December 13, 2024 Coats Museum News
The month of January 1995 had come to an end but not before Keith Parrish, President of the Tobacco Growers Association of NC, held its annual meeting during the Southern Farm Show at the NC Fairgrounds in Raleigh. A new president was to be picked for the Growers Group. Keith was to end his tenure as leader of this group.
Wonder if Martha and Keith celebrated his successful tenure. This I do know. There was a big celebration for Mrs. Flonnie Stevens of Coats who celebrated her 97th birthday. Can you imagine the excitement at Lane’s Restaurant where many attended to honor the beloved lady? Guess what—there was snow in the area that night.
Two students were recognized for their academic achievements as young college students. The girls-Carra Avery and Shannon Lyn Barefoot -had made the Dean’s List at Meredith College. Elsewhere, Ann Little had celebrated her birthday and friends, and family of Debby Pollard honored her with a bridal shower. Debby was to marry Al Warrick on February 26th.
Do you remember reading a few columns back that Lloyd and Agnes Hall had celebrated their 50th anniversary at the Coats Senior Center? Agnes now made the news after she had suffered a heart attack but was feeling better.
Belle also wrote that the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce had held its annual award banquet at Triton High School. Elizabeth Johnson was presented the 1994 WOY Award by the 1993 WOY Linda Jo Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was actively involved with the Coats Senior Center, the Coats Museum and was known for her generosity to college students.
The 1994 MOY was Joseph Lee. He was presented the award by Herbert Johnson who was the recipient in 1993. Herbert shared that Junior Lee was always there when needed and was known for supporting the town.
Doug Johnson, the 1993 Farmer of the Year, presented Bobby Wayne Pope as the 1994 recipient of the same award. Bobby had farming in his blood according to Johnson and Bobby was simply carrying on the family tradition.
M.O. Phillips and James Monroe Johnson were the recipients of the Governor’s Volunteer Awards and Kristen King received the Educator of the Year Award. Keith McLeod earned the Fire and Rescue Award while Harry Denton received the Coats Lions Club Award. Teddy Byrd was recipient of the Past President’s Award from the CACC and Sharon Stevens was the M.O. Phillips Award recipient.
At the banquet, M.O. Phillips announced that the Coats Museum had been awarded a $10,000 grant thanks to the help of Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. C.J. Johnson was the Master of Ceremony for the banquet where the 82nd Airborne Division of Ceremonies performed (Daily Record Feb.2, 1995).
Former U.S. Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn was inducted into the SC Hall of Fame in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Bryan Dorn who married into the Johnson family of rural Coats served 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was well known in Harnett County and in N.C. where he spoke at many events on numerous occasions. He was the youngest man ever elected to the S.C. legislature. He was a champion for U.S. military veterans’ benefits and fought to save the textile industry in the South. He was recognized for promoting better bridges, highways and reservoirs in his third congressional district which resulted in his name being placed on many public landmarks for his hard work in Washington. Bryan joined John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon as freshmen congressmen and it was there that he met Mildred Johnson o f Coats who was covering the happenings on Capitol Hill for US News later to be US News and World Report. Mildred Johnson was a farm girl from Coats who had graduated with a Journalism Degree from the University of NC at Chapel Hill and later became an Associate Editor of the US News and World Report prior to marrying Dorn.
Mr. and Mrs. Hoover Adams, Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Johnson, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Milton Farmer and Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Sorrell, Jr. attended the induction of Dorn into the S.C. Hall of Fame (Daily Record Feb. 3, 1995).
Mildred was my older sister and she and I were the only two of my seven sisters who had blue eyes and attended UNC Chapel Hill and we both loved writing. The Dorn couple was the most down to earth folks one could imagine. He drove an old model Plymouth when traveling back and forth to their home in Greenwood, SC. He would coon hunt and quail hunt with local Johnsons when visiting the Coats area. He was true orator and he kept his audience spellbound.
One thing I most admired about this older sister, who in reality was old enough to be my mother, was that she proudly shared that she graduated from Coats High School and that she was a former farm girl from Coats, NC--not Raleigh, Dunn or other better-known towns.
We should be proud of Coats because the folks are so supportive of the museums. So many families are now designating it as a nonprofit to memorialize their loved ones and on some cases honor them. This month Gerri Honeycutt has been memorialized by Pat and Larry Godwin, John and Jennifer Wiggins, Joe Turlington, and Gayle Sorrell. Ted Penny was remembered by Rhonda and Randy Stephenson, Becky Adams and Gayle Sorrell; Don Byrd remembered H.L. Sorrell, Jr.; Delores Royals and Barbara Byrd Holt honored Gayle Sorrell while Robie and Lynda Butler, Becky Adams, Peggy Robinson and Gayle Sorrell remembered Dr. Richard Daniel. I am also delighted to honor my friend Carolyn Broadwell, a former teacher at Coats, who recently was honored at a special birthday party at Lanes Restaurant.
