August 19, 2016 Coats Museum News
How many of you know anything about the Home Demonstration Clubs? These clubs have been around for decades and were a means for the housewives to benefit from information that would make life better on the home front and in the community. One activity I recall writing about was when the women in a club brought all their feed and flour sacks to a meeting where they traded them with each other in order to have enough of the same pattern to make a garment for a family member. When electricity came to the farm families and freezers were brought into the households, the housewives were taught how to freeze garden products along with canning them in pressure cookers that they had been taught to use in earlier meetings. In 1959, the clubs continued to be very active. The Oakdale Home Demonstration Club installed officers who were Chaplain Mrs. L.H. Morgan, Sgt. at Arms Mrs. Maynard Coats, Vice-President Mrs. Edward Ennis, and President Mrs. U.M. Ennis. Are there any such clubs today in Harnett County?
This I do know. Mrs. Dellie Langdon Stephenson had died at her home in Willow Springs. The eighty-two year-old was the wife of George Stephenson. She had many survivors and two were from the Coats area-Tommy and W.J. Langdon (Daily Record Oct. 20, 1959).
Do the names Terry Sanford and Alton Lennon sound familiar to some of you? In 1959, Terry Sanford was a contender for the governor of N.C. and Alton Lennon was the U.S. Congressman from our district. Both these men were featured speakers at the Coats Tractor Rodeo. The two-day competition put a premium on special skills developed by the farmers of the Coats area. The events at the rodeo were a football queen parade, demonstration of tractors, elimination contest for the tractor drivers, Coats High School Homecoming Queen contestants, grand parade, corn shucking contest, soap box derby, talent competition, street dance, judging livestock and exhibits. Mayor C.J. Turlington delivered the welcome prior to the Grand Parade (Daily Record Oct. 21, 1959). Was this event the same as Farmer’s Day?
Do you remember “December Bride”, “I Love Lucy”, “Burns and Allen”, “Secret Storm”, “American Bandstand”, “Douglas Edwards News”, and the “Real McCoys”? In 1959, they were all popular on TV Channel 11. Wonder if it was announced on TV that Bob Barbour, 59, prominent warehouseman, farmer and merchant had died on Monday night. He was a partner in the Big Farmers Warehouse (Daily Record Oct. 21, 1959).
The Dale 4-H Club elected Mrs. David Ennis as Honorary Leader at their Tuesday meeting. The honor was given to Wynona Ennis because of her faithful guidance to all the girls (Daily Record Oct.22, 1959).
“News from Coats” informed the Coats folks that Mrs. Polly May and Mrs. Zeb Coats had spent several days with Mrs. Nelson Currin and relatives. Sybil Beasley and Harold Dixon had come home from Wake Forest College. Billy Langdon was home for the weekend from the university at Chapel Hill. Mrs. Curtis Guy and Mrs. Katherine Phillips had spent the day in Raleigh on Monday (Daily Record Oct. 22, 1959).
Does this sound a bit like the news that was written in Harnett County News in 1919-20 that published that the ladies in the area were motoring about the region in their touring cars and that folks returned to the area to visit relatives?
There was a Halloween Carnival at the Coats School. Chicken stew dinners were sold for 50 cents. Cake walks, bingo, costume parade, and dancing were a few attractions enjoyed by those who attended. Mrs. Lloyd Pope was in charge (Daily Record Oct. 22, 1959).
It was not Thanksgiving but will you believe that the menu for the Erwin and Coats students for lunch on Wednesday was turkey and dressing and giblet gravy, buttered green beans, sweet potato marshmallow casserole, bread, butter and milk. Will you agree that was a feast for a school meal? Do you have memories of meals you ate in the school cafeteria? What about the vegetable soup and cherry cobbler?
The death of Mrs. Estelle Tart Pleasant, 70, had occurred at her home in Durham. She was sister of William B. Tart of Coats. Her burial was at Bethsaida Church (Daily Record Oct. 26, 1959).
