: OBITUARIES :
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GUS E. PROFFITT
Gus Eugene Proffitt, 87, of Jacks Creek Road, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, September 6, 2008, at his home. A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late Ernest and Minnie Edwards Proffitt, and the husband of Margaret Higgins Proffitt, who died in 2004. He was a World War II Army Veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, and a former employee of Glen Raven Mills and Square D Corp. Gus was a member of Windom United Methodist Church. Surviving are daughters: Dana McDowell of Weaverville and Karen Wyatt of Burnsville; four grandchildren: Mark McDowell of Weaverville, Casey McDowell of Asheville, Amber Vanderwolf of Candler and Kelly Wyatt of Nags Head; and, three great grandchildren: Kenzie and Syna McDowell and Tess Vanderwolf. A sister, Mary Higgins of Asheville, also survives. Funeral services will be held at 3:30 P. M. Tuesday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. The Rev. Tony Griffin will officiate. Burial will be in Holcombe Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Meals on Wheels, 10 Swiss Avenue, Burnsville, NC 28714.
JAMES L. PEEK
James L. Peek, 81, of Robertson Street passed away Sunday, August 17, 2008 in Brookside Rehabilitation and Care after a short illness. A former resident of Medina, New York, he had lived in Burnsville for the past 5 years. He was a WWII Navy Veteran, retired insurance agent and upholster. He was preceded in death by his wife, Etta Carroll Peek who died in 2004.
Surviving are a daughter: Susan Peek of Burnsville; 2 sons: Joseph Peek of Burnsville and Alan Peek of Burke, VA; 3 sisters; 4 grandchildren and a great grandson.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorials may be made to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 591, Burnsville, NC 28714, or Hospice of Yancey County, 856 Georges Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.
LILLIE WILSON AUTREY
Lillie Wilson Autrey, 84, of Marion, passed away Sunday, August 17, 2008 in Rose Hill Assisted Living in Marion. A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of the late Robert and Sarah Ballew Wilson. She was the wife of Carl Autrey who died in 2005. She was also preceded in death by a grandson, Patrick Thomas, two brothers: George and Roy Wilson and two sisters: Jane Hollifield and Daisy Crawley.
Surviving are six children: Patricia Thomas and Jerry Autrey of Burnsville, Gary Autrey, Kay Lewis, Kathy M. Denny and Randy Autrey all of Marion; 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren; three sisters: Bonnie McKinney of Nebo, Ruby Wyatt and Mayomi Carroll of Hendersonville.
Funeral services will be held at 8:00 P.M. Monday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. Revs. Ronnie Whitson, Ronnie Gentry and Chuck Tripp will officiate.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 8:00 P.M. at the Funeral Home.
Graveside services will be held at Noon Tuesday in the Fairview Cemetery at Seven Mile Ridge.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of McDowell County, 218 Logan Street, Marion, NC 28752.
REECE EDWARDS
Reece Edwards, 74, of Asheville, passed away on Saturday, August 16, 2008, in the John F. Keever Solace Center in Asheville. A native of Yancey County, he was the son of the late Arthur J. and Elizabeth Phillips Edwards, and was a U.S. Army veteran serving in Germany. Reece was retired from the Ball Corp. after 32 years of service. He was a member of Biltmore Baptist Church and the Men’s Golden Rule Bible Class.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years: Hazel Wilson Edwards; sons: Kimsey R. Edwards of Asheville and Dr. W. Barry Edwards and wife, Dr. Carolyn J. Anderson, of St. Louis, MO; grandchildren: Gabriel and Lana; brothers: Briscoe Edwards of Erwin, TN, and Larry Edwards of White Pine, TN; and, a sister: Kaye Harris of Burnsville.
Funeral services will be held at 8:00 PM Tuesday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home with the Revs. Ian Walker and Harold Savell and Mr. Albert Edwards officiating. Graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday in the Hughes Cemetery at Big Creek.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 8:00 PM Tuesday at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 120 Executive Park, Asheville 28801, or to Care Partners Hospice and Palliative Care Services, 21 Belvedere Road, Asheville 28803.
TRACY BUCKNER PEARSON
Tracy Buckner Pearson, 38, of Arden, passed away Saturday, August 16, 2008, at her residence. A native of Yancey County, she was the daughter of Jim Buckner of Burnsville and the late Harriett Hayter. She was a 1988 graduate of Mountain Heritage High School.
Surviving, in addition to her father, are her husband: Tracy Pearson; and, stepmother: Lavonne Murdock Buckner, of Burnsville.
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 P.M. Wednesday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. The Rev. Wes Sharpe will officiate. Burial will be in Academy Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 2:30 P.M. prior to the service at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Yancey County Humane Society, 982 Cane River School Road, Burnsville, NC 28714, or The Mimi Paige Foundation, 1420 North Fork Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711.
KATHLEEN MURPHY
Kathleen Young Murphy, 92, of Bowditch, went home to be with the Lord, Friday, August 1, 2008, at Brookside Rehabilitation and Care. A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of the late Joseph A. and Margaret Edge Young. She was the wife of Cecil Murphy, who passed away in 1986. She was also preceded in death by a son: Billy Dean Murphy; and, a brother: Woodrow Wilson Young. She attended Celo Methodist Church.
