Jean Marie (Derry) Curren was born July 1, 1932 to Albert and Irene Derry and raised in Newtown, Pa.  After a long battle with illness, she fell asleep in death peacefully on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the age of 93, in Sylva, N.C.

Commander Lewis Hamilton Harding, Sr., age 87, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 25, 2026, in his beloved hometown of Cherokee, N.C.

With strong roots and deep love for western North Carolina communities, coach leaves behind a legacy in resilience, strength, kindness and loyalty.

John Lawrence Laney Jr., 59, of Cherokee, passed away on Sunday, June 21, 2026, after a period of declining health.

Howard “Skipper” Vincent Sneed, 85, of the Painttown Community in Cherokee, N.C., passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

Sara Jane Lambert, 85, of Cherokee, N.C., passed away and went to her heavenly home on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, after a brief hospital stay at Cherokee Indian Hospital.

Kaytlin Elizabeth Jones, 23, of Bryson City, N.C., went home to be with the Lord Sunday, June 14, 2026. A native of Swain County and enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, she was the daughter of Yancey and Amanda Dyer Jones of Bryson City.

Nannie “Nan” Thompson Brown, 86, of Graham County and the Snowbird Community, N.C., was reunited with her loving husband and welcomed into her heavenly home on Monday, June 8, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.