Coats Museum
  • Home
    • Heritage Museum
    • Cotton Museum
  • Museum News by Gayle
  • Exhibits
    • Aviation
    • Military >
      • Military Events/Exhibits
      • Military Personnel from Coats >
        • Civil War
        • WWI
        • WWII
      • Military Reflections >
        • Cuban Missile Crisis
        • Vietnam
        • WWII
    • Other Exhibits >
      • The way it was done
      • Native American Exhibit
      • Vintage Hat Exhibit
      • Miscellaneous Exhibits
      • Reflections
    • Historical Records >
      • Coats City Cemetery
      • Census
      • Coats Mayors and Commissioners
      • Coats Schools
      • Coats Town Charter
      • Other Records >
        • Cumberland County Tax Lists
        • Deeds
    • Special Events >
      • Centennial Project 2005
      • Grand Re-opening 2013
      • Grove Area African American History Project 2012
      • Other Events
  • Funding
    • Building Fund Honorariums and Memorials
    • Endowment Fund Honorariums & Memorials
    • Grants
  • Contact
  • February 24, 2023
                                                                                          August 27, 2021 Coats Museum News
The news of 1987 was coming to a close with only a few weeks left on the 1987 calendar. Ted Penny was part of that news when it was printed that he was directing the United Methodist Church choir as they presented “There’s a Song in the Air.” Ted was also going back to school at Central Carolina Community College as well as working with “Ted’s Frame Shop” with his wife, Sue Penny.
The Gleaners Class of Coats Baptist had enjoyed an outing  to a shopping mall under the guidance of Keith Hall, youth minister. Belle Williams extended more December birthday wishes to Coats folks: Jo Carol Dorman, Monica Dorman, Stephen Rambeau, Eula Stancil, Patsy Joyner, Stephen Alan Tart, Jason Matthews, Bryan Matthews, Lynn Stephenson, Marie Watson, Kenneth Weaver, Scotty Spears, Becky Pope, Mary Ennis, Wanda Williams, Monica Dorman, Marjorie M. Byrd, Lynda Byrd, Michael Bowen, Dan Stewart, Dana Coats Byrd and Eddie Mize.
Belle recognized the anniversaries of Mr. and Mrs. Andy Joyner, Mr. and Mrs. Max Beasley, Mr. and Mrs. Carsie Denning, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Andrews and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Pleasant (Daily Record Dec. 24, 1987).
Have you ever wondered why some people have nicknames while others don’t? What made some people tag some folks with nicknames? This I do not know but do know that Boyd Earl “Buck” Ennis, 66, had died. “Buck” was survived by his wife, a son and daughter and several siblings one of which was local-Mrs. Erma Godwin of Coats. (Erma lost another brother, Donald Lee Ennis of Florida, a few weeks later.)
Erma and Branson Godwin attended Ebenezer Church after they moved here from the DC area where Branson was a builder and he constructed a beautiful house upon a hill on NC 27 near Bass’s Store. She was such a classy lady who died a few years back.
Anita Susan Byrd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernie Mack Byrd of Angier, had married James George Beyer.
 Belle in her Notes shared that many folks had family and friends coming home to Coats over the Christmas holidays. Bill Barnes and wife, Jeanne Barnes, came to visit Johnnie and Hazel Barnes. Drs, Richard and Janice Daniel also came home to visit their parents-Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Barnes and Mrs. Thessie Daniel. Amos and Rosie Abbot, sister and brother-in-law of Elma Langdon, were on that list of visitors.
Valerie Riddle, daughter of Max Riddle and Sherry Riddle and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde McLeod, celebrated her sixth birthday with them. Mrs. Dorothy Penny and Mrs. Stella Williams had spent Christmas in the hospital.
Final birthday and wedding anniversaries were shared by Belle for the last week of December, 1987. Russell Pope, Tammy H. Stone, Simon Lee, Brady Byrd, Joey Barnes, Elizabeth Royal, Eric Mangum, Herbert Johnson, Fletcher Flowers and Mark Williford.  Anniversary wishes went to Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Norris, Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Mize, Mr. and Mrs. Wade Turlington, Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Watson, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis Alphin and Mr. and Mrs. John Tullock (Daily Record Dec. 30, 1987).
