August 23, 2013 Coats Museum News
For those of you who grew up on the farm, you may recall the backbreaking and boring job of having to pick up Irish potatoes after they were plowed up from the soil. About the only excitement was when one found a potato that had the shape of a bird, turtle, frog or some other abnormal object. The Lillington paper shared that even Mrs. L. A. Turlington was excited when she found 3 squash growing together and nearby was a twin squash (Harnett County News June 18, 1942). How did those anomalies happen?
Were the folks in Dunn excited about the upcoming dedication of the Dunn Armory on July 3, 1942? I do know that the news was reported that Mabel Reid Turlington married Gerald Hayes, both of Coats. The bride was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Sr. Mrs. Hayes worked at Fort Bragg and the paper stated that Mr. Hayes was a man of sterling character. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. L.N. Hayes of Coats. Young Hayes was a farmer, dairyman, and businessman. Mrs. Henry Whittington, Mrs. C.C. Upchurch and young Delaney Turlington rendered music (June 25, 1942).
If one would review the military records in our Coats Museum, they would discover that many families had more than one child serving in the armed forces. That was the case of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Turlington who had received an unexpected and brief visit from both their sailor sons who were both in the heart of the recent Coral Sea battle. Neither family nor the brothers knew that the other was coming home until the second son walked in. It was the first time since November 27, 1936 that the three Turlington children had been together at a meal. The sons, Rolac and Enzor, had come in near contact when Rolac’s carrier was attacked and he was one of the more than 480 survivors picked up after they abandoned the ship. Enzor’s ship picked up many of the survivors but not Rolac (Harnett County News June 25, 1942). Does anyone know who the third child of Paul and Nettie was at the dinner table?
Surely the boys in the Coats FFA were excited about being at White Lake for camp. Swimming and boating were lots more fun than topping tobacco back home. The boys competed with 18 other FFA Chapters. Laverne Stewart won first in underwater swimming competition. Others who attended camp were Hunter Ennis, Carlton Eanes, Mack R. Hudson, Willis Elmer Byrd, Billy Gunter, Hugh Turlington, Douglas Roycroft and A.N. Honbarrier, the vocational teacher (Harnett County News July 2, 1942).
While the war continued to rage around the globe, back home, more thought was likely given to cranking up the family car or truck to drive to town. The reason was that gas-rationing books were being issued to the owners of the 5882 cars and trucks in Harnett County. The owners had to register to receive “A” rationing books which entitled each owner about 4 gallons per week. If one needed additional rations, the person had to apply before the rationing board (Harnett County News July 9, 1942). Does anyone know the average miles per gallon of gas for the vehicles in 1942?
J.T. Jerome and T.C. Hyman sought the job of defense coordinator. The Turlington Home Demonstration Club was very faithful on reporting their meetings. The club met at Mrs. M.S. Whittington’s home and learned more about food preserving and they planned for the “Home Nursing” course to be taught at in September. Miss Rosa Langdon, Mrs. Stuart Turlington, and Mrs. C.D. Turlington shared the program (Harnett County News July 23, 1942).
American Heroes Day was observed on July 17, 1942. Surely that was a big day! There is no doubt that the Ennis Reunion was one also. Can you visualize 500 people gathering at the home of Eumanese Ennis near Coats. That was over half the number of people living in Coats at that time (Harnett County News July 23, 1942).
J.T. Jerome accepted an appointment as principal of Bath School in Beaufort County. He had resigned at Coats at the end of the 1941-42 school term. Mr. Owen Odum and Mr. J.T. Jerome were among 70 educators who had resigned in Harnett County. Others had left for better paying jobs, retirement, and military duty (Harnett County News August 13, 1942).
Do you think people read with interest the names of the individuals who were issued certificates for rationed goods? Board 2 issued certificates for Grove Township rationed to M.C. Langdon for car retreads. New truck tires and tubes were issued to Seth Lee and P.F. Pope Lumber, Co. Truck retreads went to E.L. Parrish, J.T. Eanes, L.N. Hayes and Mrs. Gertrude Upchurch. Obsoletes went to W.G. Pope, R.B. Harmon, Earl Ingold and J.C. Langdon (Harnett County News August 27, 1942).
