Alice Jean Frazier
Alice Jean Frazier, 92, of Franklin, N.C., passed away Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. She was born Feb. 13, 1930, in Macon County, to the late Anis Cabe and Minnie Grant Cabe. She was a member of Cowee Baptist Church. She worked and retired from the hotel business and being a waitress. She loved word search puzzles, knitting, cross stitching, and needle work.
She is survived by three daughters, Sheila Frazier, Margaret Sybil Cabe, and Billie Guffie; two sons, Columbus Milton Frazier and Ellis Raby; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Columbus Milton “Mitt” Frazier, who died Oct. 16, 1984; a daughter, Sandra Ellenburg; and a son, Harold Frazier.
A funeral service will be held Thursday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m., in the Chapel of Bryant-Grant Funeral Home, with Rev. Doug Carpenter officiating. Burial will be in the Cowee Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home.
Bryant-Grant Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.
Ruth ‘Betsy’ Elizabeth Harris Thornton
Ruth “Betsy” Elizabeth Harris Thornton, 76, of Franklin, N.C., passed away peacefully Monday, Oct. 31, 2022.
She was born June 11, 1946, in Dearborn, Mich., to the late Phillip Harris and Ruth Lamp Harris. She worked and retired from healthcare as a registered nurse after earning her bachelor’s in nursing from Johns Hopkins University. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren. She also loved to garden and to travel in the motorhome that she and Rick bought to spend their retirement in.
She is survived by her husband, Rick Thornton; a son, Greg Gischel; a brother, Phillip Harris; and two grandchildren, Gage Gischel and Sophie Gischel.
She was preceded in death by her son, Jeffrey Gischel.
No services are planned at this time.
Bryant Grant is serving the Thornton Family.
Lois Kendall Karvonen
Lois Kendall Karvonen, 99, passed away Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. She was born in Darlington County, South Carolina, on Aug. 25, 1923, to the late Charlie Baxter Kendall and Mary Lee Wade Kendall. She was married to the late Edwin Karvonen who preceded her in 2002.
She was a retired school teacher and was a member of Coweeta Baptist Church in Otto, N.C.
Survivors include a grandson, Jeffrey Karvonen and a daughter-in-law, Marjorie Karvonen.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, John Karvonen.
A private burial will be held at the Coweeta Baptist Church Cemetery next to her husband, Edwin.
Online condolences can be left at www.bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.
Bryant-Grant Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Karvonen family.
Dorothy M. Smith Cash
Dorothy M. Smith Cash, 94, formerly of Lunenburg, Mass., left us peacefully on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, surrounded by the love and support of her family.
She was the daughter of Clarence H. and Ida (Silva) Smith. She worked for many years at Page & Gleason in Lunenburg, Mass., and later at the Settle Shop in Townsend, Mass. She also worked in the office at Citrus Park in Bonita Springs where she lived for many years before her retirement.
She loved traveling cross country with her husband and visited 49 states in the U.S. She was an avid crafter and loved making things for her family and friends. She donated many warm hats to the homeless in New Hampshire and made many afghans for all new babies welcomed into the family. She also enjoyed teaching crafts to anyone who wanted to learn. She avidly combed the beaches of Florida and Cape Cod looking for shells and sea glass. She loved feeding and watching her birds and giving her favorite dogs bones.She loved to feed everyone and never went to the doctors without a plate of cookies. She took them to the post office, gave them to the UPS drivers and mailman. She loved being known as the cookie lady.
She leaves one son, John Koney, Jr. of Seabrook, N.H.; six daughters, Sandra Koney of Summerfield, Fla.; Deborah and Douglas Arnold of Franklin, N.C.; Donna and Hank Rosenfield of Coventry, R.I.; Dorothy and Dan Barker of Kingman, Ariz.; Bonnie and Phillip Latini of Clinton, Mass., and Terry and Mark Surprenant of Merritt Island, Fla.; 16 grandchildren and many great and great-great grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband, Charles Cash; her son, Ronald Koney; four brothers, Theodore J. Smith Korean War MIA 9/1/50, Robert, Clarence Jr., and Anthony Smith; and three sisters, Ida Deluca, Elizabeth Oja and Cynthia Adams; and two grandchildren, John Koney, Jr., and Christine Crittenden.
The family would like to thank the wonderful people at Four Seasons Hospice who took so very good of her.
A graveside service will be held at a later date at North Cemetery, Lunenburg, Mass.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Four Seasons Foundation at 571 South Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731; or the Susan G. Komen Foundation, 13770 Noel Road, Suite 801889, Dallas, TX 75380.
Bryant Grant Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family. Online condolences at www.bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.
Thomas Eugene Estes
Thomas Eugene Estes, 85, of Franklin, N.C., passed away Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. He was born June 24, 1937 in Macon County, North Carolina, to the late James Lee Estes and Velma Wooten Estes.
He worked for Schmitt Construction in Highlands, N.C., as a carpenter. He was of the Baptist faith. He also loved car racing, golfing, and fishing.
He is survived by two daughters, Teresa Breedlove (Joe) of Franklin and Pam Fleming (Bob) of Atlanta, Ga.; two sisters, Brenda Wallace (Jerry) and Carolyn Clouse (Jim) all of Franklin, N.C.; and two grandchildren, Avery Michael Breedlove of Franklin and Maggie Fleming of Atlanta, Ga.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a niece, Lynn Wright.
A memorial service was held Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Bryant-Grant Funeral Home Chapel.
Bryant Grant Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Estes family. Online condolences at www.bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.
Laure Swanner Walsh
Laure Swanner Walsh, 64, passed away Oct. 28, 2022, at her Scaly Mountain home.
