December 29, 2017 Coats Museum News
Is June really the most popular month to get married? I do know that the Daily Record seemed to be overrunning with wedding plans and announcements in August of 1967. Joan Marie Turlington, daughter of Mrs. Harold Turlington, was engaged to marry Owen Ray Stone, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Stone (Daily Record Aug. 8, 1967).
The August 9th edition of the same paper shared that Miss Joyce Stewart was to marry William Gerald Ennis. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan E. Stewart and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ennis were Gerald’s parents. Each resided in Coats.
June Powell, bride-elect of Nesbit Fleming, was honored with a bridal shower by Mrs. John Wolf, Miss Sandra Wolf, Mrs. Joe Lee, Jr., Miss Debbie Lee, Mrs. Edwin and Resie Bowling (Daily Record Aug. 9, 1967).
Ann Johnson and Jimmy O’Neal had married. The organist had been Sondra Ennis and vocalist Ann Stewart. Doris Weaver, Paulette Johnson and Shirley Godwin were her attendants while David Denning, J.C. Allen, and Stacy Godwin were the ushers (Daily Record Aug. 16, 1967).
An engagement announcement came from the Oakdale area. Brenda Carol Norris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Norris, Jr., was engaged to marry James M. Swindells (Airman First Class), son of Mrs. James M. Swindells, Jr. (Daily Record Aug. 18, 1967).
Engagements and marriages did not keep death from visiting Coats. Richard Oliver McLeod, 83, of Coats had died at his home after a lingering illness. He was a retired farmer and the son of the late Norman McLeod and Joanne Williams McLeod. Funeral services were held at the Erwin Chapel FWB Church. Mr. McLeod was survived by his wife, Mrs. Bertie Messer McLeod; two sons-Clyde and Victor; four daughters-Mrs. William Taylor, Mrs. Carlie Stewart, Mrs. Alton Wood and Mrs. Jim Norris. Mrs. Lula Stone and Mrs. Mina Williams were half sisters. Many of those folks you knew--right?
Do you recognize the name-Glenwood L. Pleasant? I surely do. His family lived in our neighborhood where his father was a tobacco farmer. He had older twin brothers and I remember that one of them had the appendicitis which incapacitated him for several weeks. Glenwood had three other brothers and one sister. Someone shared that his youngest brother was the police chief in Fuquay Varina for a while. Anyway, I remember that they were a hardworking family in the neighborhood. Glenwood married Gail Godwin and the Aug. 25th edition of the Daily Record printed that they were the parents of a son.
Death came to the Randall Norris household. He lost his wife, Martha J. Norris, 75, on a Thursday and was buried in the Coats Cemetery (Daily Record Aug. 23, 1967). Were there no children?
Do you recall reading about the vote in Coats to have an ABC Store? Well, the votes were in and the residents voted by a big margin for one in the town (Daily Record Aug. 28, 1967). Are you surprised?
This I do know. School was out for three months and that meant farm work was in store for most of the school kids whether they lived in town or on the farm. The textbooks could stay unopened until the new term started in late August or early September. The following is the recollection of a young Coats teenage girl who grew up on a farm near Coats in the 1960”s and was one of my former English students at Coats High:
“Growing up as a country girl in Harnett County, I eagerly awaited the moment that tobacco barning season would begin. Well, to be perfectly honest, that’s not quite the feeling I experienced! Since then, however, I’ve realized those seemingly endless days of summer taught me more than a few valuable lessons about life, thanks to my parents, Harlee and Willie Joyner. I remember one particular summer when it seemed that we three harvested the entire tobacco crop. Daddy’s early morning trips to find tobacco help were less than fruitful as the days passed. Some mornings we three were up before daybreak, taking out the cured tobacco from the bulk barn. We’d then have a good breakfast prepared by my mother- not pop tarts and fruit loops!
“Before long, we were out in the wet tobacco rows, flapping those long leaves in the trailer. We would accomplish a little at a time, and then one of us would hop on the tractor to pull the trailer up a little. Believe me, a wet bundle of strange smelling leaves under your arm was only as comfortable as a sticky one would be later on in the day! This long process was continued at the barn with racking, pinning and handing.
