December 11, 2020 Coats Museum News
On the national level for April 2, 1986, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved releasing the first genetically altered virus out of the laboratory and into the environment. It was used to attack a form of herpes affecting pigs. On the 16th of April, the first test-tube baby was delivered from a surrogate mother was announced by Mount Sinai Hospital in Cleveland. On the 26th of April, an explosion and fire occurred at the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union that would eventually spread radiation over a large area. The accident was not acknowledged by the USSR until several days later on April 30th (Dickson, Paul. From Elvis to E-Mail. Massachusetts: Federal Street Press, 1991, pp.284-85).
Elsewhere in Coats, Mrs. Ophelia Roberts of Coats announced the engagement of her daughter, Shearon Florence Roberts to Dr. Bo A.S. Gustafson. Sharon was also the daughter of the late Haywood Thomas Roberts and granddaughter of the late Dr. Harry Roberts (Daily Record Apr. 18, 1986).
The 21st of April edition of the Daily Record wrote that Roscoe Lee Thornton had died. The paper shared that he was survived by his wife, daughter and son. He was interred in the Coats Cemetery. (Does anyone know the names of his survivors?)
The death announcement of Mr. Thornton was followed by news of the announcement of the engagement of Tonya Lea Ennis to Rodney Edward Baggett of Dunn. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Ennis were parents of Tonya and Mrs. Rudolph Ennis was her grandmother (Daily Record April 22, 1986).
Miss Lorie Ann Williams had become the bride of Mr. Leonard Dale Whittington on March 9th. The groom was the son of Mrs. Claudia Norris of Route One, Coats and Mr. Leonard Whittington of Route One, Benson. Many will recall that Dale was a graduate of Coats High School and was employed by Morganite, Inc. in Dunn. Younger readers might ask “Morganite?”
Local deaths continued to make the news. Gathier B. Stewart, 79, of Angier, a retired merchant, had died. He was survived by son, Troy and Floyd Stewart (Daily Record Apr. 24, 1986).
Does anyone recall where he lived? Did he not live in the house near the Blalock store on Highway 55 near Doug Johnson? I want to remember that the family loved flowers in their landscape and beautiful Christmas decorations for all to enjoy as they traveled between Coats and Angier.
Another death was printed in the April 28th edition. Mrs. Ethel Matthews Massey of NY was formerly of Coats. She was survived by Mr. Howard Massey.
Ennis Agri Supply, Inc. advertised an auction of equipment and real estate for May 10, 1986 (Daily Record Apr. 30, 1986). Do you recall which Ennis brother operated the Ennis Agri Supply business?
I ‘m sure this name will be one you recognize. Mrs. Verle Flowers, an eleven –year veteran with the Magistrate’s office, was working with Arvile Tart on his first day as a Dunn Magistrate. A second popular family name is Cole. Mr. and Mrs. John P. Cole, Sr. had announced the engagement of their daughter, Nora, to Robert S. Harrison (Daily Record May 2, 1986).
Gerald Hayes, Jr. was campaigning for re-election to the Board of Education for Harnett County District II, Duke and Grove Townships. Was this the time when candidates would actually go house to house to meet the voters and ask for support? We have a ruler in the museum that has Gerald’s candidacy on it. Some candidates would give flower seeds and others distributed emery boards with their names and seat the candidate was seeking. Does anyone else remember that time or do candidate do big BBQ, hotdog and receptions to share their promises to the voters?
I do know that many benevolent people have made such an impact on young students’ lives who have received scholarships to assist in their college costs. The Harnett County Community Fund in connection with the NC Community Foundation has been a conduit for many families to establish scholarships for worthy students. Dr. Mabe’s Estate has assisted dozens of students from Harnett County who are pursuing medical degrees. My husband’s family established a scholarship for a student pursuing a degree in pulmonary medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU. The pandemic has made the need for doctors in pulmonary medicine so very important in treating victims of the Covid virus. Scholarships are definitely a way to pay forward not knowing the impact that it can have on so many lives in the future.
Angela J. Moore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Devon Moore of Coats, was honored at Meredith College, where she was a student. She was recognized for receiving the Ellen Amanda Rumly Scholarship. Angela was majoring in sociology and social work. Angela was a former student of mine and I am sure she would make those who endowed that scholarship proud of the role they played in her success story.
Mrs. Maude Gregory Weeks, 81, of Route 1, Benson, had died. She was survived by sons- Wilson and A.L. Weeks. Also reported was the death of Mr. John Grimes Medlin, 81, of Route 1, Benson (Daily Record May 5, 1986). Are there in descendents of these individuals in the Coats-Benson area?
Even though our volunteers decided to close the museum to visitors for fear of spreading the virus, the volunteers wanted to help the CACC “Trim the Town “ since the Christmas Parade had to be cancelled. Jack Johnson with Johnson’s Lawn Care readied all the shrubbery for our Christmas lights. Misty Daniel Gil made bows, swags and a gate wreath for the outside of the museums. Sandy Howard had painted a beautiful star barn quilt which adds a special touch to the Coats Heritage Museum. Robie and Lydna Butler, H.L. and I enjoyed the decorating while our youngest volunteer, little four-year-old Kendall Adams, and her grandmother Becky Adams, made lollipop ornaments for our “Kendall’s Lollipop Tree”. Should you ride through town, look toward the Heritage Square and appreciate the work created by so many friends of the Coats Museum.
