August 5, 2016 Coats Museum News
How many of you actually go by a nickname and, if so, do you even know how you acquired it? The yearbooks of most high schools at one time always recorded a nickname with the graduating senior. Such was the case for the graduating seniors at Coats High School in 1959. Read carefully to see if you recognize any of the individuals and if they are currently sometimes called by that same nickname? Joe Atkinson, “Stumphole”; Patricia Ann Barnes, “Trix”; Catherine Pearl Beasley, “Cat”; Sybil Jean Beasley, “Syl”; James Edwin Byrd, “Tweety”; Marjorie Ellen Byrd, “Marge”; Willard Jasper Cobb, “Jack”; Fred Thomas Denning, ”Tommy”; Larry Edward Denning, “Louise”; Robert Harold Dixon, “Hazy”; Frank Oliver Dorman, “Simon”; Betty Sue Ennis, “Susie”; Bobby Ennis, “Speed”; John Alvis Ennis, Jr., “Johnnie”; Patricia Ennis, “Elmo”; Ann Godwin, “Annie”; Judith Linda Godwin, “Judo”; Kenneth Gregory, “Kenny”; Bobby Hughes, “”Bob”; Marjorie Ellen Jernigan, “Margie”; Jimmy Aaron Johnson, “Johnson”; David Langdon, “Davy’; Ronald Earl Langdon, ”Ronnie “; Vickie Lou Lee, “Lou- Lou”; Ruth Faye Lewis, “Ruth-a-leeny”; Mary Frances Matthews, “Fran”; Mary Lois Messer, “Wrong Hand”; Mary Sue Messer, “Suzie”; Wayne Holt Moore,” Riley”; Phillip Thomas Nordan,” P.T.”; Joyce Ann Norris, “Punk”; Patsy Grey Norris, “ Pattie”; William Henry Norris, “Norris”; Linda Faye Parrish, “Inda-Aye”; Jesse Wayne Parrish, “Roadrunner”; Tommy Wallace Penny, “Hoss Fly”; Linda Faye Pollard, “Flossie”; Jerry Poole, “Poole Man”; Billy Gail Pope, “Bill”; Janice Grey Pope, “Pinkie”; Elizabeth Ryals, “Lib”; Lewis Smith, “Lu Lu”; Edgar Sorrell, “Cigar”; Deanna Joy Starling, “Joey”; Joyce Magnolia Stevens, “Joycie”; June Elaine Stewart, “Susie”; William Cornelius Stone, “Speedy”; Fred Wayne Strickland, “Little Willie”; Norma Lee Strickland, “Cricket”; Carol Luvon Thompson, “Carolina “; David Corbett Weaver, “ “Speed”; Elizabeth Ann Wiggins, “Liz”; Glenda Lou Williams, “Lulu”; and Jerry Williams, “William” (The Echoing Memories 1959 Coats High School).
How about you? Don’t you hope those nicknames did not follow those students throughout life? I do know that the Coats Methodist Church had Homecoming with the Rev. R.F. Munns as speaker. The Coats Methodist Church had been organized in 1952. N.C. Senator Robert Morgan introduced a bill that county commissioners would be voted upon county wide rather than by districts but would reside in the district that the commissioner represented on the board. Gregory wanted the people of Harnett County to decide what they preferred in electing the board. There was some opposition saying that the candidate preferred by a district could be defeated if other voters in other districts “Ganged up” on the candidate (Daily Record June 9, 1959).
The entire Coats Fire Department voted to quit unless the town came up with money to support the department. Fire Chief Haywood Roberts and 20 unpaid volunteers were tired of going around and begging for money. A walkout was scheduled in 5 days (Daily Record June 10, 1959).
Mayor C.J. Turlington admitted no money was available immediately for the fire department. The Coats mayor said the town board could levy a tax that would give about $1900 a year for equipment expense, but the money would not be available until the fall (Daily Record June 12, 1959).
The Coats firemen called off their walkout. Chief Roberts stated he got about what they wanted in terms of temporary help and expected the tax bill to be enacted in the fall (Daily Record June 16, 1959).
Death had found its way back to the Coats area on Tuesday and had taken with it Clarence Andrew Whittington of Route One, Coats. He was the son of Mrs. Zeddie Whittington. His services were at Red Hill and burial was in the church cemetery. Reverend Rossie Blackman officiated. The deceased was also survived by his wife , Mrs. Lilly Whittington; one daughter, Mrs. Barbara Denning; four sons-Thomas, Leonard, Richard, and Gerald Whittington .Sisters were Mrs. Zola West, Mrs. Lloyd House, Mrs. Annie Norris, Mrs. John Lee and Mrs. Geraldine Bryant. Marvin, Allen, Sam and Joe Whittington were brothers (Daily Record June 17, 1959).
