August 30, 2019 Coats Museum News #2
The date on the Daily Record reported that it was January 17, 1979. The news shared that Mrs. Myrtie Norris Johnson had died on Tuesday. She was survived by her husband Donald Johnson; two daughters-Christine Johnson and Pauline Johnson Daniel; two sons- Raeford and Edgar Johnson. Her siblings were Bryant Allen Norris, Larkin Norris, Lottie Norris Moore, Ada Whitman, Annie Norris and Mrs. Leon Hudson and a half-sister Mrs. Polly Nordan. Did you recognize some of those names?
Surely you remember reading about Coats Police Chief Ron Peters many times. Chief Peters had announced that he was in the process of filling vacancies caused by the resignations of two police officers. Assistant Chief Ken Parker and Jerry Smith had resigned (Daily Record Jan. 22, 1979).
How many of the former students who attended Coats School in the early 1990’s remember an art teacher named Mrs. Annette Sauls? Annette was not only a talented teacher but also an amazing friend. Annette’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Ida Stephenson Sauls, 67, had died on Monday. S.S. Sauls, Mrs. Norma Parsons, Mrs. June Grimes, and Sidney Sauls had survived her (Daily Record Jan. 23, 1979).
The Coats Junior Varsity team buried Princeton. Tim Penny coached the team and several outstanding players were Roger Jernigan, Edward McDuffie, Robert White and Levon Johnson (Daily Record Jan. 24, 1979).
The Speech and Drama Class presented the play, “Breaker, Calling Cinderella.” The event raised $286. Jennifer Johnson and Michael Messer played the leading roles. Warren Hall, Karen Whittington, Sharon Maynor, Pat McGill, Tim Barbour, Tim Darling, Gary McKoy, Delores Royster, Sue Young, Kathy Turlington, Michael Pope, Keith Faulkner, Allen Whittington, Jody Dorman, Forrest Fleming, and Tony Johnson were part of the cast and stage crew (Daily Record Jan. 24, 1979). Does anyone recall who the Speech and Drama Class teacher was?
The community was saddened by the death of Mrs. Lula Messer Barnes who had died in an automobile accident in front of her son’s house (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1979). The funeral of Mrs. Barnes, 60, was held at the Coats Rose and Graham Funeral Home Chapel with burial in the Barnes Family Cemetery. Her sons-Harold and Phillip Barnes survived her. Her siblings were Mrs. Flonnie Truelove, Mrs. Mary Turnage, Dallas Messer and Willie Messer. (Before Mrs. Barnes died, was it not wonderful that she had a chance to enjoy her beautiful granddaughter Lori, who was born on Dec. 28th, to Carolyn and Phillip Barnes of Coats?)
Who recalls when the Carolina Bank came to Coats? The Carolina Bank in Sanford had received permission from the Banking Commission to open an office in Coats (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1979).
Sherry Annette McLeod had announced plans to marry Joseph Riddle. Sherry was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde McLeod. The couple planned to marry in the Coats Church of God (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1979).
Likely the folks in the area had eagerly awaited the opening of a new grocery story. The Coats IGA Supermarket had planned to hold its grand opening on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting, prizes and special sales at the Coats Village Square (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1979). Did you calculate that was forty years ago?
I don’t get to write about many celebrations of 50 years of marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Fernie B. Lee were honored on their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple’s children-Mrs. Ina Langdon, Mr. James Lee, Mrs. Doris Surles, and Mr. Bruce Lee and spouses hosted the event (Daily Record Jan. 29, 1979).
The Coats School children were released from school early due to a light snowfall and dropping temperatures that posed a driving hazard (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1979).
Fifty years of marriage is a long time but what about 60 years? Mr. and Mrs. J. Arthur Tripp celebrated a very special wedding anniversary, their 60th, at the Fish Hook. Mr. and Mrs. Tripp were parents of Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Jr., Dwight Tripp, and Elbert Tripp. Mrs. Tripp was the former Pearl Hodges, daughter of George Hodges. Henry Tripp was the father of Mr. J. Arthur Tripp (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1979).