She was preceded by her husband of 28 years, James Walsh Sr. and will be dearly missed by her two loving children, Ali Mae Walsh and James Walsh Jr.
Born in New Orleans on Dec. 15, 1957, she is the daughter of the late Alvin Earnest Swanner and Rita Hewson Swanner. She grew up closely among her three siblings, Michael Swanner (Lori), Susan Swanner (Scott), and Holly Jarrett (Keith) and was a beloved aunt to many nieces and nephews.
As the flower-child of the family, she naturally pursued a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture at USL in Lafayette, La. After graduating with Highest Honors, she became known for her expert care of interior plants throughout the New Orleans Central Business District. She loved to share her plant knowledge, passionately naming any plant on a whim.
She met the love of her life, Jim Walsh, while living in Pass Christian, Miss. Soon after, her love for plants and family transformed when her father purchased Chateau Golf & County Club and she began landscaping the grounds and surrounding areas all while exploring her passion for cooking, taking classes by night.
In 1994, she married Jim and together they worked at The Club, Laure as executive chef. They soon began a family of their own raising two children in Kenner, around the corner from her parents and sister.
They enjoyed traveling, camping in North Carolina, and abroad with family and her dearest friends. She loved trips to Boston to visit Jim’s family and summer holidays in Ocean Springs with her extended family.
She loved the country life and built a barn home on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi near where her and her husband’s love first began. The property became a favorite of hers where she held camp for nieces, nephews and her friends’ children while gardening and raising chickens.
Although life took a turn in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, she decided it was time to move her family to their cherished town of Highlands, N.C. In this quaint mountain town her life blossomed as she became deeply involved within the community, schools, and church.
After building a home in Scaly Mountain, she joined the Scaly Mountain Women’s Club and developed everlasting friendships. She put her whole heart into everything she did, was a passionate volunteer, caring mother, wonderful friend and sister.
To many, she showed her love through cooking meals and throwing fabulous parties true to her Louisiana roots. Her most loved meals were crawfish pies, mufulettas, gumbo and charbroiled oysters.
A memorial mass will be held 10:30 am on Nov. 10, at 10:30 a.m., at Our Lady of the Mountains in Highlands officiated by Father Jason Barone. She will be dearly missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Scaly Mountain Women’s Club Scholarship Fund: P.O Box 64, Scaly Mountain, NC 28775.
Online condolences can be made at www.maconfuneralhome.com.
Macon Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Richard Sloan Jones III
Richard Sloan Jones III, died on Nov. 1, 2022, at his home in Asheville, N.C. He was raised in Franklin, N.C., the son of Richard (Dick) S. Jones Jr. and Melissa O. Jones.
His formal education and first career was in hospitality and restaurant management, with an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and a Master’s degree from European University in Montreux, Switzerland. His informal education in hospitality came about in his grandmother, Lois Jones’ kitchen and the family gatherings at the Jones cabin on Wayah Bald and at Family Meeting (the Siler reunion).
His second career was in real estate, most recently as a Listing Specialist in Asheville. There, he was close to new friends, family, and things he loved: singing with the Asheville Symphony Chorus and Chamber Choir and serving his church community at First Congregational United Church of Christ.
There is no doubt that his third career would have involved travel. From his first trip to England as a teenager with his grandmother to his African sojourns with Bryant McClure to his international studies, he sought adventure with kindred spirits in beautiful places around the world. His collection of art, photographs, and memories from his travels enriched his life and beckoned others to join him.
His greatest passions were music, cooking, and beautiful flowers; but even more, he enjoyed creating these very things for those he loved. In each of these he understood that, with thoughtfulness, vision, and empathy, independent elements could be blended, each according to its own purpose to inspire, fulfill, and celebrate. As in Romans 8:28, he knew that “in all things God works together with those who love Him to bring about what is good.”
Perhaps his greatest talent was the art of making lifelong friends. His zest for life, his knack for making time together a celebration, and his deep loyalties to family and friends created bonds that endured. He charted his own course, but like his grandfather and father, to know him was to love him.
He is survived by his parents; brother, Fred H. Jones (Jennifer); sister, Laura J. Caffrey; two nephews, Lyle Jones and Conor Caffrey; two nieces, Kate Jones and Keelin Caffrey; and many close friends, relatives, and fellow adventurers.
A celebration of life will take place at Franklin First United Methodist Church Saturday Nov. 12, at 3 p.m. Donations in Richard’s memory may be made to the Flower Fund at First United Methodist Church, Franklin; the Franklin High School Music Department; and the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Asheville.
Moffitt Family Funeral Care is honored to serve the family.
Online condolences may be made at www.moffittfunerals.com.
Robert Wayne Leonard
Robert Wayne Leonard, 81, of Franklin, N.C., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022.
He was born in Allerton, N.J., to the late Geroge E and Christine Frost Leonard.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Edna O’Dor; son, Jack Leonard; and grandson Jack Jr.
He was a member of Tall Cedars, Shriners, and was a mason. He started as a butcher at 16 years old at Bishop’s in New Jersey. He worked after graduation at A&P in New Jersey and retired from there to work and retire from Ingles as well. He enjoyed old cars, and once won a car show. He also enjoyed playing golf, and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Elizabeth Betty Ann Apgar Leonard; son, Donald Leonard (Janet); daughter, Tammy Lynch; brother George Leonard (Sylvia); sister, Patricia Schnieder(Richard); grandchildren, Jordan, Alexis, Gabi Cassie; great grandchildren, Rain, Gabriel, Asantae, Ameria, Kaiahna, and William.
A private family service will be held at a later date.
Online condolences can be made at www.maconfuneralhome.com.
Macon Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
