Hattie Davis

Maggie Valley, Hattie Mae Caldwell Davis, 91, passed away on October 2, 2018 at Mission Hospital from injuries sustained to an automobile accident.

Born on September 13, 1927, she was a native of Big Cataloochee and Maggie Valley. She was the daughter of the late Eldridge and Pearl Valentine Caldwell and was also preceded in death by her sisters, Nell Caldwell and Helen Norman. She was the third and last generation born in Big Cataloochee. She lived in Cataloochee until she was 6 ½ years old when the National Park Service relocated her family to Maggie Valley in 1934.

Hattie worked in Atlanta at Bailey Bank and Biddle in their jewelry department until she married, Dr. Allen Davis. They later moved to Florida where they lived for 18 years. She retired in 1991 to take care of her mother and decided to write about her beloved Cataloochee Valley. Hattie was a local author of 5 books, including Cataloochee Valley Vanished Settlement of the Great Smoky Mountains, Step Back in Time, See Historic Cataloochee Valley of the Elk, Civil War Letters and Memories, Reflections of Cataloochee, Maggie Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains and she also took part in the making of the film, "Cataloochee People and Their History." Hattie also worked with the National Parks Service to have Cataloochee become a National Historical Place. Hattie was a member of the Maggie Valley United Methodist Church.

Hattie is survived by her sons, Gilmer Grasty (Linda) and Don Grasty, both of Maggie Valley; six grandchildren, Monica Sadie (Jay) of Virginia, Julie Kendall (Mike) of Florida, Debrayda Pettet (Barry) of Winston-Salem , Jamie Grasty (Tina) and Joy Riddle (Tim), all of Waynesville, and Joe Grasty (Allison) of Sylva; and fourteen great-grandchildren; and a brother, Ken Caldwell.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 7, 2018 at Maggie Valley United Methodist Church with Reverend Erma Bond and Reverend Patrick Womack officiating. Burial will follow at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park. Serving as pallbearers will be Jamie, Joseph, Joe, Ethan and Eli Grasty and Tim Riddle. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 2:15 prior to services at the church and at other times, the family will be at the home of her son, Don, at 342 Johnson Branch Road in Maggie Valley.

The care of Hattie has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Homes and an online memorial register is available at "Obituaries" at www.wellsfuneralhome.com

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