Ruth Elaine Clifton became engaged to Ravon Stone of Coats. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Ravon Stone. Elaine was the daughter of Mrs. Bertie Matthews and the late Billy Max Clifton (Daily Record Feb. 1, 1979).
A major snowstorm closed the Harnett County Schools (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1979).
Kemp Stewart, Tony Turlington and Danny Williams (Coats firemen) had successfully finished work on a “brush truck” given by the Civil Defenses program of the Army. It took the young men five months and the truck would supplement of the firefighting equipment (Daily Record Feb. 12, 1979).
Do you ever wonder what happens to equipment such as that after it is replaced by newer, more efficient ones or does the fire department continue to have that brush truck?
This I do know. Marine Lance Corporal Malcolm Smith, son of Edna and Malcolm Smith, Sr., had reported for duty at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Georgia (Daily Record Feb.12, 1979). I also know that Malcolm was awarded an amazing number of honors while serving in the US Marines and we are fortunate to have copies of the documents in the Research Library in the Coats Museum.
Handicaps did not stop kids from learning to drive. H.L. Sorrell, Jr., Coordinator of the Driver’s Education program in Harnett County, had a car equipped by Frank Holder in the Harnett County School Garage to enable handicapped students to learn to drive (Daily Record Feb.18, 1979).
Who remembers Charlie Causey? Charlie was a midget and was the first student taught in Harnett County using hand controls in a driver’s education car (H.L. Sorrell, Jr. Aug. 2019).
An unexpected blizzard dumped almost nine inches of snow on Harnett County. Businesses, schools, and factories were forced to close due to driving winds (Daily Record Feb. 19, 1979).
Death came to the area despite the deep snow. Mr. Robert Taylor, 71, died on Friday. His funeral was held at the Erwin Church of God with burial in the Harnett Memorial Park (Daily Record Feb. 19, 1979).
Another death was recorded in the Daily Record Feb. 19th edition of that paper. Mrs. Eva Moore Surles, 79, of Benson had died. Mrs. Geneva Pollard and Mrs. Edna “Polly” Stewart were her daughters.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Williams announced that their youngest daughter, Jennifer Dawn Williams, would marry Dewayne West, son of Mrs. Ruth Jones (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1979).
Another edition of the Daily Record shared that Rebecca Ann Suggs of Coats was engaged to marry Kenneth Harold Williams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Williams. Becky was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Suggs (Daily Record Feb. 28, 1979).
Miss Cathy Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Johnson, Jr., was appointed page to the NC Senate, by Lt. Gov. Jimmy Green (Daily Record Mar. 1, 1979).
Mrs. Maxine Avery Dorman announced the engagement of her daughter, Teresa Nell Dorman, to Craig Arden Jackson (Daily Record Mar. 2, 1979).
Here’s an article about another teacher that many of you will recall. Mrs. Patrica Parrish, a fifth grade teacher at Coats, was awarded the Human Relations Award by the Harnett County Association of Educators (Daily Record Mar. 6, 1979).
There is so much to be learned by reading obituaries. For that reason the Coats Museum volunteers clip obituaries from the newspapers and file them in our obituaries notebooks. These notebooks contain some obituaries dating back to the 1920’s. I was in college with Mickey Matthews and never knew that he had any connection to the R.O. Byrd family in Coats until we reported in the Heritage of Coats, NC that William Henry Matthews, 83, of rural Benson (Denning Road), had died. He was a native of Harnett County and was the son of the late Joe Turner Matthews and Sallie Parrish Matthews. He was a veteran of WWI. His services were held in the Benson Rose Funeral Home with burial in the Dixon Family Cemetery. His wife was the former Minnie Dixon. Mickey Matthews and Lucinda Matthews Coats were his children. Mrs. A.H. Denton and Mrs. R.O. Byrd were two of his sisters (Daily Record Mar. 6, 1979).
