Fonda Allen
Jul 10, 2024
GREEN CREEK -- Fonda Nadine (Lanford) Allen, 77, of Green Creek, NC passed away Wednesday, July 10, 2024. Born in Polk County, NC, she was the daughter of the late John Barnette Lanford and Sybil Westbrook Bitting. She retired from Chesnee Telephone Company after many years of service. She was a lifelong resident of Polk County and a member of...
Roger Yike
Jul 8, 2024
COLUMBUS – Roger Yike, devoted husband and loving father, passed away July 8, 2024. Born in Lackawanna, New York, he was the son of the late Joseph S. Yike and Frances R. Yike, and sibling of brother Douglas and sister June. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marilyn Yike and one daughter, Stacy. His eldest daughter, Brenda,...
Mark Byrd
Jun 30, 2024
SALUDA – Mark Alan Byrd, 64, of Saluda, passed away, Sunday evening, June 30, 2024, at St. Luke's Hospital. Born in Hendersonville, he was the son of Delia Ann Gravely Byrd of Saluda and the late Donald Eugene Byrd. Mark was a 1977 graduate of East Henderson High School. After graduating, Mark became a truck driver, owning his own truck,...
Rodney Thompson
Jun 27, 2024
SALUDA – Rodney Merle Thompson, 52, of Saluda, passed away, Thursday, June 27, 2024. Born in Henderson County, he was the son of R. Wayne Thompson and Harriet "Cissy" Corn Thompson of Saluda. Rodney was a 1989 graduate of Edneyville High School. He began laying brick when he was 16 years old and worked at Rose's also. After high school,...
Joe Hipp
Jun 26, 2024
SALUDA – Joe Walter Hipp, Jr., 65, of Saluda, passed away, Wednesday morning, June 26, 2024, at the Elizabeth House in Flat Rock. A native and lifelong resident of Saluda, Joe was the son of the late Joe "Pete" Walter Hipp, Sr. and Shirley Waters Hipp and husband of the late Pamela Bland Hipp. Joe worked his entire career in...
Heather Merrell
Jun 24, 2024
Heather Lauren Jackson Merrell, 36, of Owasso, Oklahoma, formerly of Green Creek, passed away, Monday, June 24, 2024. Born in Rutherfordton, North Carolina on March 20, 1988, she was the daughter of Donald Jackson and Manda Earley Jackson of Green Creek, North Carolina. Heather was a 2006 graduate of Polk County High School and went on to graduate from St....
Patricia Massengill
Jun 16, 2024
Patricia Melvin Massengill, 89, of Mill Spring, NC passed away on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Pat was a native of Durham County and a Physical Therapist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospitals, Pardee Hospital and a founding member of ProTherapy. She spent her retirement years assisting her husband, Jim, and her son, Glen, in operating the Hitching Post Campground. Pat was preceded...
Charles Waters
Jun 10, 2024
TRYON – Charles Terry Waters, 73, of Tryon, went home to be with the Lord, Monday afternoon, June 10, 2024, at White Oak Manor of Tryon. A native and lifelong resident of Tryon, Charles was the son of the late Willie Waters and Ruby Owens Waters. For the last 36 years, Charles has been a resident of White Oak Manor...
Paul Ritchey
Jun 5, 2024
COLUMBUS – Paul Hines Ritchey, 84, of Columbus, passed away, Tuesday afternoon, June 4, 2024, at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills in Forest City. Born in Polk County, he was the son of the late Joseph Buren Ritchey and Marion Louise Hines Ritchey. Mr. Ritchey was a graduate of Tryon High School and later went on to earn an associates...
Steve Shehan
Jun 3, 2024
Mill Spring, NC—Steve Shehan, 76, of Mill Spring, NC passed away on Monday, June 3, 2024. Steve was the son of the late Jesse and Mary Walker Shehan. Steve operated a gas station in Mill Spring, NC prior to enlisting in the Army. Steve proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, Steve...
Elizabeth Winkel
May 26, 2024
Elizabeth (Betty) Winkel died peacefully at Tryon Estates on May 26, 2024. Betty was born on January 5, 1925 in Scranton, PA to the late Hubert and Helene Winkel. The family moved to Cranford, NJ where Betty grew up and graduated from Bucknell University with a BA in Biology and Chemistry. Betty went onto Yale University in CT where she...
Ralph Pace
May 25, 2024
SALUDA – Ralph Samuel Pace, 84, of the Fork Creek Community of Saluda, went home to be with the Lord, Saturday morning, May 25, 2024, at his home. A native and lifelong resident of Saluda, he was the son of the late Monroe Pace and Ada Metcalf Pace. Ralph was a graduate of Saluda High School and went on to...
John Elliott
May 24, 2024
TRYON -- John ("Jack") H. Elliott died peacefully in his sleep on May 24, 2024, at the age of 97. Jack was born on March 26, 1927, in Haverhill, MA. His parents were Glendon M. Elliott and Margaret Horne Elliott. Jack grew up in Providence, RI with his parents and his sister, Gretchen Viall. Jack attended high school at the...
Wynona Joye
May 23, 2024
Columbus, NC— Wynona Ormand Joye , 96, of Columbus, NC passed away on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at her home. Wynona was the daughter of the late William A. and Lizzie Dedmond Ormand. She worked for 15 years as a secretary for the Polk County School System and later worked for Pace Electric as the office manager. She was a...
Arnold Skipper
May 23, 2024
GREEN CREEK – Arnold Garnell Skipper, 89, of Green Creek, passed away, Thursday morning, May 23, 2024, at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills in Forest City. Born in Green Creek, he was the son of the late Ferd Skipper and Lusco Gosnell Skipper. Mr. Skipper retired from the Textile Industry. Following retirement, he farmed his land enjoying spending time on...
Ray Higgins
May 19, 2024
Columbus, NC—Elbert "Ray" Higgins, 81, passed away on Sunday, May 19, 2024 with his wife by his bedside. Ray was the son of the late James Elbert and Alta Foster Higgins. He worked as a Construction Foreman for the Morgan Corporation and retired after 40 plus years of service. Ray loved his family and always made sure to put them...
Alan Babcock
May 19, 2024
Alan Babcock of Saluda, NC passed away peacefully on May 19, 2024. He was born on December 7, 1951 in Snyder, TX to Dorothy and the late Foy Babcock. Alan enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war and served in Germany working as a military driver. His medals include National Defense Service Ribbon, Sharpshooter and Drivers Badge. While...
Calvin Ruff
May 15, 2024
MILL SPRING – Calvin Frank Ruff, 67, of Mill Spring, passed away Wednesday afternoon, May 15, 2024, at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills in Forest City. A native of Polk County, he was the son of the late Norma Shehan. Calvin attended Polk Central High School and retired from Wilsonart in Fletcher after 23 years of service. When he was...
Thomas Owens
May 12, 2024
TRYON -- Thomas Frank Owens, 68, of Little Mountain Road, Tryon, NC died unexpectedly Sunday, May 12,2024 at St Lukes Hospital, Columbus, NC. A native of Polk County, NC, he was the son of Norris Owens of Green Creek and the late Lorraine Fenner Owens, who died in 2009. He was a graduate of Polk Central High School,...
Glen Massengill
May 12, 2024
Glen James Massengill, 60, of Mill Spring, NC passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Glen was the son of James (deceased) and Patricia Massengill. Glen was a dedicated and loving husband to Elicia Ramsey Massengill and a phenomenal and loving father to Cooper James Massengill. Glen was born and grew up in Charlotte, NC. After high school, he attended...
