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 - 12/27/01

Martha Allen

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 24, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Hal Finney officiated. Burial was in Keener Cemetery.

A native of Swain County, she had lived most of her life in Jackson County. Daughter of the late Thomas Aiken and Hester Faye Rogers Varner, she was a member of Whittier United Methodist Church.

She was a retired nurse, having worked for Dr. Philip Deweese a number of years and also at Ensley's Adult Care Center.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William O. Allen, who died in 1998, and one brother, Owen Varner.

Surviving are one daughter, Martha Lou Hammerly of Sylva; one son, Tommy Allen of Sylva; one sister, Louise Miller of Des Moines, Iowa; one brother, Robert Varner of Bryson City; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to Mountain Trace Nursing Center, 68 Hospital Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Betty Chastain

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Rev. Jeff Powell officiated. Burial was in Wike Cemetery.

She was a native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, a member of Trout Creek Baptist Church and daughter of Lucy Barnes Nations of Waynesville and the late Vester McNeely.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyman Chastain, who died in 1997, and one half brother.

Surviving, in addition to her mother, are three daughters, Deb Ray of Cullowhee and Becky Chastain and Lisa Chastain Norris, both of Tuckasegee; one son, Keith Chastain of Tuckasegee; three sisters, Frances Jolicoeur of Waynesville, Jeannean Henline of Lake Junaluska and Linda Harton of Marietta, Ga.; two half brothers; and four grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Hospice, 68 Hospital Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Lucas Bigwitch

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, at Cherokee Church of God. The Rev. George Polecat officiated. Burial was in Bigwitch Family Cemetery.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his maternal grandmother, Betsy Bigwitch of Cherokee; and his maternal great-grandmother, Eva Bigwitch of Cherokee.

Crisp Funeral Home, Bryson City, was in charge of arrangements.

Jenneth Faull

A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 29, at Sylva United Methodist Church. The Rev. Joe Fulk will officiate. The family will receive friends immediately after the service at the church.

She was born in Olean, N.Y., on Feb. 24, 1916. She was married for 45 years to William Thomas Faull, who died in 1992. They were longtime residents of Batavia, N.Y., until they retired to DeFuniak Springs, Fla., in 1976.

She moved to Sylva to live with her son, Clifford, in 1993. She was a registered nurse and served for many years as the director of nurses at Genesee Memorial Hospital in Batavia.

Surviving are one daughter, Catherine Ward of Sylva; three sons, Clifford Faull of Sylva, Thomas Faull of Norfolk, Va., and Robert Faull of Wexford, Pa.; and nine grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be made to Sylva United Methodist Church Building Fund.

Moody Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. An online memorial and guest registry is available at www.pemoody.com.

Audrey Martin

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, in the chapel of Moody Funeral Home. The Rev. Harvey Gass officiated. Burial was at Union Hill Cemetery.

She was a native of Gaffney, S.C., and a lifelong resident of Jackson County. She was the wife of the late Roy A. Martin, who died in 1983, and the daughter of the late Dewey and Ada May Rollins. Surviving are two daughters, Elaine Murphy of Whittier and Mary Wertz of Westland, Mich.; two sons, Troy Martin of Whittier and Terry Martin, of Grandy; one stepson, Roy Martin, Jr. of Southport; 10 grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

Reba Tilley

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, Dec. 29, at 3 p.m. at Cullowhee Church of God. The Rev. Pat Farmer will officiate. Burial will follow in Fairview Memorial Gardens.

A native of Clarke County, Ga., she had been a resident of Jackson County for the past 30 years. She was the daughter of the late James Walter and Mary Mamie Hartman Redmon and wife of the late Roy Eugene Tilley, who died in 1982.

Surviving are one son, Robert Earl of Cullowhee; two daughters, Mildred Norris of Fayetteville and Beatrice Madden of Charlotte; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, at Moody Funeral Home.

Alvin Swayney

A native and lifelong resident of Cherokee, he was a member of Rock Springs Baptist Church. He was retired from the U.S. Postal Service and was a general contractor. He was the husband of the late Flora Seay and son of the late John Wesley and Nettie Williamson Swayney.

Surviving are three sons, Ben Swayney of Sylva and Robert Swayney and Charles Jumper, both of Cherokee; two brothers, John Wesley Swayney and Gene Swayney, both of Cherokee; four sisters, Laura J. Lambert and Winona L. Seay, both of Cherokee, and Ellen M. McCall and Beulah E. Walker, both of Kramerton; one stepson, Douglas Toineeta of Cherokee; one stepsister, Irene Crow Beck of Cherokee; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

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

Cecil Royall

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, at Forest Hill Memorial Park in Lexington. Penland & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory, Swannanoa, is in charge of arrangements.

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