Did any of our readers who were in Coats High School in the 50’s recall who rode in that Tractor Rodeo Parade as the Homecoming Queen? Gail Myatt had been crowned by Gayle Johnson, last year’s queen. Frances Hamilton was first runner-up and Sue Jones was second runner-up. Other honors had gone to Earl Denning who had won the top FFA winner in the tractor events and the adult winner in the tractor rodeo was Charles Ennis. Carson Gregory, Sr. and Carson Gregory, Jr. won the swine events. Larry Stephenson, Gerald Hayes, Sr. and Gerald Hayes, Jr., Bickett Turlington, Jessie Smith, Jesse Ray Mann, Laura Ann Turlington and H.A. Turlington were winners in other varied events. Mrs. Alton Grimes won first in quilts and in embroidery; Mrs. Alvin Newton took first in rugs while Mrs. Howard Penny won first place for her spreads.
The pumpkin first place went to Leslie Johnson; Ed Weaver won in pecans. Dorothy Lawrence won first in Junior Division for cake while Mrs. Woodrow Langdon took that prize in the adult level. Mrs. Alton Grimes won the top award for baby clothes. Canned goods prizes went to student Nora Etta Avery and Mrs. M.S. Whittington. Pickled vegetables winner was Mrs. Lib Guy. Mrs. M.S. Whittington won first for preserving fruits and lastly, Mrs. S.R. Moore took the ribbon for her jellies (Daily Record Oct. 27, 1959).
Wonder if any of these skills were learned in Home Demonstration Clubs and 4-H meetings or in FFA classes or from farm agents.
Outside of Coats, Miss Linda Ruth Byrd was honored with a bridal shower. Mrs. Mattie Wood, Mrs. Annie Avery, Mrs. Rosaline Ryals and Mrs. Marjorie Byrd were hostesses to the 35 people who attended (Daily Record Oct. 30, 1959).
The brother of Mrs. W.B. Parks had died. Roger G. Byrd, 68, had been buried at the Hodges Chapel Church (Daily Record Nov. 3, 1959)? Does anyone recognize these individuals?
Some of you may recall reading in the Heritage of Coats NC about the Dixon family who lived on the Harnett –Johnston line. One of the descendants of Patrick Dixon helped establish the Ennis School. The death angel visited the home of Robert Dixon who lived to be seventy-five years old. Elder T.Floyd Adams and Rev. H.O. Lansing conducted the services. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Evelyn Johnson Dixon; three daughters-Mrs. Naomi (Seth)Lee, Jr., Mrs. Ralph (Ruth) Benson and Mrs. Wilbert (Glenna) Barbour. There were four sons-Colon, Jonnie, Carlos, and Sherrill Dixon. Mrs. Floyd Denning was his sister (Daily Record Nov. 2, 1959).
Many of our visitors to the Coats Museum learn that the Welcome-Theater Room and Research Library were originally a two room school built in 1914 and was used as two classrooms for lower grades until the brick tri-level school was constructed in 1920.A surprising number of visitors tell stories of having lived in the structure after it was no longer needed as a school building. Dr. Roland Byrd actually shared that he went there to pray for a tenant when he first began his ministry. To most visitors it is a shock to see what the building looked like when Billy and Peggie Pope purchased the property and gave it to a group of WWII veterans, senior citizens and some other community leaders to make a community museum.
The museum was dedicated in October of 1995 and was filled with farm and household items from yesteryear. As the years have passed, continual changes have occurred allowing additional space for display of items that are either donated or loaned for exhibits so that our younger visitors look and listen in awe about the items while the older visitors share their stories filled with memories.
Mrs. Verle Flowers and her family have been on board with the museum from the very beginning and it was so sad to learn that she died last week. I will miss her numerous telephone calls to share additional info about something in the Coats Museum News or to answer questions from the news or to just visit to see what we had new in the museum. H.L and I are honored to be able to give her a final thank you by donating a memorial to the Coats Museum Endowment. We might not have had a museum without Billy and Peggie Pope’s gift of the building and they continue to give as they did this week with a very generous donation to the museum. Thanks to all our wonderful contributors.