In 2003-04, when the Coats Centennial History Book Committee was sponsoring family gatherings to collect history of the Grove Township area, Lucinda Matthews Coats came into my life. She came to my house carrying a box filled with priceless documents of the Dixon family to show me. Both she and I are descendants of Patrick Dixon who was in the War of 1812. It is thought that he used his separation money to purchase land on the Mingo Swamp area on Denning Road. Lucinda gave me the multiplication card given to my great-great grandfather Lemuel Dixon by his teacher. Lemuel Dixon was born about 1822 so that card is a rare piece of history from Lucinda.
On June 7, 1915, J.M. Hodges, T. W. Harrington and O. Bradley served on the Harnett County Board of Education which met and approved the petitioners Bob Turlington and Joseph Hawkins Penny’s request for a school to be later known as the Penny “Rockridge” Grove 7 School. The county agreed to pay $200 of the estimated $800 cost of the building. The Grove 7 patrons were to pay the remaining cost of the building. The school was built on the land given by Jim Dawson Avery and the school was constructed by local patrons.
Last week in that same community between Coats and Buies Creek, death took a member of that Turlington family. Graham Turlington, a beloved mail carrier, farmer and church member has been remembered with memorials to the Coats Museum by Ralph and Lorena Denning and H.L. Sorrell and Gayle Sorrell. Generosity from those two couples and other folks like Marc and Jean Powell who remembered their love for Marc’s mom, Willa Dean Pope Powell, with a memorial birthday donation to the museum to help keep the museum operating as an admission free museum. Marc and Jean dropped by sharing vintage pictures of Jean’s family on their farm on Highway 27 near the former Bass Store. The museum volunteers have enjoyed sharing such farm pictures with the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce to be viewed at the big event coming up soon where the heritage and importance of farmers and farming in the Coats area will be recognized.
The date on the Daily Record reported that it was January 17, 1979. The news shared that Mrs. Myrtie Norris Johnson had died on Tuesday. She was survived by her husband Donald Johnson; two daughters-Christine Johnson and Pauline Johnson Daniel; two sons- Raeford and Edgar Johnson. Her siblings were Bryant Allen Norris, Larkin Norris, Lottie Norris Moore, Ada Whitman, Annie Norris and Mrs. Leon Hudson and a half-sister Mrs. Polly Nordan. Did you recognize some of those names?
Surely you remember reading about Coats Police Chief Ron Peters many times. Chief Peters had announced that he was in the process of filling vacancies caused by the resignations of two police officers. Assistant Chief Ken Parker and Jerry Smith had resigned (Daily Record Jan. 22, 1979).
How many of the former students who attended Coats School in the early 1990’s remember an art teacher named Mrs. Annette Sauls? Annette was not only a talented teacher but also an amazing friend. Annette’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Ida Stephenson Sauls, 67, had died on Monday. S.S. Sauls, Mrs. Norma Parsons, Mrs. June Grimes, and Sidney Sauls had survived her (Daily Record Jan. 23, 1979).
The Coats Junior Varsity team buried Princeton. Tim Penny coached the team and several outstanding players were Roger Jernigan, Edward McDuffie, Robert White and Levon Johnson (Daily Record Jan. 24, 1979).
The Speech and Drama Class presented the play, “Breaker, Calling Cinderella.” The event raised $286. Jennifer Johnson and Michael Messer played the leading roles. Warren Hall, Karen Whittington, Sharon Maynor, Pat McGill, Tim Barbour, Tim Darling, Gary McKoy, Delores Royster, Sue Young, Kathy Turlington, Michael Pope, Keith Faulkner, Allen Whittington, Jody Dorman, Forrest Fleming, and Tony Johnson were part of the cast and stage crew (Daily Record Jan. 24, 1979). Does anyone recall who the Speech and Drama Class teacher was?
