February 11, 2022 Coats Museum News
As you read the Coats Museum News columns and see the names of individuals and businesses, do you wonder what became of them or the businesses? For example, in the Sports section of the April 19, 1989 edition of the Daily Record it was printed that Johnny Honeycutt had pitched and struck out six players. Chris Ennis had two hits while Roman Knittle and Brian Stewart had a hit each.
Where are these young men today and who was “Big John Farmer”? It is recorded that he entertained the Coats Lions Club. Apparently he encouraged several Lions to assist him in some comic skits. This actually gives a bit of history of the organization in that it lists some of the members in 1989. Those named were Cecil Stephenson, Harry Denton, Lonnie Dorman and Wayne Royal (Daily Record Apr. 20, 2022).
Do you recall that the president of the CACC in 1989 was Randy Rambeau who with Dana Holmes, Chamber Executive Secretary, presented the CACC Business Focus of the Week to C and D Cleaning Service? The business was owned by and operated by Charles E. McKoy and was located in Erwin (Daily Record Apr. 21, 1989).Does Mr. McKoy continue to operate this business in 2022?
I do know that Tammy Ruth Stewart, daughter of Mrs. Jack Stewart of Coats, had married Edward Page, Jr. of Erwin (Daily Record Apr. 21, 1989).
Belle Williams in her “Notes” wrote in her column that Jonathan and Byron Johnson were congratulated for being rewarded the Eagle Scout Award in a double ceremony in the Coats Baptist Church. The boys were the sons of Cotton and Janell Weaver Johnson.
Belle also shared that Gezell Walden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Walden, was named Outstanding Sophomore Home Economics Major at NC Central University. Where is Gezell today? Surely she continued to be honored as she advanced in her education.
How many of you had a set of World Book Encyclopedias in your personal library? Do they continue to print hard copies of that source of information? At our house we did. When our grandchildren spent a few days with us, we would swing in our pergola and observe insects, birds and other creatures of nature. Often, we would make a quick trip inside to learn more about them from the pages of the World Book Encyclopedia. Yes, we did have Google, but somehow it was more fun to see their tiny fingers turn the pages to learn more.
Apparently the books were being sold in 1989 because Belle noted that Wilma Byrd and Ruth Porter had attended a World Book Encyclopedia Convention in Tampa, Florida. Also on the road had been Ray Stancil who reported to the Baptist Men of the Coats Baptist Church about his trip to Brazil. Sympathy was extended to Ophelia Roberts who had lost her brother (Daily Record Apr. 26, 1989). Was this brother, Jack Brock?
The Coats Middle School girls were in 1st place after their win over Angier. Kristi McLamb and winning pitcher Kelly Smith had four hits each for the lady Yellow Jackets while Anita Pleasant and Dena Denning had three hits and Kalisha Parrish, Cristy Wood, Jatana Byrd, and Angela Warren each had two hits.
During all this good news from Coats, there was sorrow looming in the community. A young businessman had died at 48. Bobby Sherrill Ennis of Route One, Coats was survived by his wife, Doris Ennis; sons-Darryl and Chris, and daughter Beverly Ennis. His parents were Walter (Bill) and Annie Glover Ennis (Daily Record Apr. 27, 1989).
Another death announcement appeared in the next edition of the paper. Clyde Glenn Stephenson, a 59-year-old retired barber was buried in the Coats City Cemetery. His daughters were Robin S. Allen and Connie S. Freidhoff and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Stephenson of Coats, all who survived him.
The CACC had recognized Lamm’s Auto Service as the Business Focus of the Week. It was owned by Dick Lamm and operated by his son, Mickey. Eddie Burrows had been specially trained for all auto service an for repair work. Mr. Lamm had been a merchant in Coats for more than 20 years.
Laura Malone, a seventh grader at Coats Middle School, was selected as one of the 150 seats of the All District Band. She was the daughter of Dan Malone and Carmen Malone. Joe Edwards was her band teacher (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1989).
David Wood, son of Ivan and Renee Wood, had celebrated his first birthday. He was the grandson of Mae Wood Camden of Coats. While the Wood family was celebrating life, Mrs. Mary Penny Coats was mourning the loss of her daughter, Mrs. Louise Coats Jackson, who was seventy. Her father was the late Roger Coats. She was interred in the Coats City Cemetery (Daily Record May 1, 1989).
