Richard Nosti of Hayesville passed away on Sunday, October 28, 2018. Although he was a native Floridian, he considered Hayesville, North Carolina his second home from the moment he and his wife, Sara Nosti, retired to the mountains in 1988.

Richard graduated from the Plant High School in South Tampa, Florida and served in the United States Navy during World War II. Upon returning from the Navy, he married Sara Parrish and started a family, eventually welcoming Carol Swain, Diana Jo, Martha Sue, and Jennie Lou to their small family. In life, he was fond of saying that he was surrounded by women, that even the goldfish, cats, dogs, and hamster were ladies. So, it is only fitting that he had four granddaughters as well as daughters, Sara Worsham, Shana Worsham, Jessica Gentry, and Andrea Suarez.

Richard was the son of the late Manuel and Josephine Pickett Nosti and the husband of the late Sara Nosti. He was also preceded in death by his daughters, Carol Nosti and Martha Monaldi; his siblings, Harold Nosti and Eugennie Gibson; and his granddaughter, Shana Worsham.

Surviving are “his girls’, daughters, Diana Gentry and Jennie Shaver and husband, Buck; three granddaughters, Sara, Jessica, and Andrea Suarez and husband, Randy; two grandsons, Buddy Shaver and wife, Lizbeth and David Shaver and wife, Carolyn. Richard leaves behind many grieving friends and family, but we are comforted by knowing that while he is no longer with us, he has been reunited with his wife, Sara; daughters, Carol and Marti; and granddaughter, Shana; in addition to many lifelong friends.

There will be no funeral services at this time. However, a Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring of 2019. His ashes, and the ashes of his beloved wife, will be scattered in Boca Grande Pass in Boca Grande, Florida at a later date. It is fitting that their final resting place will be together, in the waters off the island where they created a lifetime of memories.

Ivie Funeral Home, Hayesville in charge of arrangements.

Stella Mae Wright Mason, age 92 of Topton, passed away Friday, October 26, 2018 at a Jackson County hospital.  She was a native and lifetime resident of Topton. Stella was a life long member of Red Marble Baptist Church.  She loved to sing and sang for many years with the Red Marble Quartet and Trio.  Stella was also a lifetime Yankees fan and also enjoyed watching Peyton Manning play.

She was the daughter of the late William Rush and Hassie Nichols Wright and the wife of the late Bob Mason, who died April 2, 1983. She was also preceded in death by five sisters, Beatrice, Irene, Olive, Lorene, and Betty Lou and three brothers, Jack, John, and Clifton Wright.

Surviving are two daughters, Gaye C. Mathis and husband, Ricky of Topton and Teresa A. Mejia and husband, Chris of Olathe, Kansas; three sons, Hal Mason and wife, Nancy of Garner, North Carolina, Ronnie J. Mason and wife Jennilou of Topton, and Lanny R. Mason and wife Eloise of Topton; nine grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren.  She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Evelyn Reighard and Debbie Wood for being special caregivers.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, October 28, 2018 at Red Marble Baptist Church with Rev. Mickey Stewart and Rev. Donald Colvard officiating.  The interment was in Red Marble Baptist Church Cemetery.  Pallbearers were Ronnie Bateman, Mike Reighard, Roy, Tim, and David Wright, Ricky Postell,  and Danny West. Honorary pallbearers were Gene Reighard, Alvin Wright, and Shane Laughter.

The family received friends from 1:00-2:45 p.m. Sunday, October 28^th at Red Marble Baptist Church prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of Stella Mae Wright Mason to the Red Marble Baptist Church, c/o Martha Postell, 1201 Red Marble Road, Andrews, NC  28901 or to the Four Seasons Hospice, 571 South Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC  28731.

Ivie Funeral Home, Andrews in charge of all arrangements.

