4 Sept. 22, 2011
• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS
Obituaries Thomas Dean McIntosh
Thomas Dean McIntosh, 68, of Shepard Way, died Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, at Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care in Lenoir. A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late Tom and Ruth Jarrett McIntosh. Surviving are a sister, Susan Wilson and husband, Robert, of Lenoir and a brother, Ronnie Vic McIntosh and wife, Mitzi, of Micaville. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home.
Maud Kathleen Hensley Higgins
Maud Kathleen Hensley Higgins, 95, of Burnsville, died peacefully surrounded by family on September 18, 2011. A native of Yancey County, she was the daughter of the late Wesley B. and Atlas Banks Hensley. She was also preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, William A. Higgins, in 1996, a retired magistrate of North Carolina for Yancey County, two brothers, Edgar B. Hensley and Brooks C. Hensley, and a grandson, Douglas A. Fisher. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Nancy Ann Higgins Fisher and Col. Donald L. Fisher of Bend, Oregon; two grandsons, William Blackburn of Colorado Springs and David Fisher of Bend, Oregon; a greatgrandson, Brandon Blackburn; one sister and brother-in-law, Mary Evelyn Hensley Divers and John D. Divers of Cloverdale, Va.; two sisters-in-law, Wilhelmina A. Hensley and Joyce R. Hensley of Burnsville; six nieces, two nephews, special friend, Yvonne Edge, and a host of cousins and friends. Mrs. Higgins was owner and operator of Maud’s Beauty Salon in Burnsville for 30 years. She was a member of Higgins Memorial Methodist Church since 1934. A funeral service was Thursday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home with the Rev. John D. Divers and Pastor Wes Sharp of the Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church officiating. Burial was in Banks Cemetery on Bolens Creek. Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Helen Johnson McCoury
Helen Johnson McCoury, born April 30, 1921, to Hobert and Merla Johnson, died Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011, at Mountain Manor Assisted Living. She was the wife of the late Frank Edward McCoury, who passed away in 2002. In addition to her parents and
husband, she was also preceded in death by her granddaughter, Kristie Lynn Gunderson Lee; and sisters Margaret Johnson Carter and Frances Johnson Van den Enden. She was a member of Crabtree Baptist Church for many years, and following Frank’s death she joined the First Presbyterian Church of Burnsville. Helen worked for Glen Raven Mills, was a manager of the lunchroom at East Yancey Middle School and retired from Baxter Heath Care. Surviving is her daughter, Barbara McCoury Skinner and husband, Pat, of Burnsville; brothers Kermit Johnson and wife, Betty, of Spruce Pine and David Johnson and wife, Suzanne, of Germantown; granddaughters Karla Deen and husband, Jason, and Barbara Stewart; and great-grandsons Zachary Lee, Christian Deen and Brady Deen. Funeral service was Thursday morning at the First Presbyterian Church of Burnsville with Dr. Bill Lindeman officiating. Burial will be in the Honeycutt Cemetery on Georges Fork Road. The family requests memorial donations be made in Helen’s honor to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 Georges Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.
Guy Silver
Guy Silver, 82, of the Bandana Community, died Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. He was the son of the late Fred and Edna Jarrett Silver. He was preceded in death by his brother Harry Silver. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jo Ann Holder Silver, his sons: Sam and wife, Ronda Stafford Silver, and Edd Silver, and three grandsons: Clint F., Jacob Guy and J.E.B. Silver, all of the Bandana Community. He is also survived by two sisters; Nina Turbyfill of Snow Creek, Bobbie Stack of Pensacola, Fla., and a brother, Ted Silver, of Garner; several nieces and nephews; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, James and Jean Willis, of Bear Creek, brother-in-law Charles Bruce Holder and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Edward and Mary Holder all of Canton, Ohio. Guy was a lifetime farmer in the Bandana Community except for a brief period when he served in the Korean War in the Air Force. Guy showed a love for God first, family second and then his community and the land, as was obvious by his testimony. He was a lifelong member of Silver Chapel Baptist Church and was laid to rest there on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011. The family invites everyone to join them in celebrating Guy’s life on Sunday, Sept. 25, at Staci Nicole Ayala 2 p.m., at the Silver Chapel Baptist Church in Staci Nicole Ayala, 36, of the Newdale Bandana. The family requests that memorial community, died Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, at donations be made to the Gideons, of which her home surrounded by her loving family. She Guy was a long time member. was preceded in death by a sister, Tami Denise Honeycutt; grandparents Ossie and Verlon Ethel Ray Austin Edwards and Lester and Carrie Honeycutt, and Ethel Frances Ray Austin, 89, of the her favorite aunt, “Mommy” Wanell Hudgins. She was a 1993 graduate of Mountain Heritage Riceville community in Buncombe County, High School and a graduate of East Coast died Thurday, Sept. 22, 2011, at Mission Hospital. Bible College in Charlotte. She was a daughter of the late Ernest Surviving is her loving husband of seven years, Jonathan Ayala; parents Benny and Bingham Ray and May Penland Ray. She was Judie Honeycutt; mother and father-in-law, the sister of the late Ellis Ray, William Ray, Bob and Becky Ayala, and a sister-in-law, Ali and Edith Dockery, all of Riceville, and two Ayala. brothers who died in infancy. Funeral services will be held at 8 p.m. She worked at the Pentagon during World Thursday in the Chapel of Yancey Funeral Services with the Rev. Charles R. Dodson War II in the war department, and married officiating. Graveside services will be held Harvey E. Austin, an Army Air Corps aviator. She graduated Mars Hill College at age 50 at 11 a.m. on Friday in the Edwards Family Cemetery. The family will receive friends from and began a career as a school teacher at Black 6 until 8 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Mountain Elementary School, from which she The family requests memorial donations retired. be made to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 She was mother of Deborah and Christopher Georges Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714. Austin of Asheville, Peter Austin of WinstonSalem, and Jonathan Austin of Celo. Roy L. Tipton
Roy L. Tipton, 86, died Sept. 11, 2011, in Port Orange, Fla. He was born in Mitchell County to the late Burnie and Nellie Bryant Tipton. He had previously worked as a sales supervisor at the Budweiser Company. Survivors include daughters Debbie Bowling and husband, Richard, of Port Orange, Fla., Anita Worley and husband, Kenneth, of Johnson City, Tenn., grandchildren Vance and Dennis Rountree, Gator, Sarah, and Brittany Bowling, and great-grandson Jonah Lane Bowling. Funeral was Friday, Sept. 16. Burial was in the Whitson-Tipton Cemetery in Green Mountain. Memorials may be made to Whitson-Tipton Cemetery, c/o Thelma Tipton, 5549 NC 197, Green Mountain, NC, 28740.