April 1, 2022 Coats Museum News
The September 21, 1989 edition of the Daily Record was filled with the names of Coats folks. The CACC had recognized Doyle Barbour Groceries as the Business Focus of the Week. Doyle Barbour and his wife Ethel Dorman Barbour had bought the already established business from Howard Barnes and his wife Iris Langdon Barnes. Prior to that, Howard and his father Berle Barnes and his mother Florence Johnson Barnes had operated the business. Iris Langdon, Howard’s wife, had inherited the property from her father Cleveland Langdon. Iris ‘s brother Woodrow Langdon had operated the store for a short period of time. It is said that the first one to operate a business on that lot was Andrew Coats who also served as the first agent for the Capé Fear and Northern Railroad (Durham and Southern Railroad). The business was a Christian family operation. Their children were Karen B. Snipes, Timothy, Sonya and Jennifer Barbour.
School students were in the classrooms in September of 1989 as were the new faculty members whose names were recorded in the September 21st edition of the Daily Record. The new educators at Coats were Donna Bethune, David Crane, Ginger Wright and Sarah Shaw.
Little Brittany Messer had celebrated her third birthday with a “Big Bird” cake at the home of Carolyn and Billy Messer. Elsewhere, other news was being made. Vanessa Jo Dorman was preparing for the Miss Coats Farmers Day Pageant. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Dorman. Rev. Ronnie Byrd with the Antioch Church was preparing for the Bill Glass Crusade Choir.
Christine Akerman and Peggy Brown were excited about the annual fall bazaar and auction at the Senior Center. Juanita Hudson had purchased two scarecrows which she planned to use in decorating for the Associated Country Women of the World Convention in Kansas City.
It was time for the CACC to recognize another Business Focus of the Week. This time the focus was on the First Citizens Branch Bank in Coats. The staff on hand to receive the honor from C.J. Johnson was Tim Brown, Pam Johnson, Vel Davis, Louine Stewart, Lynn Bradshaw, Tammy Langdon and Tammy Page. Do you agree that was a large staff for a small town bank that would eventually cut ties with the Coats and its surrounding folks?
Belle wrote in her “Notes” that the Gleaners Class of Coats Baptist had met in the home of Laura Langdon located down on Turlington Road. J.A. and Laura Sorrell Langdon purchased her father’s W.T. Sorrell, Sr.’s farm and house which was built in 1919 by Delma Grimes. J.A. and Laura had Fletcher Flowers remodel it. Today it remains in the Langdon family and once again it is undergoing a major remodel. Have you been on that road lately? The Dushee Shaw Museum is located on the entrance to the Turlington Road near the Coats Erwin Middle School. As with most roads in our area, one can witness houses being built almost overnight.
Who remembers Rev. Agnes Baker? She was so loved and it can be verified in that seventy-five of her congregation had honored her with a surprise birthday party. Was she Colon and Dolan’s mom?
I do know that Wilma Byrd had put away her alarm clock since she had retired from Betsy Johnson Hospital after 13 years of employment. How many of you know Carl Byrd? We always enjoyed when Carl dropped by the museum. Carl had an older sister named Betty who had married Jerry Johnson. Jerry and Betty are parents of Felicia Johnson who was heading back to Coats from Texas for a visit with them according to Belle in her “Notes”.
The Miss Coats Pageant winners were Miss Teen Coats –Anna Marie Brandenburg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Brandenburg; Miss Junior Coats-Jennifer Parker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Parker; Little Miss Coats was Jennifer Barefoot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Josh Barefoot. Tiny Miss Coats was Jessica Holcomb, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Archie Holcomb.
Talmadge Gregory, 77, of Coats had died. He was survived by his wife, Vada Strickland Gregory. His daughter Linda also survived him as did three sisters and two grandsons. Had Bobby and Jimmy preceded their dad in death?
Alvan A. Stone, 86, formerly of Coats, had died. He was survived by his wife, Mary Willis Stone; sons, W. Edward Stone and O. Ray Stone; daughters-Ruth More, Dorothy Young, and Marilyn Bradley (Daily Record Oct. 2. 1989).
We have had thousands of people visit our museums since 1995. It is amazing that some of the visitors leave a lasting impression. William Edward Stone (Alvan’s son)and his wife visited us from Durham many years ago but I can still hear his sharing with me that they had an ice box but it was not exactly like the one we have in our kitchen exhibit. He said his dad had to make theirs. I also remember that a few days later we received a donation from the couple to help operate the museum.