How many of you know anything about the Home Demonstration Clubs? These clubs have been around for decades and were a means for the housewives to benefit from information that would make life better on the home front and in the community. One activity I recall writing about was when the women in a club brought all their feed and flour sacks to a meeting where they traded them with each other in order to have enough of the same pattern to make a garment for a family member. When electricity came to the farm families and freezers were brought into the households, the housewives were taught how to freeze garden products along with canning them in pressure cookers that they had been taught to use in earlier meetings. In 1959, the clubs continued to be very active. The Oakdale Home Demonstration Club installed officers who were Chaplain Mrs. L.H. Morgan, Sgt. at Arms Mrs. Maynard Coats, Vice-President Mrs. Edward Ennis, and President Mrs. U.M. Ennis. Are there any such clubs today in Harnett County?
This I do know. Mrs. Dellie Langdon Stephenson had died at her home in Willow Springs. The eighty-two year-old was the wife of George Stephenson. She had many survivors and two were from the Coats area-Tommy and W.J. Langdon (Daily Record Oct. 20, 1959).
Do the names Terry Sanford and Alton Lennon sound familiar to some of you? In 1959, Terry Sanford was a contender for the governor of N.C. and Alton Lennon was the U.S. Congressman from our district. Both these men were featured speakers at the Coats Tractor Rodeo. The two-day competition put a premium on special skills developed by the farmers of the Coats area. The events at the rodeo were a football queen parade, demonstration of tractors, elimination contest for the tractor drivers, Coats High School Homecoming Queen contestants, grand parade, corn shucking contest, soap box derby, talent competition, street dance, judging livestock and exhibits. Mayor C.J. Turlington delivered the welcome prior to the Grand Parade (Daily Record Oct. 21, 1959). Was this event the same as Farmer’s Day?
Do you remember “December Bride”, “I Love Lucy”, “Burns and Allen”, “Secret Storm”, “American Bandstand”, “Douglas Edwards News”, and the “Real McCoys”? In 1959, they were all popular on TV Channel 11. Wonder if it was announced on TV that Bob Barbour, 59, prominent warehouseman, farmer and merchant had died on Monday night. He was a partner in the Big Farmers Warehouse (Daily Record Oct. 21, 1959).
The Dale 4-H Club elected Mrs. David Ennis as Honorary Leader at their Tuesday meeting. The honor was given to Wynona Ennis because of her faithful guidance to all the girls (Daily Record Oct.22, 1959).
“News from Coats” informed the Coats folks that Mrs. Polly May and Mrs. Zeb Coats had spent several days with Mrs. Nelson Currin and relatives. Sybil Beasley and Harold Dixon had come home from Wake Forest College. Billy Langdon was home for the weekend from the university at Chapel Hill. Mrs. Curtis Guy and Mrs. Katherine Phillips had spent the day in Raleigh on Monday (Daily Record Oct. 22, 1959).
Does this sound a bit like the news that was written in Harnett County News in 1919-20 that published that the ladies in the area were motoring about the region in their touring cars and that folks returned to the area to visit relatives?
There was a Halloween Carnival at the Coats School. Chicken stew dinners were sold for 50 cents. Cake walks, bingo, costume parade, and dancing were a few attractions enjoyed by those who attended. Mrs. Lloyd Pope was in charge (Daily Record Oct. 22, 1959).
It was not Thanksgiving but will you believe that the menu for the Erwin and Coats students for lunch on Wednesday was turkey and dressing and giblet gravy, buttered green beans, sweet potato marshmallow casserole, bread, butter and milk. Will you agree that was a feast for a school meal? Do you have memories of meals you ate in the school cafeteria? What about the vegetable soup and cherry cobbler?
The death of Mrs. Estelle Tart Pleasant, 70, had occurred at her home in Durham. She was sister of William B. Tart of Coats. Her burial was at Bethsaida Church (Daily Record Oct. 26, 1959).
