December 15, 2017 Coats Museum News
Spring was the season in the Coats area when the Harnett Court jurors had been drawn for the April duty. Harold L. Pope, Luther Miller, Otis Lockamy, Riley M. Pleasant, Hubert Baker, Haywood B. Bowden, Harold C. Flowers, William L. Gilbert, and Cleo McNeill had been drawn for Grove 1 and Randall E. Turlington, J. Garland Matthews, J.D. Fish, and Gerald Hayes from Grove 2 (Daily Record April 21, 1967).
Next door in Buies Creek, a hiring decision had occurred that would have a far-reaching impact on the college campus for years. Norman Wiggins, Professor on the faculty of Wake Forest School of Law, had been elected as the new president of Campbell College according to the April 21, 1967 Daily Record. You did note that Campbell was not yet a university?
Abroad, a Russian spaceman was killed when Vladimir Komarow’s spacecraft became entangled in the parachute cords and crashed as it was descending also made news in that same edition of the Daily Record.
Does anyone recall when and where the Coats ABC store was built? I do know that the Coats officials had requested the legislators, after receiving a petition signed by more than the required number of residents, to introduce a bill giving citizens of Coats to vote on the establishment of a legal liquor store (Daily Record Apr. 25, 1967).
There was a time when entertainment was enjoyed by the neighbors from neighbors. Down in the Turlington Crossroads area, one of the store owners turned his business into a dance hall a few nights of the week and the young, and maybe those not so young, would convene and dance to the music made by Floyd Whittington. When Floyd was not available, there was a backup pianist by the name of Mrs. Beulah Ennis. Fast forward to April 27, 1967, and the Daily Record would record that Floyd Whittington, 56, of Route 3, Dunn, had died on Thursday. His services were conducted at Zion Primitive Baptist Church with burial in the Roselawn Cemetery in Benson. Elder Blaney Godwin, Allen T. Johnson, and F.G. Alford officiated. Floyd was survived by his wife, Mrs. Virgie Frye Whittington and a daughter, Laura Kay Whittington. His brother was Carl Whittington also of Route 3, Dunn.
Spring was the season of another death. Mrs. Lenora Pollard, 72, of Route 1, Coats had expired on Thursday. She was survived by her husband, Eddie Pollard. Mary Barnes was a daughter. Edward Pollard and Lacy Pollard were sons. Her five siblings were Mrs. Willis Cobb, Mrs. Gene Betts, Robert Adams, Joe Adams and J.B. Adams (Daily Record April 28, 1967).
Mr. A.B. Matthews of Coats had lost his sister, Mrs. Betty M. Parrish, to death on Wednesday according to the same edition of the paper.
Who remembers Teddy Malone? Did you know he served in the military? The May 1, 1967 Daily Record printed that US Army Private Elmer Ted Malone, Jr., 23, son of Mrs. Mildred Malone, had fired expert with a M-14 rifle near completion of basic combat training at Fort Bragg. The expert rating was the highest mark a soldier could achieve on his weapons qualifications test.
Once again Grove men were needed to serve as May court jurors and the following names were drawn-Tommy Jackson, Albert Regan and John Moore (Daily Record May 2, 1967).
Remember reading a few weeks back about the candidates running for town official seats. Coats Mayor Godfrey Beasley had an easy victory at the Tuesday election. Elected commissioners were J.D. Norris (163), Z. Nassie Dorman (202), James Denning (149), and Cecil Fuquay (143) (Daily Record May 7, 1967).
How many former superintendents of the Harnett County Schools can you name? Did you name Glenn Proffit as one of them? Superintendent Proffit of Harnett County Schools had passed away on Sunday (Daily Record May 7, 1967).
A local death notice shared that Jack Gregory of Alexandria, Virginia had expired. He was a sibling of Carson Gregory and Lottie Gregory Lewis (Daily Record May 5, 1967).
Does anyone remember the following information? The Buies Creek PTA passed a resolution favoring the merging of Buies Creek High School with Coats High School (Daily Record May 11, 1967).
The Coats Junior Order Beauty Pageant was to be held on May 19th. Do you remember who the queen was last year that I mentioned in an earlier column? Surely you will recognize some of the following students who were taught by Mrs. Louise Morton. The twenty-nine students who presented their music recital on May 16th at Coats High School were Bethany Langdon, Gale Ennis, Shearon Roberts, Deborah Ennis, Donna Penny, Debbie Ennis, Patsy Blackmon, Sherry McLeod, Diane Flowers, Lane Gregory, Bob House, Charlene Stevens, Sarah Wilbourne, Kevin Pope, Vickie Whittington, Denise Butts, Martha Turlington, Bonnie Lee, Randy Hedgepeth, Carol Barefoot, Michael Wood, Anita Wolf, Cathy Powell, Gary Beasley, Carletta Ivey, Jennifer Eason, Deborah Joyner, Carolyn Holmes and Kent Turlington (Daily Record May 15, 1967).
