Frances Turner Thomas and William Clarke Sayre

WILLIAM CLARKE SAYRE, son of MINNIE CLARKE and BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAYRE, was born September 1, 1912 in Canton, Haywood, North Carolina,^{87, 934} and died November 1, 1966 in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina.⁹³⁴ He is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina.^{934, 456}

He married FRANCES TURNER THOMAS on October 26, 1930 in Greenville, Greenville, South Carolina.^{646, 5144} She was born October 28, 1912 in Mahen, Mississippi,^{642, 6671} and died May 16, 1996 in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina.⁶⁴² She is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina.⁴⁵⁶

• Descendant Reports
  • William Scott Descendant Report (Ancestor of William C. Sayre)

Children of FRANCES TURNER THOMAS and WILLIAM CLARKE SAYRE:

1. Daughter
2. Daughter
3. Daughter

Asheville Citizen, July 31, 1931⁵¹⁴⁴

SURPRISE MARRIAGE OF OCTOBER ANNOUNCED

Coming as a great surprise was the announcement made yesterday by Mr. and Mrs. Hale Thomas, of 169 Hillside street, of the marriage on last October 26, of their daughter, Miss Frances Turner Thomas, to Mr. William C. Sayre.

The young couple, accompanied by a few intimate friends motored to Greenville, S. C., and were quietly married by the Rev. Mr. Davis, pastor of the First Presbyterian church of that city. The bride was in her senior year at the Asheville high school and the young couple decided to keep their marriage a secret until after her graduation this past June.

The groom is the son of Mrs. Sam M. Cathey, of 15 Melrose avenue and Mr. and Mrs. Sayre will reside with Judge and Mrs. Cathey temporarily. He is a member of the Carl La Fel orchestra, which is playing this summer at Grove Park Inn.

Asheville Citizen, January 11, 1937⁵¹⁴⁰

William C. Sayre Opens Law Office

William C. Sayre, formerly connected with the United States department of agriculture as title attorney, has opened law offices in the Legal building here. He is associated with Mark Edwards and W. E. Wilson.

Mr. Sayre studied law at the Asheville Law university and passed the state bar examination in 1934. Before entering the government service more than a year and a half ago he was associated with Judge Sam. M. Cathey, with offices in the Jackson building.

Marietta Daily Journal, October 28, 1947²³⁰⁴

Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Sayre, of Pine Crest circle, attended the Georgia-Alabama football game in Athens Saturday. The Sayre's will have as their guests this week-end Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Coston, of Durham, N. C. and they will attend the Georgia Tech-Duke game.

Marietta Daily Journal, August 22, 1952²³⁰⁶

That Bill Sayre has gone 'n' went 'n' done it! He's swapped jobs and is moving headquarters over to Huntsville, Alabama, and that means extracting his trio of popular daughters, Ellen, Ann and Joan, and, of course, Frances, from the Marietta scene! It may mean a short while or it may mean a long while depending upon whether housing is available. Attenyrate Ellen will report on schedule to MHS junior classes and Ann will be introduced to freshmanhood at Agnes Scott. Joan, who did Brenau College last year, is probably bound for Mercer University; but that remains to be heard of and overheard of!

Asheville Citizen, November 2, 1966⁵¹⁴²

Death Takes Sayre, 54, Attorney

William C. Sayre, 54, Asheville attorney who suffered a heart attack Monday while in the Buncombe County Courthouse, died in a hospital early Tuesday.

His physician said Mr. Sayre had a coronary attack that was not related to a poisonous snake bite the attorney suffered last summer near his home at 528 Chunn's Cove Road.

Mr. Sayre, a native of Canton, was the son of Mrs. Samuel M. Cathey of Asheville, wife of Judge Sam Cathey.

He retired from government service because of ill health in 1961, at which time he was with the procurement office of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Huntsville, Ala.

He and Mrs. Sayre, the former Frances Thomas, returned to Asheville in 1962, and Mr. Sayre had been practicing law here since that time.

During his 27-year career as government attorney, he had been with the Army Corps of Engineers, Tennessee Valley Authority and more recently was head of the Redstone Arsenal civilian legal office.

Mr. Sayre attended Asheville city schools and the Asheville University Law School, and was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1934.

He was a member of Kenilworth Presbyterian Church.

Surviving in addition the widow and mother are three daughters, Mrs. James L. Morris of Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Mrs. James R. Callison of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Mrs. Dan Carson of Pinedale, Wyo.; a sister, Mrs. James M. Rogers of Asheville; 10 grand-children and several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are under direction of Morrs-Hendon Funeral Home.

Asheville Citizen-Times, May 19, 1996⁵¹⁴⁵

FRANCES THOMAS SAYRE

Frances Thomas Sayre, 83, of C-2 Gracelyn Garden Apartments, died Thursday, May 16, 1996, in a local hospital.

She was a native of Maben, Miss., and a former choir member, deacon and elder at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church. During World War II, she was a nurse's aide at St. Joseph's Hospital, where she was a former Pink Lade and volunteer. She also did volunteer work for the American Red Cross, Meals on Wheels and Thoms Rehabilitation Hospital.

She is survived by her daughters, Joan F. Morris of Asheville, Joyse Anne Sayre of Atlanta, Ga., and Agnes Ellen Carson of Flagstaff, Ariz.; brothers, Jack Thomas of Chapel Hill, Hale Thomas of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Joe Thomas of Florida; sisters, Myrtle Virginia Neeland of Atascadero, Calif., and Carolyn Culberson and Nancy McCoy, both of Kingsport, Tenn.; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Morris Funeral Home, Merrimon Avenue, with the Rev. John David Stewart officiating. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mountain Area Hospice, P.O. Box 16, Asheville, N.C. 28802; Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, 123 Kenilworth Road, Asheville, N.C. 28803; and/or Meals on Wheels, 40 Church St., Asheville, N.C. 28801.