April 19, 2024 Coats Museum News
The date on the Daily Record displayed June 22, 1994, and contained within it was news that a Coats businessman, McRay Stewart, 72, of Coats had died on Monday. He was the son of the late Joseph Stewart and Bessie Beasley Stewart. McRay had been a member of the Coats Baptist Church, Coats Junior Order, Lions Club, and the Coats Chamber of Commerce. His survivors included his wife, Louine Sellars Stewart, and daughters-Cheryl Williams, Kay Blanchard and Gail McLamb. His sisters were Callie Stewart and Reba Tilley. His services were conducted at the Rose and Graham Funeral Chapel in Coats with burial in the Harnett Memorial Park.
Question—his mother was Bessie Beasley; was she connected to the Rufus Beasley family? The first Troyville school that the museum has information about is the Rufus Beasley School in 1858. It was thought to be in the vicinity of Ma’s Grill. Where is McRay’s home place? Is it close to the area around Ma’s Grill? There is an old house near Stacy Williams’s Upholstery business on the Carson Gregory Road. Is that a Beasley house?
This I do know is that The Beasley name is one of the most respected and well-known names in the history of the Coats area. Rufus Beasley served as a fifer in the Black River Tigers of the Civil War. We have in the museum the fife that Rufus Beasley played in that war. We likewise have so much info on the civic and military information of the Beasley families. We have a spinning wheel, a plantation blanket and a huge mantle clock on loan from the Neighbors family whose maternal side is Beasley connected.
Benny and Luda Mae Holland celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The couple who lived on Massengill Pond Road had a big reception at the Plain View Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Holland was the former Luda Mae Byrd, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Mack Byrd of Angier. Mr. Holland was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Lloyd Holland of Angier. The Holland’s were parents of three sons-Boyd Holland and the late Bennie Holland and Connie Mack Holland. Our own B.W. Holland was a grandson 9 Daily Record June 22, 1994).
The members of the Coats United Methodist Church had welcomed a new pastor, Rev. Charles Herrin according to Belle Williams in her “Notes from Coats”. She also reported that several Coats area citizens had returned home after hospital stays. Annie Miller and Harold Jernigan were mentioned. Mary Faulkner, James Dennis McNeill and Anita Moore were confined to hospitals.
Congratulations were extended to Sondra Ennis Smith who was honored for her faithful service to the Coats Baptist Church where she had served as their organist for over 30 years. Some of my best memories of Coats High School are teaching as a team member with Sondra’s husband, Mike Smith and Mary Cole.
Lenny Parker, vice chairman of the Coats Museum Board of Directors, heads up a cleaning night once a month to free the Thursday volunteers to do research, enter artifacts, give tours and attend to other museum business. Thank you goes to Lenny, Randy Stephenson, Walter Weeks, Robie and Lynda Butler, Linda Cobb, Becky Adams and Gayle Sorrell for supporting the cleanup project. Also thank you to Lenny and Linda Cobb for assisting with the installation of the beautiful new water fountain given by Kent Hudson to honor his parents –Mack and Juanita Hudson.
A very special thank you goes to Ralph and Lorena Denning for giving memorials to the Coats Museum for Donnie Williams and Dovie Beasley.
The date on the Daily Record displayed June 22, 1994, and contained within it was news that a Coats businessman, McRay Stewart, 72, of Coats had died on Monday. He was the son of the late Joseph Stewart and Bessie Beasley Stewart. McRay had been a member of the Coats Baptist Church, Coats Junior Order, Lions Club, and the Coats Chamber of Commerce. His survivors included his wife, Louine Sellars Stewart, and daughters-Cheryl Williams, Kay Blanchard and Gail McLamb. His sisters were Callie Stewart and Reba Tilley. His services were conducted at the Rose and Graham Funeral Chapel in Coats with burial in the Harnett Memorial Park.
Question—his mother was Bessie Beasley; was she connected to the Rufus Beasley family? The first Troyville school that the museum has information about is the Rufus Beasley School in 1858. It was thought to be in the vicinity of Ma’s Grill. Where is McRay’s home place? Is it close to the area around Ma’s Grill? There is an old house near Stacy Williams’s Upholstery business on the Carson Gregory Road. Is that a Beasley house?
This I do know is that The Beasley name is one of the most respected and well-known names in the history of the Coats area. Rufus Beasley served as a fifer in the Black River Tigers of the Civil War. We have in the museum the fife that Rufus Beasley played in that war. We likewise have so much info on the civic and military information of the Beasley families. We have a spinning wheel, a plantation blanket and a huge mantle clock on loan from the Neighbors family whose maternal side is Beasley connected.
Benny and Luda Mae Holland celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The couple who lived on Massengill Pond Road had a big reception at the Plain View Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Holland was the former Luda Mae Byrd, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Mack Byrd of Angier. Mr. Holland was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Lloyd Holland of Angier. The Holland’s were parents of three sons-Boyd Holland and the late Bennie Holland and Connie Mack Holland. Our own B.W. Holland was a grandson 9 Daily Record June 22, 1994).
The members of the Coats United Methodist Church had welcomed a new pastor, Rev. Charles Herrin according to Belle Williams in her “Notes from Coats”. She also reported that several Coats area citizens had returned home after hospital stays. Annie Miller and Harold Jernigan were mentioned. Mary Faulkner, James Dennis McNeill and Anita Moore were confined to hospitals.
Congratulations were extended to Sondra Ennis Smith who was honored for her faithful service to the Coats Baptist Church where she had served as their organist for over 30 years. Some of my best memories of Coats High School are teaching as a team member with Sondra’s husband, Mike Smith and Mary Cole.
Lenny Parker, vice chairman of the Coats Museum Board of Directors, heads up a cleaning night once a month to free the Thursday volunteers to do research, enter artifacts, give tours and attend to other museum business. Thank you goes to Lenny, Randy Stephenson, Walter Weeks, Robie and Lynda Butler, Linda Cobb, Becky Adams and Gayle Sorrell for supporting the cleanup project. Also thank you to Lenny and Linda Cobb for assisting with the installation of the beautiful new water fountain given by Kent Hudson to honor his parents –Mack and Juanita Hudson.
A very special thank you goes to Ralph and Lorena Denning for giving memorials to the Coats Museum for Donnie Williams and Dovie Beasley.