Patricia Ann Reardon, daughter of Mrs. Victor L. Reardon, was engaged to marry Howard Lassiter Penny, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard L. Penny, Sr. A June wedding was planned for the Coats Baptist Church (Daily Record May 15, 1967).
The May 16th edition of the Daily Record reported that Harnett Representatives Bill Staton and Jimmy Love had introduced a bill to give citizens of the town of Coats the right to vote on the establishment of a liquor store. The town had the authority to set the date for the voting.
Eighteen friends of Martie Cheryl Byrd had attended her eighth birthday party. Her Grandmother Pearl Byrd was the special guest.
Barnes Clayton was injured in an automobile accident on NC27 near the Johnston County line (Daily Record May 16, 1967).
Possibly some of the Coats students had known Barnes Clayton from his school days at Coats High. Most certainly they all knew Jennifer Flowers who had been elected by the students to be the 1967-68 president of the Student Council. Tom Jackson had been picked as vice president and Sherry Byrd was voted secretary-treasurer. Mrs. Marie Salmon and Thurman Garriss were council advisors (Daily Record May 18, 1967).
You are not going to believe the following news story. UFO’s had been reported for the fourth time in a year in Dunn. Two police officers reported flashing lights in the sky. Two businessmen also had reported a round object hovering over a local golf course at dusk before floating out of sight over trees along the Cape Fear River (Daily Record May 19, 1967).
Surely the halls of the Coats High School had memories of joys and tears for the seniors of 1967. The times that they had walked, laughed, cried, and shared in the halls of that school would be no more. The members of the Coats High Class of 1967 who had walked the final walk to receive the piece of paper that would verify their mark of accomplishment were Teresa Avery, Joy Bowden, Ronnie Byrd, Ricky Christenson, Lane Coats, Frankie Colville, Nancy Cummings, Frank Dorman, Charlotte Ennis, Ray Faircloth, Susan Faircloth, Danny Glover, Shirley Godwin, Hazel Gregory, Kenneth Hayes, William Horton, Nancy Hudson, Ann Johnson, Andy Joyner, Kathy Langdon, LaRue Lloyd, Tony Miller, JoAnn Langdon Moore, Sherry Page, Cathy Peede, Robert Pleasant, Jewel Poole, Terry Pope, Angela Stephenson, Becky Stephenson, Kathi Stephenson, Linda Stephenson, Betty Jean Stevens, Darlene Stevens, Christine Stewart, Jeff Stewart, Vicki Stephenson, Charlene Trogden, Linda Wade, Gale Walden, Marie Wilkins, Faye Williams, and Garry Williams .
The Coats Museum Board met on Dec. 9th for 2017 in Review and other business which was conducted by board chair H.L. Sorrell and committee chairs. Secretary Becky Adams offered the minutes of the September meeting and Lydna Butler shared Robie Butler’s treasurer’s report in his absence due to an accidental fall. Others present were vice chair Andy Cole, Stacy Avery, Ralph Denning, Sandy Kay Howard, Paul Parker, Tim Penny, Gayle Sorrell and Walter Weeks. After observing and hearing the story behind some pieces of ironworks for our upcoming exhibit made by Andy Cole and viewing a picture of his 1841 model of a field piece (cannon) built to 2/3 scale, the group enjoyed Christmas refreshments provided by several board members and volunteers.
Following a Christmas family gathering at Ron’s Barn on the Dec.3rd, the Malcolm Stewart descendents toured the museum and visited the research library for additional information about the impact the family had in early Coats history. A special thank you goes to several of them for buying copies of the Heritage of Coats, NC and also for the generous donations. Jeff and Linda Stewart had earlier honored the memory of Anthony Stewart, Grace Stewart Penny and H.A. Turlington, Jr. with donations to the museum.
A thank you goes to Walter Weeks for a memorial donation for Grace S. Penny and to Sandy Kay Howard for her donation to the Coats Museum Endowment. The donation will honor her late parents-Bill and Magdalene Pleasant Howard. These are wonderful ways to remember those we love and at the same time help to preserve our heritage in a safe place for others to learn and enjoy.
You are invited to visit the museum’s facebook page and the coatsmuseum.com website to find other interesting information about the locals who served in the military, about former exhibits and data about Coats and its early residents.