“The day was nicely broken up with soda and honey bun breaks, and of course, lunchtime, complete with fresh vegetables. Sometimes this adventure continued until the next day when the barn would be filled. “Dog-tired” at the end of the day, we knew we had pushed every bone and muscle in our bodies to the limit. Intermingled with all the tobacco business, were a few vegetables still lingerin to be gathered in the garden. I can’t even remember how many times I uttered during those days…’if I ever get out of this tobacco patch…’ well you can guess the rest. Merry Christmas!” (Deborah Joyner Mclendon)
My-- does that bring back memories! I especially remember the vegetable part. My sisters and I would beg our Mom not to make us shell peas and butter beans late at night after having worked in tobacco all day. We even promised not to eat very many of them if she would let us go to bed and not finish shelling them. Debbie, I guess the lesson we learned was to do well in college and get off the farm. Wonder what lesson the boys learned? Did some elect to go into the military?
Surely Patricia Gregory Ennis didn’t have to worry about tobacco barning because she was the mother of a daughter at Good Hope Hospital. The proud dad was Howard Wayne Ennis (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1967).
Robert C. Reynolds, husband of Becky Langdon (Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Langdon) was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the US Air Force (Daily Record Sept. 10, 1967).
Another baby arrived to Coats parents. Mr. and Mrs. Talmadge Gregory announced the arrival of a son. Maver Byrd was the mother (Daily Record Sept. 12, 1967).
Look at that date on the paper-September. Time overtakes us, leaving in its wake, memories that will become vaguer as the days pass. Let’s revisit the school term of 1967-68 at Coats High and see what has been left on the pages of time for those students who entered their last year of high school.
The seniors of 1968 dedicated their Coats Echoing Memories to two teachers who had taught them to look up rather than down. Marie Salmon and Norfleet Gardner were special to that class. The two gave them “intangible gems of life- integrity, courage, and hope for tomorrow.”
The seniors of 1968 remembered two of their “friends who sleep.”Matthew Partin and Kenneth Pollard were both killed in automobile accidents. The class had J.C. Hawley as principal and Tallie Dupree as assistant principal. Alton Gray was superintendent of Harnett Schools. Herbert Johnson, Mack Reid Hudson, Mrs. O.K. Keene, Randell Turlington and Daywood Langdon were local school board members. Mrs. Tyson and Mrs. Joy (Ronald) Coats were school secretaries. Mrs. Lib Guy was Home School Coordinator.
Beth Stephenson had been selected as the annual editor and Jenny Ferrell was business manager. Their job was to preserve the “Echoing Memories”. Helping Beth on her staff were Kay Fish, Jenny Flowers, Louise Holmes, Linda Turlington, Patsy Matthews, Gary Powell, Tim Langdon, Greg Beard, Ken Stewart and Larry Messer. The business staff was large and included Michael Hudson as assistant manager. Kay Stewart, Debbie Sorrell, Pam Sorrell, Hank Barnes, Ricky Dupree, Ronnie Pope, Marilyn Bond, Phyliss Williams, Glenda Norris, Sherry Coats, Linda Stewart, Jennifer Pollard, Betty Coats, Diane Williams, Reggie Jackson, Anne Stewart, Myra Neighbors and Josephine Woodall were part of the business team.
Ken Stewart was elected class president and his support team was Dan Honeycutt, Patsy Matthews, Marilyn Bond, and Kay Stewart. Mrs. Ann Respess and Mrs. Delores Wilkinson sponsored the seniors. Jennifer Flowers was class poet and had written “Stolen Moments”. Louise Holmes shared in her history that eighty-six first graders entered Coats School in 1956. She recalled the train ride from Dunn to Four Oaks with Mrs. Edna Parrish, Mrs. Clyde Bryan and Miss Phyliss Buckner. Who also had those teachers mentioned in these paragraphs?
Brenda Rhiner dropped by the museum to donate a 1938 Modern Webster Dictionary that belonged to her mother- Verna Turlington Rhiner and her brother, Wade Turlington. We can’t wait to explore it to see what words were not in existence in 1938. Thanks to Brenda.
Don’t you love it when past Coats graduates who left for colleges, found success in jobs far from Coats and, in retirement, return to their Coats roots. Doris Johnson was a former student who had made her name in the classroom, on the basket court and in beauty pageants. She was even recognized for being the best student bus driver. Doris and her husband John Nolan celebrated their 30th anniversary on December 23rd and presented a generous check to help support the Coats Museum. Thank you goes to John and Doris for supporting the Coats Museum.
Much appreciation also goes to others those who have dropped by the museum or sent in donations to the Coats Museum or to the Coats Museum Endowment. Jeanette Johnson, Rhonda and Randy Stephenson, Ann Jones, Robie and Lynda Butler, H.L. Sorrell, Tom and Joan Eckert from Virginia Beach, we appreciate you so much for your support year after year. Ann wanted her donation to honor the ladies in the Coats Woman’s Club and to honor the memory of her dear friend from the club-Florine Penny.