Mrs. Jesse Beasley had her 13 year-old granddaughter taken from her home by Bill Byrd, Kathleen Byrd and Avice Truelove. A motorcycle accident had claimed the life of Lewis Talmadge Byrd. The eighteen –year-old was the son of Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Byrd. He was survived by his brothers: Ralph, Watson, Kelton, Granville, Stanton and C.R., Jr. He also had three sisters: Misses Doris, Linda and Marie Byrd (Harnett County News September 3, 1942).
The Draft Board noted that most likely no married men would be called until December (Harnett County News September 10, 1942). D.T. Grimes was appointed as one of the five members of the new Farm Machinery Ration Board. A.N. Honbarrier, Coats Agriculture teacher, was to receive a commission as ensign in the Navy (Harnett County News September 24, 1942).
A livestock venture was to be started in Harnett to raise cattle on a large scale. Dr. Fred Fleming of Coats recently had about two dozen Herfords. The time had come to talk about the new auto plates. The 1943 plates were to be smaller than those in the past years. Heretofore girls served as medical assistants in the war effort. Now the chance for girls to join the WAVES of the Naval Reserves was announced (Harnett County News October 1, 1942).
One girl who did not become a WAVES was Miss Mary L. McArtan , daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John W. McArtan of Dunn, who married Eugene C. Stewart, son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Stewart of Coats. The bride had attended Dunn High School and Louisburg College. She had worked at the Dunn and Harnett Theatres. Mr. Stewart had attended Coats High School and Campbell College. He was a civilian pilot instructor at the municipal airport in Raleigh (Harnett County News October 8, 1942).
Thanks goes to Eric Fann who has finished installing the beautiful “Dina Fann Memorial Bench” on its cement foundation in the museum’s Heroes’ Courtyard. Eric, family, and friends of Dina made the memorial possible. Multi-talented Dina is surely missed at Coats Erwin Middle School and the Coats Baptist Church where she was respected and loved by all ages. On the inside wall of the courtyard one can see memorial plaques honoring Laura Betts and Dr. Jerry Taylor. Others have donated planters for the courtyard and the front brick patio at the museum. Thanks for the blessing of lots of rain and the dedication of Teresa Honeycutt and her sons Lance and Curt, the grounds and fountain are a point of conversation as visitors enter the museum. Thanks to all the museum volunteers at the Coats Museum.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS COLUMN APPEARED ON AUGUST 23, 2013 IN THE DAILY RECORD.
For those of you who grew up on the farm, you may recall the backbreaking and boring job of having to pick up Irish potatoes after they were plowed up from the soil. About the only excitement was when one found a potato that had the shape of a bird, turtle, frog or some other abnormal object. The Lillington paper shared that even Mrs. L. A. Turlington was excited when she found 3 squash growing together and nearby was a twin squash (Harnett County News June 18, 1942). How did those anomalies happen?
Were the folks in Dunn excited about the upcoming dedication of the Dunn Armory on July 3, 1942? I do know that the news was reported that Mabel Reid Turlington married Gerald Hayes, both of Coats. The bride was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Sr. Mrs. Hayes worked at Fort Bragg and the paper stated that Mr. Hayes was a man of sterling character. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. L.N. Hayes of Coats. Young Hayes was a farmer, dairyman, and businessman. Mrs. Henry Whittington, Mrs. C.C. Upchurch and young Delaney Turlington rendered music (June 25, 1942).
If one would review the military records in our Coats Museum, they would discover that many families had more than one child serving in the armed forces. That was the case of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Turlington who had received an unexpected and brief visit from both their sailor sons who were both in the heart of the recent Coral Sea battle. Neither family nor the brothers knew that the other was coming home until the second son walked in. It was the first time since November 27, 1936 that the three Turlington children had been together at a meal. The sons, Rolac and Enzor, had come in near contact when Rolac’s carrier was attacked and he was one of the more than 480 survivors picked up after they abandoned the ship. Enzor’s ship picked up many of the survivors but not Rolac (Harnett County News June 25, 1942). Does anyone know who the third child of Paul and Nettie was at the dinner table?
Surely the boys in the Coats FFA were excited about being at White Lake for camp. Swimming and boating were lots more fun than topping tobacco back home. The boys competed with 18 other FFA Chapters. Laverne Stewart won first in underwater swimming competition. Others who attended camp were Hunter Ennis, Carlton Eanes, Mack R. Hudson, Willis Elmer Byrd, Billy Gunter, Hugh Turlington, Douglas Roycroft and A.N. Honbarrier, the vocational teacher (Harnett County News July 2, 1942).
