Wiley Ammons

Waynesville-Wiley Rogers "Roger" Ammons, age 90, of 495 Howell Mill Road, Waynesville, died on Monday, October 24, 2005 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. He was born on May 16, 1915 on Rabbit Creek in Macon County to Elias Vance and Margie Sellers Ammons. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by four brothers, William and John, who died as children, and Paul and Owen. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Helen Justice Ammons. Children Rosalind Kraus and her husband, Herbert, as well as Larry R. Ammons and wife, Cristina, reside in Waynesville. Grandchildren include Justice Kraus of Cambridge, MA; Laura A. Brown and husband, Dr. Bryan Brown, of Austin, TX; Elizabeth Ammons and John Ammons of Atlanta, GA. Roger attended a three-teacher school in Holly Springs Community before going on to Franklin High School where he played halfback for the Franklin Panthers football team. In 1939, he entered management training with Farmers Federation and worked for them 23 years as supervisor of stores from Canton to Murphy. In 1962 he became Field Representative for North Carolina Farm Bureau in seventeen western counties of NC., working in this capacity until his retirement in 1980. Roger was a Baptist deacon, being ordained at First Baptist church of Murphy in 1943. In Waynesville First Baptist, he served as director of Sunday School, President of the Brotherhood, a Sunday School teacher, numerous times as a deacon and was serving as Outreach Leader of his Sunday School class at the time of his death. Between 1982 and 1990. Roger served as a Haywood County Commissioner with involvement in purchasing the present fairgrounds, building Canton Branch Library, establishing the Economic Development Commission and Tourism Development Authority. He vigorously supported Maggie Valley's efforts for sewer treatment facilities and the school system's construction of Meadowbrook and Jonathan Valley schools. He was a past director of Folkmoot and an active Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow. He was a charter member of Waynesville Kiwanis Club and a charter member of Haywood 2000. He was involved in many other Haywood County and Waynesville community activities and served as a director on several other boards. He and Helen were active in Haywood Dancers for many years. Roger loved producing high quality Haywood County apples and won prizes for apples from his orchard at the fair. He was appointed and served on the N.C. Dairy Commission and served as a director of Haywood County Farm Bureau. Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville is in charge of services with visitation from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, October 29 at the funeral home and the funeral at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, October 30 at First Baptist Church of Waynesville Sanctuary with Reverend Dr. Robert Prince officiating. Entombment will follow at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park Mausoleum. Memorials may be made to Celebrate the First Baptist Challenge Building Fund, P.O. Box 690, Waynesville, NC 28786.

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