Obituaries - 06/22/00

Lamar Wood

Denny Lamar Wood, 62, of Sylva's East Fork community, died Wednesday, June 14, in Mountain Trace Nursing Center after a brief illness.

Funeral services were held at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at East Fork Baptist Church, of which he was a member. The Revs. Brian Bishop and Cecil Frady officiated. Burial was in East Fork Cemetery. Pallbearers were John Chastain, John Clark, Raymond Bunn, Kevin Hubbard, Morris Greene, Sephan Hanns, James Hooper and Keith Lovedahl. Honorary pallbearers were members of the Jackson County Rescue Squad.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he retired from Dayco with 33 years of service. He was also a member of the Jackson County Rescue Squad for 33 years.

He was a U.S. Army veteran and a son of Etta Lovedahl Wood of Caney Fork and the late Howard Cecil Wood.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Jerry Wallace Wood.

Surviving are his wife of 39 years, Katie Buchanan Wood; two daughters, Michelle Chastain of Tuckasegee and Ashley Wood of the home; one son, Denny Wood of Sylva; two sisters, Norma Jean Coggins of Cullowhee and Mary Sue Wood Starnes of Charlotte; one half-brother, Horace "Hod" Wood of Sedro Wolley, Wash.; and three grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Jackson County Rescue Squad, E. Main Street, Sylva, N.C. 28779; or Savannah Fire Department, 18 Ralph Tathan Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Rev. L.R. Gasaway

The Rev. L.R. Gasaway, 77, of 2327 Old Field Road, Gastonia, died Tuesday, June 20, at Gaston Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services will be held today (Thursday) at 2 p.m. at the Union Road Church of God. The Revs. Robert Frazier and Paul Collins will officiate. Burial will follow in Craston Memorial Park. The family was to have received friends at Carothers Funeral Home, Gastonia, on Wednesday, June 21, from 7-9 p.m.

Born in Jackson County on July 11, 1922, he was a son of the late Victor Lee and Beulah Womack Gasaway. He was a retired Church of God minister with 59 years of service and was retired from Wachovia Bank and was a member of Union Road Church of God.

Surviving are his wife, Sandra Maney Gasaway; two daughters Priscilla Elaine Lawing of Gastonia and Lynn G. Gregory of Rockwell; five sisters, Gradie Whittemore and Maude Griffin, both of Candler, Ethel Baines of Silver Springs, Md., Pearl Davis of Knoxville, Tenn., and Marie Pitts, Whittier; three brothers Raymond Gasaway of Asheville, Lewis Gasaway of Knoxville and Frank Gasaway of Bryson City; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Union Road Church of God, 315 Union Road, Gastonia, N.C. 28054.

Ernest Trantham

Ernest Trantham, 76, of 301 N. Davis Street, Dallas, died Monday, June 19, at Gaston Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services will be held today (Thursday) at the Church of God of Prophecy, W. Davidson Ave., Gastonia. The Rev. Robert Norris will officiate. Burial will follow in Gaston Memorial Park. The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at Dallas Funeral Home.

Born April 30, 1924, in Jackson County, he was a son of the late Arthur and Octia Buchanan Trantham. He was a member of the Church of God of Prophecy, Gastonia, and was a retired supervisor with Carolina Mills.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Faye Hayes and Thelma Jane Trantham.

Surviving are his wife of 54 years, Margie Ramsey Trantham; two daughters, Gail T. Hensley of Dallas and Vickie T. McDonald of Gastonia; five sisters, Ruth Taylor and Catherine Poole, both of Dallas, Effie Robinette of McAdenville, Edith Grimsley of Lake Norman, and Sara Dills of Cullowhee; three brothers, John, Eugene and Carl Trantham, all of Dallas; one grandson; and one great-grandson.

Memorials may be made to the Church of God of Prophecy Building Fund, 1518 W. Davison Ave., Gastonia, N.C. 28052.

Lillie Huskey

Lillie Mae Bowers Huskey, 59, of Whittier, died Wednesday, May 31, in a Buncombe County hospital.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3, in Deep Creek Baptist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Earl Holden and Robert Clegg officiated. Burial was in Swain Memorial Park.

A native of Swain County, she was the daughter of the late Morris and Bertha Hall Bowers. Her husband, John Huskey Jr., died June 7.

Surviving are one daughter, Joyce Lynne Huskey of Whittier; two sons, Johnny F. Huskey and Darryl Junior Huskey, both of Whittier; two sisters, Betty Crowder of Whittier and Rosa Lee Mullgrave of Dayton, Ohio; one brother, Floyd Bowers of Bryson City; and one grandson.

Mildred Sutton

Mildred Cope Sutton, 83, of Sylva's Ochre Hill community, died unexpectedly Monday, June 19, at her residence.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Thursday) at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. J.D. Grant will officiate. Burial will be in Old Field Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a member of Ochre Hill Baptist Church and daughter of the late Charlie and Alice Gunter Cope.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Odell C. Sutton, who died in 1996.

Surviving are one daughter, Linda Sutton of Tampa, Fla.; three sons, James C. Sutton of Whittier, Bob Sutton of Black Mountain and Joe Sutton of Sylva; five granddaughters; and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Old Field Cemetery Fund, c/o Scotts Creek Baptist Church, 98 Steeple Drive, Sylva, N.C. 28779; or Addie Cemetery Fund, c/o Buff Creek Baptist Church, Jimmy Morris Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Lenora Franklin

Lenora C. Franklin of Sylva died Wednesday, June 21, at Harris Regional Hospital. Melton-Riddle Funeral Home will announce arrangements.