Did any of our readers who were in Coats High School in the 50’s recall who rode in that Tractor Rodeo Parade as the Homecoming Queen? Gail Myatt had been crowned by Gayle Johnson, last year’s queen. Frances Hamilton was first runner-up and Sue Jones was second runner-up. Other honors had gone to Earl Denning who had won the top FFA winner in the tractor events and the adult winner in the tractor rodeo was Charles Ennis. Carson Gregory, Sr. and Carson Gregory, Jr. won the swine events. Larry Stephenson, Gerald Hayes, Sr. and Gerald Hayes, Jr., Bickett Turlington, Jessie Smith, Jesse Ray Mann, Laura Ann Turlington and H.A. Turlington were winners in other varied events. Mrs. Alton Grimes won first in quilts and in embroidery; Mrs. Alvin Newton took first in rugs while Mrs. Howard Penny won first place for her spreads.
The pumpkin first place went to Leslie Johnson; Ed Weaver won in pecans. Dorothy Lawrence won first in Junior Division for cake while Mrs. Woodrow Langdon took that prize in the adult level. Mrs. Alton Grimes won the top award for baby clothes. Canned goods prizes went to student Nora Etta Avery and Mrs. M.S. Whittington. Pickled vegetables winner was Mrs. Lib Guy. Mrs. M.S. Whittington won first for preserving fruits and lastly, Mrs. S.R. Moore took the ribbon for her jellies (Daily Record Oct. 27, 1959).
Wonder if any of these skills were learned in Home Demonstration Clubs and 4-H meetings or in FFA classes or from farm agents.
Outside of Coats, Miss Linda Ruth Byrd was honored with a bridal shower. Mrs. Mattie Wood, Mrs. Annie Avery, Mrs. Rosaline Ryals and Mrs. Marjorie Byrd were hostesses to the 35 people who attended (Daily Record Oct. 30, 1959).
The brother of Mrs. W.B. Parks had died. Roger G. Byrd, 68, had been buried at the Hodges Chapel Church (Daily Record Nov. 3, 1959)? Does anyone recognize these individuals?
Some of you may recall reading in the Heritage of Coats NC about the Dixon family who lived on the Harnett –Johnston line. One of the descendants of Patrick Dixon helped establish the Ennis School. The death angel visited the home of Robert Dixon who lived to be seventy-five years old. Elder T.Floyd Adams and Rev. H.O. Lansing conducted the services. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Evelyn Johnson Dixon; three daughters-Mrs. Naomi (Seth)Lee, Jr., Mrs. Ralph (Ruth) Benson and Mrs. Wilbert (Glenna) Barbour. There were four sons-Colon, Jonnie, Carlos, and Sherrill Dixon. Mrs. Floyd Denning was his sister (Daily Record Nov. 2, 1959).
Many of our visitors to the Coats Museum learn that the Welcome-Theater Room and Research Library were originally a two room school built in 1914 and was used as two classrooms for lower grades until the brick tri-level school was constructed in 1920.A surprising number of visitors tell stories of having lived in the structure after it was no longer needed as a school building. Dr. Roland Byrd actually shared that he went there to pray for a tenant when he first began his ministry. To most visitors it is a shock to see what the building looked like when Billy and Peggie Pope purchased the property and gave it to a group of WWII veterans, senior citizens and some other community leaders to make a community museum.
The museum was dedicated in October of 1995 and was filled with farm and household items from yesteryear. As the years have passed, continual changes have occurred allowing additional space for display of items that are either donated or loaned for exhibits so that our younger visitors look and listen in awe about the items while the older visitors share their stories filled with memories.
Mrs. Verle Flowers and her family have been on board with the museum from the very beginning and it was so sad to learn that she died last week. I will miss her numerous telephone calls to share additional info about something in the Coats Museum News or to answer questions from the news or to just visit to see what we had new in the museum. H.L and I are honored to be able to give her a final thank you by donating a memorial to the Coats Museum Endowment. We might not have had a museum without Billy and Peggie Pope’s gift of the building and they continue to give as they did this week with a very generous donation to the museum. Thanks to all our wonderful contributors.