Is June really the most popular month to get married? I do know that the Daily Record seemed to be overrunning with wedding plans and announcements in August of 1967. Joan Marie Turlington, daughter of Mrs. Harold Turlington, was engaged to marry Owen Ray Stone, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Stone (Daily Record Aug. 8, 1967).
The August 9th edition of the same paper shared that Miss Joyce Stewart was to marry William Gerald Ennis. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan E. Stewart and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ennis were Gerald’s parents. Each resided in Coats.
June Powell, bride-elect of Nesbit Fleming, was honored with a bridal shower by Mrs. John Wolf, Miss Sandra Wolf, Mrs. Joe Lee, Jr., Miss Debbie Lee, Mrs. Edwin and Resie Bowling (Daily Record Aug. 9, 1967).
Ann Johnson and Jimmy O’Neal had married. The organist had been Sondra Ennis and vocalist Ann Stewart. Doris Weaver, Paulette Johnson and Shirley Godwin were her attendants while David Denning, J.C. Allen, and Stacy Godwin were the ushers (Daily Record Aug. 16, 1967).
An engagement announcement came from the Oakdale area. Brenda Carol Norris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Norris, Jr., was engaged to marry James M. Swindells (Airman First Class), son of Mrs. James M. Swindells, Jr. (Daily Record Aug. 18, 1967).
Engagements and marriages did not keep death from visiting Coats. Richard Oliver McLeod, 83, of Coats had died at his home after a lingering illness. He was a retired farmer and the son of the late Norman McLeod and Joanne Williams McLeod. Funeral services were held at the Erwin Chapel FWB Church. Mr. McLeod was survived by his wife, Mrs. Bertie Messer McLeod; two sons-Clyde and Victor; four daughters-Mrs. William Taylor, Mrs. Carlie Stewart, Mrs. Alton Wood and Mrs. Jim Norris. Mrs. Lula Stone and Mrs. Mina Williams were half sisters. Many of those folks you knew--right?
Do you recognize the name-Glenwood L. Pleasant? I surely do. His family lived in our neighborhood where his father was a tobacco farmer. He had older twin brothers and I remember that one of them had the appendicitis which incapacitated him for several weeks. Glenwood had three other brothers and one sister. Someone shared that his youngest brother was the police chief in Fuquay Varina for a while. Anyway, I remember that they were a hardworking family in the neighborhood. Glenwood married Gail Godwin and the Aug. 25th edition of the Daily Record printed that they were the parents of a son.
Death came to the Randall Norris household. He lost his wife, Martha J. Norris, 75, on a Thursday and was buried in the Coats Cemetery (Daily Record Aug. 23, 1967). Were there no children?
Do you recall reading about the vote in Coats to have an ABC Store? Well, the votes were in and the residents voted by a big margin for one in the town (Daily Record Aug. 28, 1967). Are you surprised?
This I do know. School was out for three months and that meant farm work was in store for most of the school kids whether they lived in town or on the farm. The textbooks could stay unopened until the new term started in late August or early September. The following is the recollection of a young Coats teenage girl who grew up on a farm near Coats in the 1960”s and was one of my former English students at Coats High:
“Growing up as a country girl in Harnett County, I eagerly awaited the moment that tobacco barning season would begin. Well, to be perfectly honest, that’s not quite the feeling I experienced! Since then, however, I’ve realized those seemingly endless days of summer taught me more than a few valuable lessons about life, thanks to my parents, Harlee and Willie Joyner. I remember one particular summer when it seemed that we three harvested the entire tobacco crop. Daddy’s early morning trips to find tobacco help were less than fruitful as the days passed. Some mornings we three were up before daybreak, taking out the cured tobacco from the bulk barn. We’d then have a good breakfast prepared by my mother- not pop tarts and fruit loops!
“Before long, we were out in the wet tobacco rows, flapping those long leaves in the trailer. We would accomplish a little at a time, and then one of us would hop on the tractor to pull the trailer up a little. Believe me, a wet bundle of strange smelling leaves under your arm was only as comfortable as a sticky one would be later on in the day! This long process was continued at the barn with racking, pinning and handing.