Marcella Grant Deal, age 72, of Hickory, formerly of Nantahala, passed away Friday, October 26, 2018 at her residence.  She was a native of Macon County, and had lived in Hickory for over forty years. Marcella loved going to flea markets and yard sales. She was of the Baptist faith.

She was the daughter of the late Rev. Clint & Irene Grant and was the wife of the late John Adams and her second husband, Sam Deal. She was also preceded in death by two sons, Jeffrey and Dewayne Adams; and two brothers, Joseph and Jerry Grant.

Surviving are a son, Bobby Joe Adams of Hickory, North Carolina; a sister, Janice Owenby and husband, Darrell of Asheboro, North Carolina; two brothers, Marvin Grant and wife, Linda of Plant City, Florida and Rick Grant and wife, Mary of Trinity, North Carolina; three grandchildren, Pamela Adams, Mitchell Adams, and Brandon Grant; four great grandchildren and many step-grandchildren.  She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, October 29, 2018 at the Chapel of Ivie Funeral Home, Andrews with Rev. Daniel Stewart officiating.  The interment was in Union Hill Cemetery.  Pallbearers were Brad and Brandon Grant, Tristan Smith, Tom Jones, Eric Accosta, and Chris Giddens.

The family received friends from 12:00-1:45 p.m. Monday at the Ivie Funeral Home, Andrews prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of Marcella Grant Deal to the American Diabetes Association, 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 900, Arlington, VA  22202.

Ivie Funeral Home, Andrews in charge of all arrangements.

Joe Poteat, 78, of Murphy passed away Thursday, October 25, 2018 in an Atlanta, Georgia hospital. He was a native of Spindale, North Carolina. Joe served more than 35 years in the United States Coast Guard as a helicopter rescue pilot. He retired from the Coast Guard as a Commander and pilot. Joe moved on to work for the Florida Division of Forestry as a firefighter helicopter pilot. He graduated with a criminal justice degree from Corning Community College in Corning, New York. He was a member of the Cherokee Masonic Lodge No. 146 and the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Murphy. Joe enjoyed boating and eating at Waffle King with his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Justin Walter Poteat; his mother, Euzelea “Susie” Northy Groom; his step-father, Lawrence E. Groom Jr.; a sister, Patricia Smith; and a brother, Lawrence E. Groom III.

Surviving are his wife of 24 years, Mary O’Connor Poteat; his first wife and mother of his children, Mary Margaret Cleary Poteat and the extended Cleary family; two sons, Joe Frank Poteat, and Jon Alan Poteat and wife, Denise; a daughter, Paula Marie Poteat, all of Horseheads, New York; a brother, Robert Poteat and wife, Linda of Gilmer, Texas; four granddaughters, Janaye Poteat and fiance, Cody Wall, Danielle Poteat Smith and husband, Stephen, Justine Poteat Schneider and husband, Dan, and Sara Poteat Lowe and husband, Jared; two great grandsons, Camden Joseph Crowley and Thomas Baker-Lowe and a great granddaughter, Evelyn Mare Schneider.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 1, 2018 in Oak Grove Baptist Church, Murphy with the Revs. Ronny Crisp, Randy Johnson, and Gerald Derreberry officiating. The interment was in the church cemetery with military graveside rites conducted by the Murphy American Legion Post 96, Hayesville VFW Post 6812, and Hayesville American Legion Post 532, and with masonic graveside rites. Pallbearers were Reggie Pendley, Dennis Fetzer, Loye Reid, Jimmy Bailey, Keith Allen, and Jeremy Hall.

The family received friends from 6-8 Wednesday evening at the Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy where the body remained until placed in the church 30 minutes prior to the services.

Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy in charge of all arrangements.

Paulette H. Wren, 75, of Hayesville passed away Saturday, October 27, 2018. She was a native of Rome, Georgia, but lived most of her life in Fayette County, Georgia, where she worked for the Federal Aviation Authority. Upon her retirement, she moved to Clay County in 2003. Paulette enjoyed painting and gardening and being active with the exercise group at Hayesville First United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Truett Memorial First Baptist Church.