Lt. Col. James Wyatt Kelly, son of Mrs. Lucy Kelly of Coats, was awarded the Master of Business Administration at the 138th annual commencement of the George Washington University (Daily Record June 22, 1959).
Timmy Pollard was honored on Sunday with a birthday party celebrating his sixth birthday. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Pollard and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Norris of Route One, Coats (Daily Record June 24, 1959).
Nathan Johnson was killed in an automobile between Buies Creek and Erwin. At age 17, Nathan Manley Johnson began his career in Coats where he opened a firm under the name of Lee and Johnson. James P. Lee had lived with the parents of Nathan M. and John Johnson. They operated the Coats business from March 15, 1909 until 1910 dealing in cotton and fertilizers. In 1910, he moved to Dunn. Is there anyone who has not heard of the Johnson Cotton Company?
Likely many of those who went to the funeral of James. E. Buddy Stone, 39, of Coats talked the untimely death in the car crash of Mr. Johnson. Mr. Stone who had died on Saturday had his services at the Gift Primitive Baptist Church. Elder J.T. Lewis officiated with the burial in the Wiggins Cemetery. Survivors were Roger Stone of Coats and Mrs. James Ezzel of Roseboro (Daily Record June 29, 1959). Others probably lamented the death of such a young man in Coats.
A happier occasion for another Johnson was announced from the other side of the Black River near Coats. Mr. and Mrs. Jonah C. Johnson, Sr., shared that their daughter Sue Evelyn Johnson had married Mr. Wayne E. Richey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam F. Richey of McLean, Virginia. They were married in the Metropolitan Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. The couple had graduated from Strayer University in Washington. The bride was on the staff of US Congressman Brent Spence of Kentucky and was a graduate of Coats High School (Daily Record June 29, 1959).
Miss Evangeline Stewart had accepted a teaching position as a commercial teacher at King’s College in Charlotte (Daily Record June 30, 1959). Does anyone remember that beauty queen?
Dester R. Barnes, 62, had died on Monday. Elders James Collins and O.S. Young held his services on Wednesday at the New Angier Primitive. He was buried in the church cemetery. His wife was Mrs. Bettie Harper Barnes. His siblings were Nassie, Carvis, and Elmon Barnes, Mrs. Lexie Langdon and Mrs. Cleve Godwin (Daily Record July 1, 1959).
Death was persistent is touching the lives of the families from Coats. Keith Stone Byerly, 43, who was husband of Madeline Denning Byerly who was formerly of Coats, had died in Atlanta. Mr. Byerly had been an advertising executive (Daily Record July 2, 1959). Had Mr. Byerly grown up in Harnett County?
The Ogburn Clan had their family reunion that was their 26th one. The July gathering was at Pleasant Grove Community Building and hosts were the children of the late Mr. and Mrs. Millard Ogburn. Their daughter Juanita was a neighbor of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Johnson, Jr. who lost their six-month –old daughter on Thursday at Duke Hospital from complications of Spinal Bifida. Jo Carol was buried at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with Reverends Dewey Herring and William E. Howard officiated. Mr. and Mrs. Jonah C. Johnson, Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Ben Barbour were grandparents (Daily Record July 6, 1959).
How many of you remember Clyde and Mary Harmon Ennis? Their son, Clyde, Jr., retired from Belk’s in Winston Salem a few months back. His mom Mary is sister to Mildred Wiggins of Campbell University. The family grew up in the Bent Harmon home on Abattoir Road outside the city limits of Coats. The museum used enlarged pictures of this beautiful old homestead as the backdrop to its collection of agrarian implements dating back to the 1800’s.
Clyde, who now lives in Lewisville, is not only a frequent visitor but also a dedicated donor of articles to be preserved in his hometown museum. Clyde’s cousin, Bennie Harmon, brought in a box filled with childhood toys belonging to Clyde, Jr. from the 1950’s. Clyde, Jr. also sent a baby doll carriage dating back to the 1920’s that belonged to his mom Mary. Thank you, Bennie Harmon, for bringing the prized exhibit items by the museum. The youngest visitors will gaze with amazement at these items in the Toy Exhibit.
A big thank you also goes to Annette and Sid Sauls of McGee’s Crossroad for their visit and later sending a donation to the Coats Museum. Annette is a dear friend and was a co- worker at Coats School where she was a talented art teacher for several years.