“The day was nicely broken up with soda and honey bun breaks, and of course, lunchtime, complete with fresh vegetables. Sometimes this adventure continued until the next day when the barn would be filled. “Dog-tired” at the end of the day, we knew we had pushed every bone and muscle in our bodies to the limit. Intermingled with all the tobacco business, were a few vegetables still lingerin to be gathered in the garden. I can’t even remember how many times I uttered during those days…’if I ever get out of this tobacco patch…’ well you can guess the rest. Merry Christmas!” (Deborah Joyner Mclendon)
My-- does that bring back memories! I especially remember the vegetable part. My sisters and I would beg our Mom not to make us shell peas and butter beans late at night after having worked in tobacco all day. We even promised not to eat very many of them if she would let us go to bed and not finish shelling them. Debbie, I guess the lesson we learned was to do well in college and get off the farm. Wonder what lesson the boys learned? Did some elect to go into the military?
Surely Patricia Gregory Ennis didn’t have to worry about tobacco barning because she was the mother of a daughter at Good Hope Hospital. The proud dad was Howard Wayne Ennis (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1967).
Robert C. Reynolds, husband of Becky Langdon (Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Langdon) was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the US Air Force (Daily Record Sept. 10, 1967).
Another baby arrived to Coats parents. Mr. and Mrs. Talmadge Gregory announced the arrival of a son. Maver Byrd was the mother (Daily Record Sept. 12, 1967).
Look at that date on the paper-September. Time overtakes us, leaving in its wake, memories that will become vaguer as the days pass. Let’s revisit the school term of 1967-68 at Coats High and see what has been left on the pages of time for those students who entered their last year of high school.
The seniors of 1968 dedicated their Coats Echoing Memories to two teachers who had taught them to look up rather than down. Marie Salmon and Norfleet Gardner were special to that class. The two gave them “intangible gems of life- integrity, courage, and hope for tomorrow.”
The seniors of 1968 remembered two of their “friends who sleep.”Matthew Partin and Kenneth Pollard were both killed in automobile accidents. The class had J.C. Hawley as principal and Tallie Dupree as assistant principal. Alton Gray was superintendent of Harnett Schools. Herbert Johnson, Mack Reid Hudson, Mrs. O.K. Keene, Randell Turlington and Daywood Langdon were local school board members. Mrs. Tyson and Mrs. Joy (Ronald) Coats were school secretaries. Mrs. Lib Guy was Home School Coordinator.
Beth Stephenson had been selected as the annual editor and Jenny Ferrell was business manager. Their job was to preserve the “Echoing Memories”. Helping Beth on her staff were Kay Fish, Jenny Flowers, Louise Holmes, Linda Turlington, Patsy Matthews, Gary Powell, Tim Langdon, Greg Beard, Ken Stewart and Larry Messer. The business staff was large and included Michael Hudson as assistant manager. Kay Stewart, Debbie Sorrell, Pam Sorrell, Hank Barnes, Ricky Dupree, Ronnie Pope, Marilyn Bond, Phyliss Williams, Glenda Norris, Sherry Coats, Linda Stewart, Jennifer Pollard, Betty Coats, Diane Williams, Reggie Jackson, Anne Stewart, Myra Neighbors and Josephine Woodall were part of the business team.
Ken Stewart was elected class president and his support team was Dan Honeycutt, Patsy Matthews, Marilyn Bond, and Kay Stewart. Mrs. Ann Respess and Mrs. Delores Wilkinson sponsored the seniors. Jennifer Flowers was class poet and had written “Stolen Moments”. Louise Holmes shared in her history that eighty-six first graders entered Coats School in 1956. She recalled the train ride from Dunn to Four Oaks with Mrs. Edna Parrish, Mrs. Clyde Bryan and Miss Phyliss Buckner. Who also had those teachers mentioned in these paragraphs?
Brenda Rhiner dropped by the museum to donate a 1938 Modern Webster Dictionary that belonged to her mother- Verna Turlington Rhiner and her brother, Wade Turlington. We can’t wait to explore it to see what words were not in existence in 1938. Thanks to Brenda.
Don’t you love it when past Coats graduates who left for colleges, found success in jobs far from Coats and, in retirement, return to their Coats roots. Doris Johnson was a former student who had made her name in the classroom, on the basket court and in beauty pageants. She was even recognized for being the best student bus driver. Doris and her husband John Nolan celebrated their 30th anniversary on December 23rd and presented a generous check to help support the Coats Museum. Thank you goes to John and Doris for supporting the Coats Museum.
Much appreciation also goes to others those who have dropped by the museum or sent in donations to the Coats Museum or to the Coats Museum Endowment. Jeanette Johnson, Rhonda and Randy Stephenson, Ann Jones, Robie and Lynda Butler, H.L. Sorrell, Tom and Joan Eckert from Virginia Beach, we appreciate you so much for your support year after year. Ann wanted her donation to honor the ladies in the Coats Woman’s Club and to honor the memory of her dear friend from the club-Florine Penny.