The Coats Farmers Day parade had quite a few entries. H.A. Turlington drove his 1945 Farmall tractor to pull an old trailer sporting senior citizens. I might note that they were likely the same ones who raised funds to remodel the old 1913 two -room school into the Coats Museum.
The beauty queens were on convertibles and floats. Thomas Williams and Virginia Pollard rode on the Coats American Legion and Auxiliary float which was judged as best professional float (Daily Record Oct.10. 1989).
We had a very informative and delightful visit with Mr. John Fitzpatrick. Ironically, Kevin Pope, a former Troop 779 Scoutmaster and an Eagle Scout, had just left after spending time discussing ways the Coats Museum could recognize and honor the former scoutmasters and leadership as well as invite back the 50 plus living Eagle Scouts awarded at the Troop 779 in Coats. Hopefully with the gathering of the Eagles to honor their leaders, the museum will have preserved the very impressive history of the Coats Troop 779. We are working for the event to be in November, 2022.
What was the irony? Not only did Mr. Fitzpatrick serve his country in the military but after honorably leaving the service, he had worked from 1983 until 2013 with Boy Scouts on the administrative level retiring as the Associate National Director of Membership on the National Staff. He was well familiar with some of our outstanding leaders in Boy Scouts in our Coats area. Yet more ironic was that Don Bennett dropped in and he too was a Troop 779 Scoutmaster and father to an Eagle Scout, and four Gold Girl Scouts. He too has offered to help with the event planning.
What are the chances of having three people visit the museum the same day who were involved in Boy Scouts at the top levels. Visitors from other museums always feel like friends. We enjoyed giving a tour to Dan Turner from the Fuquay Museum who is a cousin of Wayne Parrish and Jerry, Vicky and Glenn Lee. Dr. Lori Langdon’s daughter dropped in and was excited to see her mother’s book Trudy on display.
A special thank you goes to all who are remembering Patsy and Stacy Avery in your prayers. Please continue to pray for them and also for another frequent museum visitor, Wanda Moody, who had just undergone surgery. Should you see Patsy and Stacy out, thank them for their tremendous support of your Coats Museum. Just this week they have memorialized Wadeford Council Williams who was a cousin of Stacy’s. Wadeford was an outstanding 1950 graduate of Coats High.
The September 21, 1989 edition of the Daily Record was filled with the names of Coats folks. The CACC had recognized Doyle Barbour Groceries as the Business Focus of the Week. Doyle Barbour and his wife Ethel Dorman Barbour had bought the already established business from Howard Barnes and his wife Iris Langdon Barnes. Prior to that, Howard and his father Berle Barnes and his mother Florence Johnson Barnes had operated the business. Iris Langdon, Howard’s wife, had inherited the property from her father Cleveland Langdon. Iris ‘s brother Woodrow Langdon had operated the store for a short period of time. It is said that the first one to operate a business on that lot was Andrew Coats who also served as the first agent for the Capé Fear and Northern Railroad (Durham and Southern Railroad). The business was a Christian family operation. Their children were Karen B. Snipes, Timothy, Sonya and Jennifer Barbour.
School students were in the classrooms in September of 1989 as were the new faculty members whose names were recorded in the September 21st edition of the Daily Record. The new educators at Coats were Donna Bethune, David Crane, Ginger Wright and Sarah Shaw.
Little Brittany Messer had celebrated her third birthday with a “Big Bird” cake at the home of Carolyn and Billy Messer. Elsewhere, other news was being made. Vanessa Jo Dorman was preparing for the Miss Coats Farmers Day Pageant. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Dorman. Rev. Ronnie Byrd with the Antioch Church was preparing for the Bill Glass Crusade Choir.
Christine Akerman and Peggy Brown were excited about the annual fall bazaar and auction at the Senior Center. Juanita Hudson had purchased two scarecrows which she planned to use in decorating for the Associated Country Women of the World Convention in Kansas City.
It was time for the CACC to recognize another Business Focus of the Week. This time the focus was on the First Citizens Branch Bank in Coats. The staff on hand to receive the honor from C.J. Johnson was Tim Brown, Pam Johnson, Vel Davis, Louine Stewart, Lynn Bradshaw, Tammy Langdon and Tammy Page. Do you agree that was a large staff for a small town bank that would eventually cut ties with the Coats and its surrounding folks?