The year was 1988- the year in which we learned to fear the greenhouse effect. The Supreme Court ruled that censorship of student newspapers by school officials was legal and constitutional. The California Raisins had a career. The movie “Rain Man” was a runaway hit and the “Best Movie of the Year.” This was the year of the fax as the price for an average machine came down from $2000 and sold for less than $1000. Garfield showed up stuck on the inside of car windows.
A survey conducted by Good Housekeeping magazine showed that 84 percent of all Americans believed heaven existed. There were 10,513 McDonald restaurants worldwide, but Pepsi’s restaurants (Pizza, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken) totaled 17,353. In 1988 the typical age of a first marriage for men was 25.9 and 23.6 for women. In contrast, in 1955, the ages were 22.6 and 20.2 respectively. Some of the most popular words and phases in 1988 were “read my lips, global warming, fax and sleaze factor” (Dickson, Paul. From Elvis to E-Mail. Massachusetts: Federal Street Press. 1999, pp. 296-300).
In Coats, Michelle Gregory and James Terry Ennis were united in marriage on December 18th at the home of Harry and Debbie Matthews. The Rev. John Stephenson officiated. The bride was the daughter of Joe Gregory and the late Mrs. Judy G. Gregory. Terry was the son of Warren and Alice Stewart Ennis. Michelle had been educated for an AA Degree in Architectural Technology at WTC.
Mrs. Vera Lee Campbell, 76, died on Monday, January 4th. Mrs. Campbell was a member of the Coats Baptist and the Coats Senior Center. Doris Campbell Ennis, Evelyn C. Wood and James Campbell were her children Daily Record Jan. 6, 1988).
N.C. Governor James G. Martin announced that $250,000 had been awarded for Senior Centers across the state. Coats Sr. Center was awarded $14,000, half of the maximum $30,000 allowed (Daily Record Jan. 6, 1988).
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Pope had entertained the Coats Woman’s Club. Mrs. William Massengill  presided and Mrs. Becky Pope had the program. The members, along with some of their spouses, were Mr. and Mrs. Bill Akerman, Mr. and Mrs. Will Breeden, Mrs. Joyce Cannady, Mr. and Mrs. Carsie Denning, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Denton, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Guy, Mrs. Margaret House, Mr. and Mrs. Mack Reid Hudson, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Johnson, Mrs. Thelma Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Casey Jones, Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Langdon, Mrs. Mildred Malone, Mr. and Mrs. William Massengill, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Nordan, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Penny, Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Jones, Mr. and Mrs. M.O. Phillips, Mrs. Becky Pope, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Pope, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Stewart and Mr. and H.A. Turlington, Jr. (Daily Record Jan. 7, 1988).
That group was some of the best of Coats. Did you recognize most of the names? How many are alive in 2021? I count seven.
While the ladies were enjoying their club work, forty of the younger people of Coats were involved in the Coats basketball clinics under Doug Stevens (Daily Record Jan. 7, 1988).
Death is taking so many friends. The Coats High Class of 1958 has remembered Paul “Shane” Johnson with a memorial to the museum as has the Class of 1962 which also memorialized Laura Frances Johnson Hinson and Carolyn Grimes Turlington.  The Class of 1960 has lost two members to covid-the latest is Dr. Roland Byrd who was remembered with a museum memorial. Thank you’s go to Cheryl Whittington, Beverly McLamb, Judy and Tommy Ennis for tending to the classes’ memorial funds.
The museum volunteers wish to thank all those who step forward and support the museum. The three newest exhibits merit a visit. The Eagle Scout exhibit is amazing and a true tribute to all the Eagle Scouts, scoutmasters and families who stayed the course to the top.
Two other new exhibits are the doll collection of Gail Gilbert Denning which merits a visit and will surely bring excitement to young girls. The third new exhibit is in the Cotton Museum where our plantation loom, along with plantation blankets and quilts, are on display. Two ladies having a quilting party are also found in that museum.
Please remember Virginia Norris Holden in your prayers. She is such a strong supporter of our museum and is suffering with health issues. If you run into folks who are promoting the Coats Museum, give them a thank you for the time and money that they give to make the museum a place that brings positive comments about Coats.