Spring was the season in the Coats area when the Harnett Court jurors had been drawn for the April duty. Harold L. Pope, Luther Miller, Otis Lockamy, Riley M. Pleasant, Hubert Baker, Haywood B. Bowden, Harold C. Flowers, William L. Gilbert, and Cleo McNeill had been drawn for Grove 1 and Randall E. Turlington, J. Garland Matthews, J.D. Fish, and Gerald Hayes from Grove 2 (Daily Record April 21, 1967).
Next door in Buies Creek, a hiring decision had occurred that would have a far-reaching impact on the college campus for years. Norman Wiggins, Professor on the faculty of Wake Forest School of Law, had been elected as the new president of Campbell College according to the April 21, 1967 Daily Record. You did note that Campbell was not yet a university?
Abroad, a Russian spaceman was killed when Vladimir Komarow’s spacecraft became entangled in the parachute cords and crashed as it was descending also made news in that same edition of the Daily Record.
Does anyone recall when and where the Coats ABC store was built? I do know that the Coats officials had requested the legislators, after receiving a petition signed by more than the required number of residents, to introduce a bill giving citizens of Coats to vote on the establishment of a legal liquor store (Daily Record Apr. 25, 1967).
There was a time when entertainment was enjoyed by the neighbors from neighbors. Down in the Turlington Crossroads area, one of the store owners turned his business into a dance hall a few nights of the week and the young, and maybe those not so young, would convene and dance to the music made by Floyd Whittington. When Floyd was not available, there was a backup pianist by the name of Mrs. Beulah Ennis. Fast forward to April 27, 1967, and the Daily Record would record that Floyd Whittington, 56, of Route 3, Dunn, had died on Thursday. His services were conducted at Zion Primitive Baptist Church with burial in the Roselawn Cemetery in Benson. Elder Blaney Godwin, Allen T. Johnson, and F.G. Alford officiated. Floyd was survived by his wife, Mrs. Virgie Frye Whittington and a daughter, Laura Kay Whittington. His brother was Carl Whittington also of Route 3, Dunn.
Spring was the season of another death. Mrs. Lenora Pollard, 72, of Route 1, Coats had expired on Thursday. She was survived by her husband, Eddie Pollard. Mary Barnes was a daughter. Edward Pollard and Lacy Pollard were sons. Her five siblings were Mrs. Willis Cobb, Mrs. Gene Betts, Robert Adams, Joe Adams and J.B. Adams (Daily Record April 28, 1967).
Mr. A.B. Matthews of Coats had lost his sister, Mrs. Betty M. Parrish, to death on Wednesday according to the same edition of the paper.
Who remembers Teddy Malone? Did you know he served in the military? The May 1, 1967 Daily Record printed that US Army Private Elmer Ted Malone, Jr., 23, son of Mrs. Mildred Malone, had fired expert with a M-14 rifle near completion of basic combat training at Fort Bragg. The expert rating was the highest mark a soldier could achieve on his weapons qualifications test.
Once again Grove men were needed to serve as May court jurors and the following names were drawn-Tommy Jackson, Albert Regan and John Moore (Daily Record May 2, 1967).
Remember reading a few weeks back about the candidates running for town official seats. Coats Mayor Godfrey Beasley had an easy victory at the Tuesday election. Elected commissioners were J.D. Norris (163), Z. Nassie Dorman (202), James Denning (149), and Cecil Fuquay (143) (Daily Record May 7, 1967).
How many former superintendents of the Harnett County Schools can you name? Did you name Glenn Proffit as one of them? Superintendent Proffit of Harnett County Schools had passed away on Sunday (Daily Record May 7, 1967).
A local death notice shared that Jack Gregory of Alexandria, Virginia had expired. He was a sibling of Carson Gregory and Lottie Gregory Lewis (Daily Record May 5, 1967).
Does anyone remember the following information? The Buies Creek PTA passed a resolution favoring the merging of Buies Creek High School with Coats High School (Daily Record May 11, 1967).
The Coats Junior Order Beauty Pageant was to be held on May 19th. Do you remember who the queen was last year that I mentioned in an earlier column? Surely you will recognize some of the following students who were taught by Mrs. Louise Morton. The twenty-nine students who presented their music recital on May 16th at Coats High School were Bethany Langdon, Gale Ennis, Shearon Roberts, Deborah Ennis, Donna Penny, Debbie Ennis, Patsy Blackmon, Sherry McLeod, Diane Flowers, Lane Gregory, Bob House, Charlene Stevens, Sarah Wilbourne, Kevin Pope, Vickie Whittington, Denise Butts, Martha Turlington, Bonnie Lee, Randy Hedgepeth, Carol Barefoot, Michael Wood, Anita Wolf, Cathy Powell, Gary Beasley, Carletta Ivey, Jennifer Eason, Deborah Joyner, Carolyn Holmes and Kent Turlington (Daily Record May 15, 1967).
