Captain Claud Messer Last Call

Captain Claud G. Messer (1945 – 2019) Founding Member

Claud G. Messer passed away on Friday, September 20, 2019. A native of Haywood County, North Carolina, he was a founding member of the Jonathan Creek Fire Department in 1986. He served as the chairman of the board of directors, and a captain within the department for more than 30 years. Known to the community as Paw, he loved the outdoors and shared all things in life with his beloved wife, Judy. He enjoyed camping, horseback riding, and family gatherings. He was a man willing to help anyone in need.

Edward Hale once said, “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” Claud Messer lived to serve others and led by example. He was the kind of person that would put himself in harm’s way before he would ask you to do the same. The traces of a life well lived are all over the Jonathan Creek community. He understood the power of putting others before himself. During the blizzard in 1993, he stayed on the road more than at home, digging his truck out for hours to see that he did everything he could to keep others warm. He never tired from getting up early to respond to help someone in need. When you live a life where you model service to others daily, it’s hard for it not to be contagious. It had a significant impact on his oldest grandson’s decision to join the military and become a Marine. It is also why his youngest grandson serves his community as a law enforcement officer.

He will be remembered as someone who did everything in his power to leave this world a little bit better than he found it. He discovered “the something” that he could do, and he did it every day. He put others before himself and served them with every ounce of energy he had. And, it was what he was doing in the final moments of his life on Friday, September 20. His unselfishness and his genuine compassion for others left its mark.

We were not prepared to say goodbye so suddenly. There were more lessons to learn. There were more “Thank-yous” and more “I love yous” that we missed saying. But we must carry on, because that is what he would have wanted. Fortunately, there is still a light to guide us from the example he set for us.

In 2021, a stretch of U.S. 276 between Interstate 40 and U.S. 19 (Jonathan Creek Road) was named in honor of Captain Claud Messer.

Fred Woodall (1929 – 1994) Founding Member

Fredrick Carl “Fred” Woodall Sr., 65, of Pot Leg Road, died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 1994, in a Haywood County hospital.

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., he was the son of the late James T. and Cora Barlow Woodall Sr. He was owner and operator of Smokey Mountain Custom Kitchens.

He is survived by his wife, JoAnn Hussey Woodall of Waynesville; daughters, Cynthia Ann Roberts of Norcross, Ga., Pamela Elaine Reed of Lutz, Fla.; sons, Frederick Carl Woodall Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., Stephen Michael Woodall of Aragon, Ga.; brother, J.C. Woodall of Jacksonville Baach, Fla.; six grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church with Father Thomas D. Stott officiating. A rosary service will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Wells Funeral Home, Waynesville. The family will receive friends immediately after the service.

Memorials may be made to Jonathan’s Creek First Responders, Box A-208, Waynesville, N.C. 28786.

Charles Michael Wayne Grasty (1976 – 2025)

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18. Our hearts are broken at the sudden passing of Charles Michael Wayne Grasty on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, who tragically lost his life in a trucking accident in Lexington, North Carolina. Wayne was a man of great character, known throughout Haywood County for his dedication to his Lord, his family, and his community. He is a man greatly loved.

Born on December 29, 1976, Wayne lived a life rooted in faith and guided by the teachings of the Bible and was a member of Barberville Baptist Church in Waynesville.  His devotion to his Lord and Savior and his studying of the Bible shaped the way Wayne lived each day.

The heart of Wayne’s life was his family. He loved nothing more than spending time and making memories with each of them. They will each carry on his legacy and he shall never ever be forgotten- Wayne lives on in our hearts forever.

He is survived by his parents, Harold Lee Grasty and Patricia Skillington Grasty, who were so proud of and thankful for their dear son. He is also survived by his loving and devoted wife of 27 years, Selena Ferguson Grasty; his children, who were his pride and joy and the light of his life, his oldest son Logan, married to Claire, his daughters Lauryn, Lily, Larissa, and Locklyn, and his youngest son Lawson. He also left behind his beloved sister, Kristie Holcombe, married to Sonny, and their two children, Jake and Melanie.

A lifelong resident of Haywood County, Wayne was the owner and operator of Grasty Grading & Trucking. He found joy in tending to his beehives, looking for knives to add to his collection, and cheering for the Tennessee Vols.

Jonathan Creek Fire Department honored Wayne’s 11 years of service with a procession of fire trucks, emergency vehicles, and friends and family, on his journey back to his Haywood County home, organized by his son, and fellow firefighter Logan, with the help of the department. This was a powerful testament to the respect and admiration others had for Wayne and the many lives he touched during his lifetime of 48 years.