The community was saddened by the death of Mrs. Lula Messer Barnes who had died in an automobile accident in front of her son’s house (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1979). The funeral of Mrs. Barnes, 60, was held at the Coats Rose and Graham Funeral Home Chapel with burial in the Barnes Family Cemetery. Her sons-Harold and Phillip Barnes survived her. Her siblings were Mrs. Flonnie Truelove, Mrs. Mary Turnage, Dallas Messer and Willie Messer. (Before Mrs. Barnes died, was it not wonderful that she had a chance to enjoy her beautiful granddaughter Lori, who was born on Dec. 28th, to Carolyn and Phillip Barnes of Coats?)
Who recalls when the Carolina Bank came to Coats? The Carolina Bank in Sanford had received permission from the Banking Commission to open an office in Coats (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1979).
Sherry Annette McLeod had announced plans to marry Joseph Riddle. Sherry was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde McLeod. The couple planned to marry in the Coats Church of God (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1979).
Likely the folks in the area had eagerly awaited the opening of a new grocery story. The Coats IGA Supermarket had planned to hold its grand opening on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting, prizes and special sales at the Coats Village Square (Daily Record Jan. 26, 1979). Did you calculate that was forty years ago?
I don’t get to write about many celebrations of 50 years of marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Fernie B. Lee were honored on their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple’s children-Mrs. Ina Langdon, Mr. James Lee, Mrs. Doris Surles, and Mr. Bruce Lee and spouses hosted the event (Daily Record Jan. 29, 1979).
The Coats School children were released from school early due to a light snowfall and dropping temperatures that posed a driving hazard (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1979).
Fifty years of marriage is a long time but what about 60 years? Mr. and Mrs. J. Arthur Tripp celebrated a very special wedding anniversary, their 60th, at the Fish Hook. Mr. and Mrs. Tripp were parents of Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Jr., Dwight Tripp, and Elbert Tripp. Mrs. Tripp was the former Pearl Hodges, daughter of George Hodges. Henry Tripp was the father of Mr. J. Arthur Tripp (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1979).
Ruth Elaine Clifton became engaged to Ravon Stone of Coats. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Ravon Stone. Elaine was the daughter of Mrs. Bertie Matthews and the late Billy Max Clifton (Daily Record Feb. 1, 1979).
A major snowstorm closed the Harnett County Schools (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1979).
Kemp Stewart, Tony Turlington and Danny Williams (Coats firemen) had successfully finished work on a “brush truck” given by the Civil Defenses program of the Army. It took the young men five months and the truck would supplement of the firefighting equipment (Daily Record Feb. 12, 1979).
Do you ever wonder what happens to equipment such as that after it is replaced by newer, more efficient ones or does the fire department continue to have that brush truck?
This I do know. Marine Lance Corporal Malcolm Smith, son of Edna and Malcolm Smith, Sr., had reported for duty at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Georgia (Daily Record Feb.12, 1979). I also know that Malcolm was awarded an amazing number of honors while serving in the US Marines and we are fortunate to have copies of the documents in the Research Library in the Coats Museum.
Handicaps did not stop kids from learning to drive. H.L. Sorrell, Jr., Coordinator of the Driver’s Education program in Harnett County, had a car equipped by Frank Holder in the Harnett County School Garage to enable handicapped students to learn to drive (Daily Record Feb.18, 1979).
Who remembers Charlie Causey? Charlie was a midget and was the first student taught in Harnett County using hand controls in a driver’s education car (H.L. Sorrell, Jr. Aug. 2019).
An unexpected blizzard dumped almost nine inches of snow on Harnett County. Businesses, schools, and factories were forced to close due to driving winds (Daily Record Feb. 19, 1979).
Death came to the area despite the deep snow. Mr. Robert Taylor, 71, died on Friday. His funeral was held at the Erwin Church of God with burial in the Harnett Memorial Park (Daily Record Feb. 19, 1979).
