Abraham Etherton

Abraham Etherton, of Swannanoa, died Monday, December 31, 2007, at the VA Medical Center. Mr. Etherton was a son of the late Thomas Richard and Mary Frances Etherton. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn Louetta Payne Etherton, who died in 2002; and siblings, Enice Gowan, Wilma Jean Keller, Pauline Stephens, June Gosnell, and Lester, Guy, Arlie, Dennis, and Jim Etherton. He was native of Newport, TN, but had been a resident of Swannanoa for 65 years. Mr. Etherton was a retired supervisor at the VA Medical Center. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in Normandy in WWII. He was an active member of Swannanoa Free Will Baptist Church for approximately 50 years, where he also served as a Deacon. He is survived by his daughter, Lynda Stamey and husband Gary, of Dallas, TX; sisters, Grace Caldwell, of Asheville, and Christine Harrison and husband Sidney, of Hot Springs; brothers, Honley Etherton and wife Alma, of Hot Springs, and Dewey Etherton and wife Lynn, of Leicester; grandchildren, Marty Stamey and wife Julie, of Nederland, TX, Kimberly Tkach and husband Tom, of Oklahoma City, OK, Jeffery Stamey and wife Becky, of Allen, TX, and Tracy Barns, of Greeneville, TN; and 7 great-grandchildren. His family lovingly states that he was the greatest husband, dad, grandfather, and brother. He will be cherished forever. A funeral service for Mr. Etherton will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Swannanoa Free Will Baptist Church with the Rev. Milton Hollifield, Sr. officiating. Interment will follow at the Western Carolina State Veteran's Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Tommy Caldwell, Troy Harrison, Sidney Harrison, Ed Butler, Bill Ogle, and Jerry Suttles. His family will receive friends 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. Memorials may be made to the Bed and Biscuit Home for Abused Animals, 1420 North Fork Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711.