The month of January 1995 had come to an end but not before Keith Parrish, President of the Tobacco Growers Association of NC, held its annual meeting during the Southern Farm Show at the NC Fairgrounds in Raleigh. A new president was to be picked for the Growers Group. Keith was to end his tenure as leader of this group.
Wonder if Martha and Keith celebrated his successful tenure. This I do know. There was a big celebration for Mrs. Flonnie Stevens of Coats who celebrated her 97th birthday. Can you imagine the excitement at Lane’s Restaurant where many attended to honor the beloved lady? Guess what—there was snow in the area that night.
Two students were recognized for their academic achievements as young college students. The girls-Carra Avery and Shannon Lyn Barefoot -had made the Dean’s List at Meredith College. Elsewhere, Ann Little had celebrated her birthday and friends, and family of Debby Pollard honored her with a bridal shower. Debby was to marry Al Warrick on February 26th.
Do you remember reading a few columns back that Lloyd and Agnes Hall had celebrated their 50th anniversary at the Coats Senior Center? Agnes now made the news after she had suffered a heart attack but was feeling better.
Belle also wrote that the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce had held its annual award banquet at Triton High School. Elizabeth Johnson was presented the 1994 WOY Award by the 1993 WOY Linda Jo Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was actively involved with the Coats Senior Center, the Coats Museum and was known for her generosity to college students.
The 1994 MOY was Joseph Lee. He was presented the award by Herbert Johnson who was the recipient in 1993. Herbert shared that Junior Lee was always there when needed and was known for supporting the town.
Doug Johnson, the 1993 Farmer of the Year, presented Bobby Wayne Pope as the 1994 recipient of the same award. Bobby had farming in his blood according to Johnson and Bobby was simply carrying on the family tradition.
M.O. Phillips and James Monroe Johnson were the recipients of the Governor’s Volunteer Awards and Kristen King received the Educator of the Year Award. Keith McLeod earned the Fire and Rescue Award while Harry Denton received the Coats Lions Club Award. Teddy Byrd was recipient of the Past President’s Award from the CACC and Sharon Stevens was the M.O. Phillips Award recipient.
At the banquet, M.O. Phillips announced that the Coats Museum had been awarded a $10,000 grant thanks to the help of Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. C.J. Johnson was the Master of Ceremony for the banquet where the 82nd Airborne Division of Ceremonies performed (Daily Record Feb.2, 1995).
Former U.S. Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn was inducted into the SC Hall of Fame in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Bryan Dorn who married into the Johnson family of rural Coats served 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was well known in Harnett County and in N.C. where he spoke at many events on numerous occasions. He was the youngest man ever elected to the S.C. legislature. He was a champion for U.S. military veterans’ benefits and fought to save the textile industry in the South. He was recognized for promoting better bridges, highways and reservoirs in his third congressional district which resulted in his name being placed on many public landmarks for his hard work in Washington. Bryan joined John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon as freshmen congressmen and it was there that he met Mildred Johnson o f Coats who was covering the happenings on Capitol Hill for US News later to be US News and World Report. Mildred Johnson was a farm girl from Coats who had graduated with a Journalism Degree from the University of NC at Chapel Hill and later became an Associate Editor of the US News and World Report prior to marrying Dorn.
Mr. and Mrs. Hoover Adams, Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Johnson, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Milton Farmer and Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Sorrell, Jr. attended the induction of Dorn into the S.C. Hall of Fame (Daily Record Feb. 3, 1995).
Mildred was my older sister and she and I were the only two of my seven sisters who had blue eyes and attended UNC Chapel Hill and we both loved writing. The Dorn couple was the most down to earth folks one could imagine. He drove an old model Plymouth when traveling back and forth to their home in Greenwood, SC. He would coon hunt and quail hunt with local Johnsons when visiting the Coats area. He was true orator and he kept his audience spellbound.
One thing I most admired about this older sister, who in reality was old enough to be my mother, was that she proudly shared that she graduated from Coats High School and that she was a former farm girl from Coats, NC--not Raleigh, Dunn or other better-known towns.
We should be proud of Coats because the folks are so supportive of the museums. So many families are now designating it as a nonprofit to memorialize their loved ones and on some cases honor them. This month Gerri Honeycutt has been memorialized by Pat and Larry Godwin, John and Jennifer Wiggins, Joe Turlington, and Gayle Sorrell. Ted Penny was remembered by Rhonda and Randy Stephenson, Becky Adams and Gayle Sorrell; Don Byrd remembered H.L. Sorrell, Jr.; Delores Royals and Barbara Byrd Holt honored Gayle Sorrell while Robie and Lynda Butler, Becky Adams, Peggy Robinson and Gayle Sorrell remembered Dr. Richard Daniel. I am also delighted to honor my friend Carolyn Broadwell, a former teacher at Coats, who recently was honored at a special birthday party at Lanes Restaurant.