Shuler; and one brother, Jack Chapman.

Surviving are three sons, Bill Shuler and Jim Shuler, both of Sylva, and Bob Shuler of Waynesville; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Addie Cemetery Fund, c/o Shirley Beasley, 344 Lee Street, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Lucious Mills

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. Steve Webb, Clifford Parker and Sherrill Ammons officiated. Burial was at Fairview Memorial Gardens. Grandsons were pallbearers.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a timberman, mica miner, former employee of Mead Corp., and a member of Unity Baptist Church. He was the son of the late Bud and Mell Henry Mills.

He was preceded in death by one son, Clifford Mills, and two wives, Bessie Hoxit Mills and Mamie Ashe Mills.

Surviving are five sons, Herbert Mills of Waynesville, James Mills of Marion, Joe Mills of Spartanburg, S.C., Eldon Ashe of Cullowhee and Glen Ashe of Sylva; three daughters, Geraldine Hoyle, Bessie Ammons and Christine Keener, all of Cullowhee; 29 grandchildren; 53 great-grandchildren; and14 great-great-grandchildren.

Sarah Bowers

Funeral Services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Revs. Jeff Powell and Jim Ed Powell officiated. Burial was at Laural Branch Baptist Church Cemetery.

A native of Blount County, Tenn., and a lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Trout Creek Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late F.N. and Nancy Palestine Bowers.

Surviving are one son, Garland Bowers of Tuckasegee; two brothers, Jesse Bowers of Tuckasegee and Riley Bowers of Waynesville; and one sister, Bobbie Irene Hayes of Lenior.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Viola Jones

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 the oldest charter 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.

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.

Edith Perz

A funeral mass was held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, in St Mary's Catholic Church. Father James Cahill officiated. Burial was at Campground Cemetery in Cherokee.

A native of Chicago and a former resident of Venice, Fla., she was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church. She was the daughter of the late Rueben Robert and Ceclia Ida Holz Brown.

Surviving are her husband, Robert Perz; five sons, Thomas Perz of Waukesha, Wisc., Michael Perz of Venice, Fla., Joseph Perz of Sterling, Ill., William Perz of Cape Coral, Fla., and James Perz of Appleton, Wisc.; two daughters, Mary Ann Elrod of Leland, Miss., and Nancy Deans of Mobile, Ala.; 19 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren also survive.

Memorials maybe made to Chaplaincy Association, c/o Harris Regional Hospital, Hospital Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Gordon Owens

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at Wolf Mountain Baptist Church. The Revs. Truett Owens and Wayne Hoxit officiated. Burial was at Wolf Mountain Cemetery. Pallbearers were Leonard Owens, Bud Hall, Marvin Owens, James Ammons, Scott Owens and Marty Galloway.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a retired general contractor and best known in Jackson County for his storytelling and was featured in an article in The Sylva Hearld. He was the son of the late Elbert and Elizabeth Galloway Owens. Surviving are one son, James Owens of Ellijay, Ga.; one daughter, Teresa Coward of Cullowhee; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Alvin Lindgren

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at First United Methodist Church in Sylva.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to Alvin Lindgren Scholarship Fund, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, 2121 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Ill. 60201; or to Hospice.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

David Russell

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at Big Cove Baptist Church. The Rev. James "Bo" Parris will officiate. Burial will be in Calhoun Family Cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Buncombe County, he was retired from Beacon Manufacturing after 30 years. He was the son of the late Lee and Grace Anderson Russell and husband of the late Peggy Calhoun Russell.

He was preceded in death by one son, Lawrence Russell.

Surviving are two sons, Eugene Russell of Asheville and David Wayne Calhoun of Sylva; two daughters, Joyce Norton of Black Mountain and Trula Hagan of Asheville; and nine grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at Moody Funeral Home.

Robert Connell

Born in Winter Garden, Fla., he moved to North Carolina in 1991. He retired from Orlando Utility Corp., was a Baptist and served with U.S. Marine Corps in Korea.

Surviving are his wife, Barbara V. Connell; five sons, Bob W. Connell of Cullowhee, William W. Connell and Michael E. Dauphinee of Orlando, Fla., Randy P. Dauphinee of Winter Park, Fla., and Jeff A. Dauphinee of Brandon, Fla.; and six grandchildren.

Becker Family Funeral Home in Clermont, Fla., was in charge of arrangements.

Hazel Hooper

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, at Double Springs Church of God. The Revs. Johnny Norris, Paul Brooks and Dick O'Brien officiated. Burial was at Double Springs Cemetery. Pallbearers were Dale Cagle, Steven Bennett, Scotty Trantham, Charlie Trantham, Chucky Norris, Tommy Key and Brent Lee Rich.

A native of Macon County and a resident of Jackson County most of her life, she was retired from Jackson County Recreation Department as manager of Ralph Andrews Park in Glenville. She was a member of Double Springs Church of God. She was a daughter of the late Cornelius Gibson and wife of the late Howard Hooper.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Frances Eden.

Surviving are her mother, Mamie Taylor of Rock Hill, S.C.; two daughters, Sheraldean Norris and Earlene Rich, both of Cullowhee; one brother, Bill Gibson Jr. of Walhala, S.C.; two sisters, Naomi Morton of Rock Hill, S.C., and Nora Harris of York, S.C.; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

William Bumgarner

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a son of the late John and Cora Nations Bumgarner.

Surviving are his wife, Eula Mathis Bumgarner; two daughters, Frances Bumgarner of Walhala, S.C., and Louise Bumgarner of Bryson City; one brother, Hubert Bumgarner of Wilmot; and one granddaughter.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.

Ulah Rathburn

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Doug Tilley officiated. Burial was at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Pallbearers were nephews and great nephews. Honorary pallbearers were Harold Woody, Roy Lytle, Paul Tyndall, Paul Ford and Gerald Sluder.

A native of Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late Samuel Coleman and Lola Ann Cabe Buchanan.

She was retired from American Enka after 41 years of service and was active in Circle One at Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church, where she was a member.

She was preceded in death by four sisters, Mary Belle Angel, Elizabeth Bee Brown, Lizzie Dee Gardner and Ilah Mae Dean; four brothers, Lyndon Gordon Buchanan, Cecil Glenn Buchanan, Jesse Franklin Buchanan and Kenneth Clemard Buchanan.

Surviving are her husband, David Earl Rathburn; and one brother, Frank Howard Buchanan.

Memorials may be made to Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church, 2 Bear Creek Road, Asheville, N.C. 28806.

Sarah Heid

A native of Sylva, she was a daughter of the late John Monroe Sr. and Julia Green Martin and wife of the late Harvey Paul Flynn. She was a homemaker and member of Cherry Hill Baptist Church.

Surviving are three sons, John H. Flynn and Earl P. Flynn, both of Greer, S.C., and William E. Flynn of Landrum, S.C.; two daughters, Linda Gail Reece of Easley, S.C., and Patricia Conway of Marietta, S.C.; three brothers, Troy Martin, John Martin Jr. and Charles Martin; two sisters, Mable Hensley and Glenna Green Case; 17 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.

Elsie Cooke

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. today (Thursday) in the Chapel of Moody Funeral Home, with visitation one hour prior to the services. Burial will be in Old Savannah Cemetery.

Surviving is one daughter, Yvonne Messer of Dillsboro.

Walter Morgan

Funeral services will be held on Friday, Dec. 15, at Powles Funeral Home in Rockwell.

Surviving are his wife, Lena Morgan; and three sons, Bronnie Morgan, Darrell Morgan and Donald Morgan of Sylva.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to the Liberty Volunteer Fire Department in Gold Hill.

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