Here is a bit of updated history about that family. Louise Coats Jackson grew up in a house on McKinley Street. Henry H. Penny was Louise’s granddaddy and he lived directly behind her house. Dr. Fleming moved from his office on Main Street and converted the Penny house into his medical clinic. The Penny house was later moved on Highway 27 across from where Ebenezer Church Road intersects with 27 after which the brick Dr. Moore Medical Clinic was built on the Penny site. The O.K. Keene house was parallel with the Coats house. Roger Coats had worked at the P.F. Pope sawmill. In fact, he suffered a heart attack and died on the site of the mill. The house is remembered as being built with the best materials that Roger had handpicked at the mill. That would be over 100 years ago and today in 2022 that house is being renovated.
Forest Fleming introduced Horace Davis of CP&L as the speaker for the Coats Lions Club (Daily Record May 2, 1989).
In 1986, Mayor Tim McKinnie was promoted to state manager of David M. Griffith and Associates in Raleigh, a national consulting firm specializing in services to state and local governments. In 1987, he was promoted to vice president of the company.
Other notes in that same paper reported that Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Johnson of Erwin had announced the engagement of their daughter, Terri DaVon Johnson of Erwin, to James Walter Sorrell, III, of Coats. He was the son of Mr. J.W. Sorrell, Jr. of Route 3, Dunn and Mrs. Erma Jean Sorrell of Route 1, Coats, NC.
Belle’s Notes also reported that Joey Pollard had enjoyed his trip to Bermuda with Monroe Automotive Equipment Company Dealers. She had sent sympathy to Gary Butler who had lost his father. Janice Lucas reported that her father, WWI veteran Mayton Upchurch, was home from the Veterans Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Teddy Byrd had announced the birth of a baby girl, Alexandra Kathryn Byrd.
The Coats Homemakers Extension met at the home of Mrs. Woodrow Langdon. The topic was international food; consequently, the members took a covered dish and their husbands to the meeting. Those attending were Virginia and Banks pollard, Cora and Earl Ragan, Edna and Don Keim, Joan and Pete Patterson, Linda Long, Judy Tart and her son Stephen Tart.
She concluded the Notes by reporting how excited Thomas and she were with the surprise anniversary and combined birthday party hosted by their children-Garry, LaRue and Jenny (Daily Record May 3, 1989).
A special thank you goes to the Coats High School Class of 1962 for remembering Katherine (Kathi) Dorman Ennis with a museum memorial. The class has lost several members the past couple of years and the museum volunteers appreciate the faithfulness of the class in remembering the museum with memorials for their classmates.
As you read the Coats Museum News columns and see the names of individuals and businesses, do you wonder what became of them or the businesses? For example, in the Sports section of the April 19, 1989 edition of the Daily Record it was printed that Johnny Honeycutt had pitched and struck out six players. Chris Ennis had two hits while Roman Knittle and Brian Stewart had a hit each.
Where are these young men today and who was “Big John Farmer”? It is recorded that he entertained the Coats Lions Club. Apparently he encouraged several Lions to assist him in some comic skits. This actually gives a bit of history of the organization in that it lists some of the members in 1989. Those named were Cecil Stephenson, Harry Denton, Lonnie Dorman and Wayne Royal (Daily Record Apr. 20, 2022).
Do you recall that the president of the CACC in 1989 was Randy Rambeau who with Dana Holmes, Chamber Executive Secretary, presented the CACC Business Focus of the Week to C and D Cleaning Service? The business was owned by and operated by Charles E. McKoy and was located in Erwin (Daily Record Apr. 21, 1989).Does Mr. McKoy continue to operate this business in 2022?
I do know that Tammy Ruth Stewart, daughter of Mrs. Jack Stewart of Coats, had married Edward Page, Jr. of Erwin (Daily Record Apr. 21, 1989).
Belle Williams in her “Notes” wrote in her column that Jonathan and Byron Johnson were congratulated for being rewarded the Eagle Scout Award in a double ceremony in the Coats Baptist Church. The boys were the sons of Cotton and Janell Weaver Johnson.
Belle also shared that Gezell Walden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Walden, was named Outstanding Sophomore Home Economics Major at NC Central University. Where is Gezell today? Surely she continued to be honored as she advanced in her education.
How many of you had a set of World Book Encyclopedias in your personal library? Do they continue to print hard copies of that source of information? At our house we did. When our grandchildren spent a few days with us, we would swing in our pergola and observe insects, birds and other creatures of nature. Often, we would make a quick trip inside to learn more about them from the pages of the World Book Encyclopedia. Yes, we did have Google, but somehow it was more fun to see their tiny fingers turn the pages to learn more.