Patricia Ann Reardon, daughter of Mrs. Victor L. Reardon, was engaged to marry Howard Lassiter Penny, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard L. Penny, Sr. A June wedding was planned for the Coats Baptist Church (Daily Record May 15, 1967).
The May 16th edition of the Daily Record reported that Harnett Representatives Bill Staton and Jimmy Love had introduced a bill to give citizens of the town of Coats the right to vote on the establishment of a liquor store. The town had the authority to set the date for the voting.
Eighteen friends of Martie Cheryl Byrd had attended her eighth birthday party. Her Grandmother Pearl Byrd was the special guest.
Barnes Clayton was injured in an automobile accident on NC27 near the Johnston County line (Daily Record May 16, 1967).
Possibly some of the Coats students had known Barnes Clayton from his school days at Coats High. Most certainly they all knew Jennifer Flowers who had been elected by the students to be the 1967-68 president of the Student Council. Tom Jackson had been picked as vice president and Sherry Byrd was voted secretary-treasurer. Mrs. Marie Salmon and Thurman Garriss were council advisors (Daily Record May 18, 1967).
You are not going to believe the following news story. UFO’s had been reported for the fourth time in a year in Dunn. Two police officers reported flashing lights in the sky. Two businessmen also had reported a round object hovering over a local golf course at dusk before floating out of sight over trees along the Cape Fear River (Daily Record May 19, 1967).
Surely the halls of the Coats High School had memories of joys and tears for the seniors of 1967. The times that they had walked, laughed, cried, and shared in the halls of that school would be no more. The members of the Coats High Class of 1967 who had walked the final walk to receive the piece of paper that would verify their mark of accomplishment were Teresa Avery, Joy Bowden, Ronnie Byrd, Ricky Christenson, Lane Coats, Frankie Colville, Nancy Cummings, Frank Dorman, Charlotte Ennis, Ray Faircloth, Susan Faircloth, Danny Glover, Shirley Godwin, Hazel Gregory, Kenneth Hayes, William Horton, Nancy Hudson, Ann Johnson, Andy Joyner, Kathy Langdon, LaRue Lloyd, Tony Miller, JoAnn Langdon Moore, Sherry Page, Cathy Peede, Robert Pleasant, Jewel Poole, Terry Pope, Angela Stephenson, Becky Stephenson, Kathi Stephenson, Linda Stephenson, Betty Jean Stevens, Darlene Stevens, Christine Stewart, Jeff Stewart, Vicki Stephenson, Charlene Trogden, Linda Wade, Gale Walden, Marie Wilkins, Faye Williams, and Garry Williams .
The Coats Museum Board met on Dec. 9th for 2017 in Review and other business which was conducted by board chair H.L. Sorrell and committee chairs. Secretary Becky Adams offered the minutes of the September meeting and Lydna Butler shared Robie Butler’s treasurer’s report in his absence due to an accidental fall. Others present were vice chair Andy Cole, Stacy Avery, Ralph Denning, Sandy Kay Howard, Paul Parker, Tim Penny, Gayle Sorrell and Walter Weeks. After observing and hearing the story behind some pieces of ironworks for our upcoming exhibit made by Andy Cole and viewing a picture of his 1841 model of a field piece (cannon) built to 2/3 scale, the group enjoyed Christmas refreshments provided by several board members and volunteers.
Following a Christmas family gathering at Ron’s Barn on the Dec.3rd, the Malcolm Stewart descendents toured the museum and visited the research library for additional information about the impact the family had in early Coats history. A special thank you goes to several of them for buying copies of the Heritage of Coats, NC and also for the generous donations. Jeff and Linda Stewart had earlier honored the memory of Anthony Stewart, Grace Stewart Penny and H.A. Turlington, Jr. with donations to the museum.
A thank you goes to Walter Weeks for a memorial donation for Grace S. Penny and to Sandy Kay Howard for her donation to the Coats Museum Endowment. The donation will honor her late parents-Bill and Magdalene Pleasant Howard. These are wonderful ways to remember those we love and at the same time help to preserve our heritage in a safe place for others to learn and enjoy.
You are invited to visit the museum’s facebook page and the coatsmuseum.com website to find other interesting information about the locals who served in the military, about former exhibits and data about Coats and its early residents.