How many of you actually go by a nickname and, if so, do you even know how you acquired it? The yearbooks of most high schools at one time always recorded a nickname with the graduating senior. Such was the case for the graduating seniors at Coats High School in 1959. Read carefully to see if you recognize any of the individuals and if they are currently sometimes called by that same nickname? Joe Atkinson, “Stumphole”; Patricia Ann Barnes, “Trix”; Catherine Pearl Beasley, “Cat”; Sybil Jean Beasley, “Syl”; James Edwin Byrd, “Tweety”; Marjorie Ellen Byrd, “Marge”; Willard Jasper Cobb, “Jack”; Fred Thomas Denning, ”Tommy”; Larry Edward Denning, “Louise”; Robert Harold Dixon, “Hazy”; Frank Oliver Dorman, “Simon”; Betty Sue Ennis, “Susie”; Bobby Ennis, “Speed”; John Alvis Ennis, Jr., “Johnnie”; Patricia Ennis, “Elmo”; Ann Godwin, “Annie”; Judith Linda Godwin, “Judo”; Kenneth Gregory, “Kenny”; Bobby Hughes, “”Bob”; Marjorie Ellen Jernigan, “Margie”; Jimmy Aaron Johnson, “Johnson”; David Langdon, “Davy’; Ronald Earl Langdon, ”Ronnie “; Vickie Lou Lee, “Lou- Lou”; Ruth Faye Lewis, “Ruth-a-leeny”; Mary Frances Matthews, “Fran”; Mary Lois Messer, “Wrong Hand”; Mary Sue Messer, “Suzie”; Wayne Holt Moore,” Riley”; Phillip Thomas Nordan,” P.T.”; Joyce Ann Norris, “Punk”; Patsy Grey Norris, “ Pattie”; William Henry Norris, “Norris”; Linda Faye Parrish, “Inda-Aye”; Jesse Wayne Parrish, “Roadrunner”; Tommy Wallace Penny, “Hoss Fly”; Linda Faye Pollard, “Flossie”; Jerry Poole, “Poole Man”; Billy Gail Pope, “Bill”; Janice Grey Pope, “Pinkie”; Elizabeth Ryals, “Lib”; Lewis Smith, “Lu Lu”; Edgar Sorrell, “Cigar”; Deanna Joy Starling, “Joey”; Joyce Magnolia Stevens, “Joycie”; June Elaine Stewart, “Susie”; William Cornelius Stone, “Speedy”; Fred Wayne Strickland, “Little Willie”; Norma Lee Strickland, “Cricket”; Carol Luvon Thompson, “Carolina “; David Corbett Weaver, “ “Speed”; Elizabeth Ann Wiggins, “Liz”; Glenda Lou Williams, “Lulu”; and Jerry Williams, “William” (The Echoing Memories 1959 Coats High School).
How about you? Don’t you hope those nicknames did not follow those students throughout life? I do know that the Coats Methodist Church had Homecoming with the Rev. R.F. Munns as speaker. The Coats Methodist Church had been organized in 1952. N.C. Senator Robert Morgan introduced a bill that county commissioners would be voted upon county wide rather than by districts but would reside in the district that the commissioner represented on the board. Gregory wanted the people of Harnett County to decide what they preferred in electing the board. There was some opposition saying that the candidate preferred by a district could be defeated if other voters in other districts “Ganged up” on the candidate (Daily Record June 9, 1959).
The entire Coats Fire Department voted to quit unless the town came up with money to support the department. Fire Chief Haywood Roberts and 20 unpaid volunteers were tired of going around and begging for money. A walkout was scheduled in 5 days (Daily Record June 10, 1959).
Mayor C.J. Turlington admitted no money was available immediately for the fire department. The Coats mayor said the town board could levy a tax that would give about $1900 a year for equipment expense, but the money would not be available until the fall (Daily Record June 12, 1959).
The Coats firemen called off their walkout. Chief Roberts stated he got about what they wanted in terms of temporary help and expected the tax bill to be enacted in the fall (Daily Record June 16, 1959).
Death had found its way back to the Coats area on Tuesday and had taken with it Clarence Andrew Whittington of Route One, Coats. He was the son of Mrs. Zeddie Whittington. His services were at Red Hill and burial was in the church cemetery. Reverend Rossie Blackman officiated. The deceased was also survived by his wife , Mrs. Lilly Whittington; one daughter, Mrs. Barbara Denning; four sons-Thomas, Leonard, Richard, and Gerald Whittington .Sisters were Mrs. Zola West, Mrs. Lloyd House, Mrs. Annie Norris, Mrs. John Lee and Mrs. Geraldine Bryant. Marvin, Allen, Sam and Joe Whittington were brothers (Daily Record June 17, 1959).