Apparently the books were being sold in 1989 because Belle noted that Wilma Byrd and Ruth Porter had attended a World Book Encyclopedia Convention in Tampa, Florida. Also on the road had been Ray Stancil who reported to the Baptist Men of the Coats Baptist Church about his trip to Brazil. Sympathy was extended to Ophelia Roberts who had lost her brother (Daily Record Apr. 26, 1989). Was this brother, Jack Brock?
The Coats Middle School girls were in 1st place after their win over Angier. Kristi McLamb and winning pitcher Kelly Smith had four hits each for the lady Yellow Jackets while Anita Pleasant and Dena Denning had three hits and Kalisha Parrish, Cristy Wood, Jatana Byrd, and Angela Warren each had two hits.
During all this good news from Coats, there was sorrow looming in the community. A young businessman had died at 48. Bobby Sherrill Ennis of Route One, Coats was survived by his wife, Doris Ennis; sons-Darryl and Chris, and daughter Beverly Ennis. His parents were Walter (Bill) and Annie Glover Ennis (Daily Record Apr. 27, 1989).
Another death announcement appeared in the next edition of the paper. Clyde Glenn Stephenson, a 59-year-old retired barber was buried in the Coats City Cemetery. His daughters were Robin S. Allen and Connie S. Freidhoff and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Stephenson of Coats, all who survived him.
The CACC had recognized Lamm’s Auto Service as the Business Focus of the Week. It was owned by Dick Lamm and operated by his son, Mickey. Eddie Burrows had been specially trained for all auto service an for repair work. Mr. Lamm had been a merchant in Coats for more than 20 years.
Laura Malone, a seventh grader at Coats Middle School, was selected as one of the 150 seats of the All District Band. She was the daughter of Dan Malone and Carmen Malone. Joe Edwards was her band teacher (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1989).
David Wood, son of Ivan and Renee Wood, had celebrated his first birthday. He was the grandson of Mae Wood Camden of Coats. While the Wood family was celebrating life, Mrs. Mary Penny Coats was mourning the loss of her daughter, Mrs. Louise Coats Jackson, who was seventy. Her father was the late Roger Coats. She was interred in the Coats City Cemetery (Daily Record May 1, 1989).
Here is a bit of updated history about that family. Louise Coats Jackson grew up in a house on McKinley Street. Henry H. Penny was Louise’s granddaddy and he lived directly behind her house. Dr. Fleming moved from his office on Main Street and converted the Penny house into his medical clinic. The Penny house was later moved on Highway 27 across from where Ebenezer Church Road intersects with 27 after which the brick Dr. Moore Medical Clinic was built on the Penny site. The O.K. Keene house was parallel with the Coats house. Roger Coats had worked at the P.F. Pope sawmill. In fact, he suffered a heart attack and died on the site of the mill. The house is remembered as being built with the best materials that Roger had handpicked at the mill. That would be over 100 years ago and today in 2022 that house is being renovated.
Forest Fleming introduced Horace Davis of CP&L as the speaker for the Coats Lions Club (Daily Record May 2, 1989).
In 1986, Mayor Tim McKinnie was promoted to state manager of David M. Griffith and Associates in Raleigh, a national consulting firm specializing in services to state and local governments. In 1987, he was promoted to vice president of the company.
Other notes in that same paper reported that Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Johnson of Erwin had announced the engagement of their daughter, Terri DaVon Johnson of Erwin, to James Walter Sorrell, III, of Coats. He was the son of Mr. J.W. Sorrell, Jr. of Route 3, Dunn and Mrs. Erma Jean Sorrell of Route 1, Coats, NC.
Belle’s Notes also reported that Joey Pollard had enjoyed his trip to Bermuda with Monroe Automotive Equipment Company Dealers. She had sent sympathy to Gary Butler who had lost his father. Janice Lucas reported that her father, WWI veteran Mayton Upchurch, was home from the Veterans Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Teddy Byrd had announced the birth of a baby girl, Alexandra Kathryn Byrd.
The Coats Homemakers Extension met at the home of Mrs. Woodrow Langdon. The topic was international food; consequently, the members took a covered dish and their husbands to the meeting. Those attending were Virginia and Banks pollard, Cora and Earl Ragan, Edna and Don Keim, Joan and Pete Patterson, Linda Long, Judy Tart and her son Stephen Tart.
She concluded the Notes by reporting how excited Thomas and she were with the surprise anniversary and combined birthday party hosted by their children-Garry, LaRue and Jenny (Daily Record May 3, 1989).
A special thank you goes to the Coats High School Class of 1962 for remembering Katherine (Kathi) Dorman Ennis with a museum memorial. The class has lost several members the past couple of years and the museum volunteers appreciate the faithfulness of the class in remembering the museum with memorials for their classmates.