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On the national level for April 2, 1986, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved releasing the first genetically altered virus out of the laboratory and into the environment. It was used to attack a form of herpes affecting pigs. On the 16th of April, the first test-tube baby was delivered from a surrogate mother was announced by Mount Sinai Hospital in Cleveland. On the 26th of April, an explosion and fire occurred at the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union that would eventually spread radiation over a large area. The accident was not acknowledged by the USSR until several days later on April 30th (Dickson, Paul. From Elvis to E-Mail. Massachusetts: Federal Street Press, 1991, pp.284-85).
Elsewhere in Coats, Mrs. Ophelia Roberts of Coats announced the engagement of her daughter, Shearon Florence Roberts to Dr. Bo A.S. Gustafson. Sharon was also the daughter of the late Haywood Thomas Roberts and granddaughter of the late Dr. Harry Roberts (Daily Record Apr. 18, 1986).
The 21st of April edition of the Daily Record wrote that Roscoe Lee Thornton had died. The paper shared that he was survived by his wife, daughter and son. He was interred in the Coats Cemetery. (Does anyone know the names of his survivors?)
The death announcement of Mr. Thornton was followed by news of the announcement of the engagement of Tonya Lea Ennis to Rodney Edward Baggett of Dunn. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Ennis were parents of Tonya and Mrs. Rudolph Ennis was her grandmother (Daily Record April 22, 1986).
Miss Lorie Ann Williams had become the bride of Mr. Leonard Dale Whittington on March 9th. The groom was the son of Mrs. Claudia Norris of Route One, Coats and Mr. Leonard Whittington of Route One, Benson. Many will recall that Dale was a graduate of Coats High School and was employed by Morganite, Inc. in Dunn. Younger readers might ask “Morganite?”
Local deaths continued to make the news. Gathier B. Stewart, 79, of Angier, a retired merchant, had died. He was survived by son, Troy and Floyd Stewart (Daily Record Apr. 24, 1986).
Does anyone recall where he lived? Did he not live in the house near the Blalock store on Highway 55 near Doug Johnson? I want to remember that the family loved flowers in their landscape and beautiful Christmas decorations for all to enjoy as they traveled between Coats and Angier.
Another death was printed in the April 28th edition. Mrs. Ethel Matthews Massey of NY was formerly of Coats. She was survived by Mr. Howard Massey.
Ennis Agri Supply, Inc. advertised an auction of equipment and real estate for May 10, 1986 (Daily Record Apr. 30, 1986). Do you recall which Ennis brother operated the Ennis Agri Supply business?
I ‘m sure this name will be one you recognize. Mrs. Verle Flowers, an eleven –year veteran with the Magistrate’s office, was working with Arvile Tart on his first day as a Dunn Magistrate. A second popular family name is Cole. Mr. and Mrs. John P. Cole, Sr. had announced the engagement of their daughter, Nora, to Robert S. Harrison (Daily Record May 2, 1986).
Gerald Hayes, Jr. was campaigning for re-election to the Board of Education for Harnett County District II, Duke and Grove Townships. Was this the time when candidates would actually go house to house to meet the voters and ask for support? We have a ruler in the museum that has Gerald’s candidacy on it. Some candidates would give flower seeds and others distributed emery boards with their names and seat the candidate was seeking. Does anyone else remember that time or do candidate do big BBQ, hotdog and receptions to share their promises to the voters?
I do know that many benevolent people have made such an impact on young students’ lives who have received scholarships to assist in their college costs. The Harnett County Community Fund in connection with the NC Community Foundation has been a conduit for many families to establish scholarships for worthy students. Dr. Mabe’s Estate has assisted dozens of students from Harnett County who are pursuing medical degrees. My husband’s family established a scholarship for a student pursuing a degree in pulmonary medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU. The pandemic has made the need for doctors in pulmonary medicine so very important in treating victims of the Covid virus. Scholarships are definitely a way to pay forward not knowing the impact that it can have on so many lives in the future.
Angela J. Moore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Devon Moore of Coats, was honored at Meredith College, where she was a student. She was recognized for receiving the Ellen Amanda Rumly Scholarship. Angela was majoring in sociology and social work. Angela was a former student of mine and I am sure she would make those who endowed that scholarship proud of the role they played in her success story.
Mrs. Maude Gregory Weeks, 81, of Route 1, Benson, had died. She was survived by sons- Wilson and A.L. Weeks. Also reported was the death of Mr. John Grimes Medlin, 81, of Route 1, Benson (Daily Record May 5, 1986). Are there in descendents of these individuals in the Coats-Benson area?
Even though our volunteers decided to close the museum to visitors for fear of spreading the virus, the volunteers wanted to help the CACC “Trim the Town “ since the Christmas Parade had to be cancelled. Jack Johnson with Johnson’s Lawn Care readied all the shrubbery for our Christmas lights. Misty Daniel Gil made bows, swags and a gate wreath for the outside of the museums. Sandy Howard had painted a beautiful star barn quilt which adds a special touch to the Coats Heritage Museum. Robie and Lydna Butler, H.L. and I enjoyed the decorating while our youngest volunteer, little four-year-old Kendall Adams, and her grandmother Becky Adams, made lollipop ornaments for our “Kendall’s Lollipop Tree”. Should you ride through town, look toward the Heritage Square and appreciate the work created by so many friends of the Coats Museum.
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