She was the daughter of the late Paul Gary and Jane Rucker Hammond and was preceded in death by her first husband, Walter Irvin Dozier, who died November 14, 2005.

Surviving are her husband, Henry Wren; three sons, Scott Dozier and wife, Tracy of Greenville, South Carolina, Todd Dozier and wife, Suzie of Newnan, Georgia, and Chris Dozier and wife, Dixie of Ludowici, Georgia; a sister, Kat Hammond of Egypt; a brother, Danny Hammond of Greenville, North Carolina; seven grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, November 2, 2018 in the Truett Memorial First Baptist Church with the Rev. Johnny Foster officiating. The interment will be in the Laurel Hills Memory Gardens. Pallbearers will be Scott, Todd, and Chris Dozier, Jeff Souza, Ray Davis, Jimmy Etheridge, Scott Kelley, and Greg Nease.

The family will receive friends from 1-2:45 Friday afternoon at the Truett Memorial First Baptist Church prior to the services.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of Paulette H. Wren to the Truett Memorial First Baptist Church, PO Box 464, Hayesville, NC 28904.

Ivie Funeral Home, Hayesville in charge of all arrangements.

Mr. Bud Lawerence Brown is more alive than he has ever been and with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Born October 31, 1928 in Elf, North Carolina, Bud passed into glory on October 30 at Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care.  Bud was preceded in death by parents, Ben and Goldie Brown; two sisters, Dorothy Lundvall and Barbara Bracken; and twin brother, Benjamin Brown. He is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Betty Moore Brown; his daughter, Deborah J. Brown; and two sons, Lawrence E. and Brenin K. Brown. He is also survived by brother, James Brown and wife, Frances, of Tennessee; sister-in-law, Lee Brown of Hayesville; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Raised as a farm boy in Clay and Cherokee Counties, Bud later joined and served twenty years in the U. S. Army in Europe and Asia, thirty-six years with Bernhardt Furniture travelling extensively around the world on their behalf. He was very active in his community, serving on numerous boards; in church, serving as Sunday School Teacher, youth leader, Missions Committee chair, chair of the Board of Deacons, Elder, Clerk of Session and Trustee of Lenoir Presbyterian Church. He also served forty years as a volunteer of the Department of Defense branch, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), retired as State Chair with a rank of 2-star General, being dubbed “father of ESGR” in North Carolina.  The “Bud Brown Award for Excellence” is given each year to a deserving member of ESGR. He and Betty served as Hospice volunteers for 30 years.

Bud carried a suitcase of Bibles throughout Asia for many years and testified to God’s love for all people through Jesus Christ. He also enjoyed home remodeling with his daughter, farming with his children, painting and drawing, woodworking, leather tooling, furniture making, and handcrafting with his wife.

Funeral and visitation will be held at Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy, North Carolina at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 3, 2018.  A memorial service will be held at Lenoir Presbyterian Church in Lenoir, North Carolina at 3:00 p.m. on November 11, 2018. Memorials may be given to Lenoir Presbyterian Church, 1002 Kirkwood Ave. NW, Lenoir, NC 28645, Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood Ave., Lenoir, NC 28645, or Yokefellow Christian Ministries, POB 2422, Lenoir, NC 28645.

The family deeply appreciates the staff of Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Caldwell Hospice and faithful caregivers Christy Pearson, Tammy Parsons, Kaitlyn Miller, Morgan Preik, as well as Sarah Eckard of Caregivers By Design.

The family expresses special thanks to Lenoir Presbyterian Church for their support during Bud’s illness, Harris Chapel Baptist Church for their prayers and many visits, Hyatt’s Creek Baptist Church for prayers and care. Most special thanks to Pastor Rob Hinman and Pastor Ron Burgett who will conduct the service.

Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy in charge of all arrangements.