Surviving are her children: Shirley Merrill and husband, Bob, of Morganton, Clarence (Fuzz) Murphy and wife, Nell, Joe Murphy and wife, Pat, Tom Murphy, Morris Murphy and wife, Grace, Beverly Deyton and husband, Rodney, and Diane Wilson, all of Burnsville; 2 sisters: Minnie Young of Burnsville and Juanita Morgan of Fairview; 3 brothers: Marshall Young and wife, Barbara, of Marion, Dale and Eugene Young of Burnsville; 10 grandchildren; and, 7 great grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held at 6 PM Sunday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. Rev. Tony Griffin will officiate. Graveside Services will be held at 11 AM Monday in the Thomas Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 4 until 6 PM Sunday at the funeral home.
At other times the family will be at the home of Fuzz Murphy, 349 Sally Lane, Burnsville, NC 28714.
JUANITA BAILEY WALLACE
Juanita Bailey Wallace, 81, of Mountain View Drive, went home to be with the Lord, Monday, July 28, 2008 surrounded by her loving family at her daughter’s home in Stokesdale. A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of the late Erskine B. and Gladys Honeycutt Bailey. She was also preceded in death by a daughter: Dottie Wallace Jones; brothers: Ed and Earl Bailey; brother-in-law: Bob Bengtson and sister-in-law: Nita Bailey. Mrs. Wallace taught in many Yancey and Guilford County schools. Her legacy of shaping the character of young people and motivating them to be all they can be will long continue in the lives of her students.
Surviving are her loving husband of 60 years: Lee Wallace; a daughter: Cathy Gauldin and husband, William, of Stokesdale; a son: Ray Wallace and wife, Michelle, of Oak Ridge; sisters: Ada Lee Hipps and husband, Hershey of Green Mountain and Karen Bengtson of Franklin; brothers: Claude Bailey and wife, Deanna, of Pasadena, TX and John Bailey and wife, Lila, of Sumter, SC; 6 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday in the Bald Creek United Methodist Church of which she was a member. The Revs. A. J. Moore and Keith Edwards will officiate. Burial will be in the Peake-Wallace Cemetery on Upper Pig Pen Road.
The family will receive friends from 6:30 until 8:30 PM Saturday at Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home, and at other times, will be at the home at 102 Mountain View Road in Burnsville.
Memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27405 or Bald Creek United Methodist Church Building Fund, c/o Nan Proffitt, 29 Bald Creek School Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.
VAUGHN McMAHAN
Vaughn McMahan, 88, of the Pensacola Community, passed away Saturday, July 26, 2008 at his home. A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late Robert Henry and Ona Allen McMahan and the husband of Ollie Riddle McMahan who died in 2007. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Nema McPeters, a grandson, Jamie McPeters and nine sisters and brothers.
Surviving are a son Carrol McMahan and wife, Mary, of Burnsville; grandchildren: John McPeters and Darrell and Robert McMahan; great grandchildren; Dustin, Hannah and Levi McMahan, Kandace and Amber McPeters and Laken Reed and a sister, Rosemary Rhodes of Morganton.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Tuesday in Pensacola Freewill Baptist Church, of which he was a member. Revs. Clyde Thomason and Wayne Riddle will officiate. Burial will be in the Vaughn McMahan Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 8:00 PM Monday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home, where the body will remain until taken to the church to lie in state thirty minutes prior to the service.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 Georges Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.
LILLIE PARSLEY
Lillie Parsley, 93, of Newdale, went home to be with the Lord Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at her home. A native of Mitchell County, she was a daughter of the late Jess and Mattie Hollifield McKinney and the wife of Dave Parsley who died in 1996. She was also preceded in death by a daughter: Norma Jean Robinson, 2 sons: David and Wayne Parsley; 2 sisters: Ruth Petty and Maude Vance and a brother: Coy McKinney.
She is survived by her son-in-law: Charles Robinson of Greensboro; a grandson: Mark Robinson and wife, Tristan, and great grandson: William Charles Robinson of Mt. Pleasant, SC; a daughter-in-law: Jerrie Parsley of Pilot Mountain; 4 sisters: Daisy Burnett of Spruce Pine, Mary Parsley and Ellen Grindstaff of Burnsville and Lucy Hoppes of Flint, Michigan.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday in Liberty Hill Baptist Church of which she was a member. Revs. David Philbeck and Mike Grindstaff will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.
CRATE BAILEY
Crate Bailey, 82, of Higgins, passed away Sunday, July 20, 2008 in Brookside Rehabilitation and Care. A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late Dan and Foye Higgins Bailey. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Donald and Clyde Bailey and a sister, Bertha Wheeler. Crate was a World War II U S Army veteran, having served from January 1944 until December 1945. Crate was a Prisoner of War in Germany from December 16, 1944 until June 26, 1945, having been captured during the Battle of the Bulge. He was a member of the Sgt. E.L. Randolph Chapter 57 Disabled American Veterans.
Surviving are his wife of 54 years: Anise Silvers Bailey; a daughter, Judy Bailey Miller of Burnsville; two sons: Harlan Bailey and wife, Connie, of Mars Hill and Walter Bailey and wife, Kristi, of Burnsville; two grandchildren: Dale Bailey of Mars Hill and Abbey Bailey of Burnsville; and a brother, Clay Bailey of Burnsville.
Funeral services will be held at 7:00 PM Monday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. The Rev. Denny Wilson will officiate.
Graveside services will be held at 10:00 AM Tuesday in the Higgins Family Cemetery with Military graverites conducted by the Sgt. E. L. Randolph Chapter 57 DAV.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 7:00 PM Monday at the funeral home.
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