While the war continued to rage around the globe, back home, more thought was likely given to cranking up the family car or truck to drive to town. The reason was that gas-rationing books were being issued to the owners of the 5882 cars and trucks in Harnett County. The owners had to register to receive “A” rationing books which entitled each owner about 4 gallons per week. If one needed additional rations, the person had to apply before the rationing board (Harnett County News July 9, 1942). Does anyone know the average miles per gallon of gas for the vehicles in 1942?
J.T. Jerome and T.C. Hyman sought the job of defense coordinator. The Turlington Home Demonstration Club was very faithful on reporting their meetings. The club met at Mrs. M.S. Whittington’s home and learned more about food preserving and they planned for the “Home Nursing” course to be taught at in September. Miss Rosa Langdon, Mrs. Stuart Turlington, and Mrs. C.D. Turlington shared the program (Harnett County News July 23, 1942).
American Heroes Day was observed on July 17, 1942. Surely that was a big day! There is no doubt that the Ennis Reunion was one also. Can you visualize 500 people gathering at the home of Eumanese Ennis near Coats. That was over half the number of people living in Coats at that time (Harnett County News July 23, 1942).
J.T. Jerome accepted an appointment as principal of Bath School in Beaufort County. He had resigned at Coats at the end of the 1941-42 school term. Mr. Owen Odum and Mr. J.T. Jerome were among 70 educators who had resigned in Harnett County. Others had left for better paying jobs, retirement, and military duty (Harnett County News August 13, 1942).
Do you think people read with interest the names of the individuals who were issued certificates for rationed goods? Board 2 issued certificates for Grove Township rationed to M.C. Langdon for car retreads. New truck tires and tubes were issued to Seth Lee and P.F. Pope Lumber, Co. Truck retreads went to E.L. Parrish, J.T. Eanes, L.N. Hayes and Mrs. Gertrude Upchurch. Obsoletes went to W.G. Pope, R.B. Harmon, Earl Ingold and J.C. Langdon (Harnett County News August 27, 1942).
Mrs. Jesse Beasley had her 13 year-old granddaughter taken from her home by Bill Byrd, Kathleen Byrd and Avice Truelove. A motorcycle accident had claimed the life of Lewis Talmadge Byrd. The eighteen –year-old was the son of Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Byrd. He was survived by his brothers: Ralph, Watson, Kelton, Granville, Stanton and C.R., Jr. He also had three sisters: Misses Doris, Linda and Marie Byrd (Harnett County News September 3, 1942).
The Draft Board noted that most likely no married men would be called until December (Harnett County News September 10, 1942). D.T. Grimes was appointed as one of the five members of the new Farm Machinery Ration Board. A.N. Honbarrier, Coats Agriculture teacher, was to receive a commission as ensign in the Navy (Harnett County News September 24, 1942).
A livestock venture was to be started in Harnett to raise cattle on a large scale. Dr. Fred Fleming of Coats recently had about two dozen Herfords. The time had come to talk about the new auto plates. The 1943 plates were to be smaller than those in the past years. Heretofore girls served as medical assistants in the war effort. Now the chance for girls to join the WAVES of the Naval Reserves was announced (Harnett County News October 1, 1942).
One girl who did not become a WAVES was Miss Mary L. McArtan , daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John W. McArtan of Dunn, who married Eugene C. Stewart, son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Stewart of Coats. The bride had attended Dunn High School and Louisburg College. She had worked at the Dunn and Harnett Theatres. Mr. Stewart had attended Coats High School and Campbell College. He was a civilian pilot instructor at the municipal airport in Raleigh (Harnett County News October 8, 1942).
Thanks goes to Eric Fann who has finished installing the beautiful “Dina Fann Memorial Bench” on its cement foundation in the museum’s Heroes’ Courtyard. Eric, family, and friends of Dina made the memorial possible. Multi-talented Dina is surely missed at Coats Erwin Middle School and the Coats Baptist Church where she was respected and loved by all ages. On the inside wall of the courtyard one can see memorial plaques honoring Laura Betts and Dr. Jerry Taylor. Others have donated planters for the courtyard and the front brick patio at the museum. Thanks for the blessing of lots of rain and the dedication of Teresa Honeycutt and her sons Lance and Curt, the grounds and fountain are a point of conversation as visitors enter the museum. Thanks to all the museum volunteers at the Coats Museum.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT THIS COLUMN APPEARED ON AUGUST 23, 2013 IN THE DAILY RECORD.