Another death was recorded in the Daily Record Feb. 19th edition of that paper. Mrs. Eva Moore Surles, 79, of Benson had died. Mrs. Geneva Pollard and Mrs. Edna “Polly” Stewart were her daughters.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Williams announced that their youngest daughter, Jennifer Dawn Williams, would marry Dewayne West, son of Mrs. Ruth Jones (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1979).
Another edition of the Daily Record shared that Rebecca Ann Suggs of Coats was engaged to marry Kenneth Harold Williams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Williams. Becky was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Suggs (Daily Record Feb. 28, 1979).
Miss Cathy Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Johnson, Jr., was appointed page to the NC Senate, by Lt. Gov. Jimmy Green (Daily Record Mar. 1, 1979).
Mrs. Maxine Avery Dorman announced the engagement of her daughter, Teresa Nell Dorman, to Craig Arden Jackson (Daily Record Mar. 2, 1979).
Here’s an article about another teacher that many of you will recall. Mrs. Patrica Parrish, a fifth grade teacher at Coats, was awarded the Human Relations Award by the Harnett County Association of Educators (Daily Record Mar. 6, 1979).
There is so much to be learned by reading obituaries. For that reason the Coats Museum volunteers clip obituaries from the newspapers and file them in our obituaries notebooks. These notebooks contain some obituaries dating back to the 1920’s. I was in college with Mickey Matthews and never knew that he had any connection to the R.O. Byrd family in Coats until we reported in the Heritage of Coats, NC that William Henry Matthews, 83, of rural Benson (Denning Road), had died. He was a native of Harnett County and was the son of the late Joe Turner Matthews and Sallie Parrish Matthews. He was a veteran of WWI. His services were held in the Benson Rose Funeral Home with burial in the Dixon Family Cemetery. His wife was the former Minnie Dixon. Mickey Matthews and Lucinda Matthews Coats were his children. Mrs. A.H. Denton and Mrs. R.O. Byrd were two of his sisters (Daily Record Mar. 6, 1979).
In 2003-04, when the Coats Centennial History Book Committee was sponsoring family gatherings to collect history of the Grove Township area, Lucinda Matthews Coats came into my life. She came to my house carrying a box filled with priceless documents of the Dixon family to show me. Both she and I are descendants of Patrick Dixon who was in the War of 1812. It is thought that he used his separation money to purchase land on the Mingo Swamp area on Denning Road. Lucinda gave me the multiplication card given to my great-great grandfather Lemuel Dixon by his teacher. Lemuel Dixon was born about 1822 so that card is a rare piece of history from Lucinda.
On June 7, 1915, J.M. Hodges, T. W. Harrington and O. Bradley served on the Harnett County Board of Education which met and approved the petitioners Bob Turlington and Joseph Hawkins Penny’s request for a school to be later known as the Penny “Rockridge” Grove 7 School. The county agreed to pay $200 of the estimated $800 cost of the building. The Grove 7 patrons were to pay the remaining cost of the building. The school was built on the land given by Jim Dawson Avery and the school was constructed by local patrons.
Last week in that same community between Coats and Buies Creek, death took a member of that Turlington family. Graham Turlington, a beloved mail carrier, farmer and church member has been remembered with memorials to the Coats Museum by Ralph and Lorena Denning and H.L. Sorrell and Gayle Sorrell. Generosity from those two couples and other folks like Marc and Jean Powell who remembered their love for Marc’s mom, Willa Dean Pope Powell, with a memorial birthday donation to the museum to help keep the museum operating as an admission free museum. Marc and Jean dropped by sharing vintage pictures of Jean’s family on their farm on Highway 27 near the former Bass Store. The museum volunteers have enjoyed sharing such farm pictures with the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce to be viewed at the big event coming up soon where the heritage and importance of farmers and farming in the Coats area will be recognized.