Lt. Col. James Wyatt Kelly, son of Mrs. Lucy Kelly of Coats, was awarded the Master of Business Administration at the 138th annual commencement of the George Washington University (Daily Record June 22, 1959).
Timmy Pollard was honored on Sunday with a birthday party celebrating his sixth birthday. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Pollard and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Norris of Route One, Coats (Daily Record June 24, 1959).
Nathan Johnson was killed in an automobile between Buies Creek and Erwin. At age 17, Nathan Manley Johnson began his career in Coats where he opened a firm under the name of Lee and Johnson. James P. Lee had lived with the parents of Nathan M. and John Johnson. They operated the Coats business from March 15, 1909 until 1910 dealing in cotton and fertilizers. In 1910, he moved to Dunn. Is there anyone who has not heard of the Johnson Cotton Company?
Likely many of those who went to the funeral of James. E. Buddy Stone, 39, of Coats talked the untimely death in the car crash of Mr. Johnson. Mr. Stone who had died on Saturday had his services at the Gift Primitive Baptist Church. Elder J.T. Lewis officiated with the burial in the Wiggins Cemetery. Survivors were Roger Stone of Coats and Mrs. James Ezzel of Roseboro (Daily Record June 29, 1959). Others probably lamented the death of such a young man in Coats.
A happier occasion for another Johnson was announced from the other side of the Black River near Coats. Mr. and Mrs. Jonah C. Johnson, Sr., shared that their daughter Sue Evelyn Johnson had married Mr. Wayne E. Richey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam F. Richey of McLean, Virginia. They were married in the Metropolitan Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. The couple had graduated from Strayer University in Washington. The bride was on the staff of US Congressman Brent Spence of Kentucky and was a graduate of Coats High School (Daily Record June 29, 1959).
Miss Evangeline Stewart had accepted a teaching position as a commercial teacher at King’s College in Charlotte (Daily Record June 30, 1959). Does anyone remember that beauty queen?
Dester R. Barnes, 62, had died on Monday. Elders James Collins and O.S. Young held his services on Wednesday at the New Angier Primitive. He was buried in the church cemetery. His wife was Mrs. Bettie Harper Barnes. His siblings were Nassie, Carvis, and Elmon Barnes, Mrs. Lexie Langdon and Mrs. Cleve Godwin (Daily Record July 1, 1959).
Death was persistent is touching the lives of the families from Coats. Keith Stone Byerly, 43, who was husband of Madeline Denning Byerly who was formerly of Coats, had died in Atlanta. Mr. Byerly had been an advertising executive (Daily Record July 2, 1959). Had Mr. Byerly grown up in Harnett County?
The Ogburn Clan had their family reunion that was their 26th one. The July gathering was at Pleasant Grove Community Building and hosts were the children of the late Mr. and Mrs. Millard Ogburn. Their daughter Juanita was a neighbor of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Johnson, Jr. who lost their six-month –old daughter on Thursday at Duke Hospital from complications of Spinal Bifida. Jo Carol was buried at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with Reverends Dewey Herring and William E. Howard officiated. Mr. and Mrs. Jonah C. Johnson, Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Ben Barbour were grandparents (Daily Record July 6, 1959).
How many of you remember Clyde and Mary Harmon Ennis? Their son, Clyde, Jr., retired from Belk’s in Winston Salem a few months back. His mom Mary is sister to Mildred Wiggins of Campbell University. The family grew up in the Bent Harmon home on Abattoir Road outside the city limits of Coats. The museum used enlarged pictures of this beautiful old homestead as the backdrop to its collection of agrarian implements dating back to the 1800’s.
Clyde, who now lives in Lewisville, is not only a frequent visitor but also a dedicated donor of articles to be preserved in his hometown museum. Clyde’s cousin, Bennie Harmon, brought in a box filled with childhood toys belonging to Clyde, Jr. from the 1950’s. Clyde, Jr. also sent a baby doll carriage dating back to the 1920’s that belonged to his mom Mary. Thank you, Bennie Harmon, for bringing the prized exhibit items by the museum. The youngest visitors will gaze with amazement at these items in the Toy Exhibit.
A big thank you also goes to Annette and Sid Sauls of McGee’s Crossroad for their visit and later sending a donation to the Coats Museum. Annette is a dear friend and was a co- worker at Coats School where she was a talented art teacher for several years.