Belle wrote in her “Notes” that the Gleaners Class of Coats Baptist had met in the home of Laura Langdon located down on Turlington Road. J.A. and Laura Sorrell Langdon purchased her father’s W.T. Sorrell, Sr.’s farm and house which was built in 1919 by Delma Grimes. J.A. and Laura had Fletcher Flowers remodel it. Today it remains in the Langdon family and once again it is undergoing a major remodel. Have you been on that road lately? The Dushee Shaw Museum is located on the entrance to the Turlington Road near the Coats Erwin Middle School. As with most roads in our area, one can witness houses being built almost overnight.
Who remembers Rev. Agnes Baker? She was so loved and it can be verified in that seventy-five of her congregation had honored her with a surprise birthday party. Was she Colon and Dolan’s mom?
I do know that Wilma Byrd had put away her alarm clock since she had retired from Betsy Johnson Hospital after 13 years of employment. How many of you know Carl Byrd? We always enjoyed when Carl dropped by the museum. Carl had an older sister named Betty who had married Jerry Johnson. Jerry and Betty are parents of Felicia Johnson who was heading back to Coats from Texas for a visit with them according to Belle in her “Notes”.
The Miss Coats Pageant winners were Miss Teen Coats –Anna Marie Brandenburg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Brandenburg; Miss Junior Coats-Jennifer Parker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Parker; Little Miss Coats was Jennifer Barefoot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Josh Barefoot. Tiny Miss Coats was Jessica Holcomb, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Archie Holcomb.
Talmadge Gregory, 77, of Coats had died. He was survived by his wife, Vada Strickland Gregory. His daughter Linda also survived him as did three sisters and two grandsons. Had Bobby and Jimmy preceded their dad in death?
Alvan A. Stone, 86, formerly of Coats, had died. He was survived by his wife, Mary Willis Stone; sons, W. Edward Stone and O. Ray Stone; daughters-Ruth More, Dorothy Young, and Marilyn Bradley (Daily Record Oct. 2. 1989).
We have had thousands of people visit our museums since 1995. It is amazing that some of the visitors leave a lasting impression. William Edward Stone (Alvan’s son)and his wife visited us from Durham many years ago but I can still hear his sharing with me that they had an ice box but it was not exactly like the one we have in our kitchen exhibit. He said his dad had to make theirs. I also remember that a few days later we received a donation from the couple to help operate the museum.
The Coats Farmers Day parade had quite a few entries. H.A. Turlington drove his 1945 Farmall tractor to pull an old trailer sporting senior citizens. I might note that they were likely the same ones who raised funds to remodel the old 1913 two -room school into the Coats Museum.
The beauty queens were on convertibles and floats. Thomas Williams and Virginia Pollard rode on the Coats American Legion and Auxiliary float which was judged as best professional float (Daily Record Oct.10. 1989).
We had a very informative and delightful visit with Mr. John Fitzpatrick. Ironically, Kevin Pope, a former Troop 779 Scoutmaster and an Eagle Scout, had just left after spending time discussing ways the Coats Museum could recognize and honor the former scoutmasters and leadership as well as invite back the 50 plus living Eagle Scouts awarded at the Troop 779 in Coats. Hopefully with the gathering of the Eagles to honor their leaders, the museum will have preserved the very impressive history of the Coats Troop 779. We are working for the event to be in November, 2022.
What was the irony? Not only did Mr. Fitzpatrick serve his country in the military but after honorably leaving the service, he had worked from 1983 until 2013 with Boy Scouts on the administrative level retiring as the Associate National Director of Membership on the National Staff. He was well familiar with some of our outstanding leaders in Boy Scouts in our Coats area. Yet more ironic was that Don Bennett dropped in and he too was a Troop 779 Scoutmaster and father to an Eagle Scout, and four Gold Girl Scouts. He too has offered to help with the event planning.
What are the chances of having three people visit the museum the same day who were involved in Boy Scouts at the top levels. Visitors from other museums always feel like friends. We enjoyed giving a tour to Dan Turner from the Fuquay Museum who is a cousin of Wayne Parrish and Jerry, Vicky and Glenn Lee. Dr. Lori Langdon’s daughter dropped in and was excited to see her mother’s book Trudy on display.
A special thank you goes to all who are remembering Patsy and Stacy Avery in your prayers. Please continue to pray for them and also for another frequent museum visitor, Wanda Moody, who had just undergone surgery. Should you see Patsy and Stacy out, thank them for their tremendous support of your Coats Museum. Just this week they have memorialized Wadeford Council Williams who was a cousin of Stacy’s. Wadeford was an outstanding 1950 graduate of Coats High.