Waynesville-Karen Ashe Mason, age 41, formerly of Waynesville, died Thursday, May 1, 2003 at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama.

She was a native of Haywood County where she lived most of her life and a prior resident of Alexandria, VA.

She was the daughter of Sue W. Ashe of Waynesville and the late Robert Joseph Ashe. She was also preceded in death by a cousin, Trooper Calvin E. Taylor.

She graduated with honors from Western Carolina University with a double degree. She was a member of High Street Baptist Church and a former N.C. State Revenue officer and teacher.

In addition to her mother, she is survived by her husband, Lt. Col. Danny Mason; a sister, Brenda Wilson and her husband, Doug of Canton; a brother Eric Ashe and his wife, Kim of Canton; paternal grandmother, Ethel C. Ashe of Cruso as well as two nieces, Savanna Ashe and McKenzie Wilson and three nephews, Jesse Ashe, Daniel Wilson and Jeff Mason.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 4, 2003 at Bethel Baptist Church with the Reverends Chris Willett and John Mason officiating. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Saturday at Wells Funeral Home of Canton. At other times, the family will be at the residence of her mother, Sue Ashe, 60 Honeycombe Drive, Waynesville. The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorials be made to Calvin E. Taylor Memorial Fund, c/o Haywood County Schools Foundation, 1615 North Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786.