February 8, 2019 Coats Museum News
Is it “Spring forward and fall back” or is it “Spring back and fall forward’? Have you heard those phrases or at least one of them? Did it have to do with the time on our clocks? I do know that the Senate Commerce Committee had approved a bill passed in the US House to return the U.S. to standard time from October 27 to February 23, 1975. Do you know what crisis resulted in there being a Daylight Savings Time? Did it have something to do with an energy crisis?
This I do know. Penny Betts and Kenneth Stewart were married in a candlelight ceremony in the Piney Grove Baptist Church. The bride was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Leo Betts. She was a graduate of the Southern Seminary, Junior College, Buena Vista, Virginia. The bridegroom’s parents were Eugene and Mary Stewart of Coats. Ken was a graduate of N.C. State University and was an industrial engineer with Square D (Dunn Dispatch Sept. 16, 1974). Ken was one of the three children of Eugene and Mary Stewart and it is interesting to note that all three of their children (Don, Ken and Lou Ann) became licensed pilots.
For several years there had been talk of consolidating some of the high schools in Harnett County. It often became a point of contention for those who wanted to keep the community schools. The voters went to the ballot box to decide the course of the schools and in September, the voters rejected the school bond issue for consolidation (Dunn Dispatch Sept. 18, 1974). Did you note the September date? Was this a special election?
Dr. John B. Dunn, associate superintendent of Harnett County Schools, announced that Leonard Rowland, Becky Suggs (Williams), Roy Jones, Julia Norris, James Johnson, Karen Pope (Ferguson), Jackie Rowland and Henry Turlington had been chosen to serve on the Elementary and Secondary Assistance Act Project Student Advisory Committee (Dunn Dispatch Sept. 25,1974).
How many of you can recall seeing the long procession of horses and wagons riding on the country roads around Coats during the fall time? The October 2, 1974 edition of the Dunn Dispatch reported that some thirty trophies were given away at the Wagon Train and Farmers Day celebration. The celebration started in the Jr. Order ballpark where a horse-pulling contest was held. The celebration closed with church services on the Camp Grounds followed by a ten-mile wagon train.
Anna Belle Stewart touched the lives of so many folks in Coats and throughout Harnett County while using her nursing skills on both adults and school students. Anna Belle was a survivor of Mrs. Emma O’Neal Jeffreys, 77, of Benson. Mrs. Jeffreys had died on Wednesday and her services were conducted at the Benson United Methodist Church with burial in Roselawn Cemetery. Another survivor was Miss Nancy Jeffreys of Coats (Dunn Dispatch Oct. 3, 1974).
The Friendship Free Will Baptist Church of Coats was to have Rev. Nathan Eason as guest evangelist according to Rev. Troy Daniel, pastor (Dunn Dispatch Oct. 11, 1974).
Max Matthews, Jr. was one of the 20 winners in the Harnett County 4-H Show (Dunn Dispatch Oct.11, 1974). Does anyone know in what divisions Max, Jr. won?
A December wedding was planned for Walter T. Weeks and Kathy Irene Turner. The bride-elect was the daughter of Mrs. Harry K. Turner and the late Mr. Turner. Walter was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter T. Weeks. The young couple attended Western Carolina University at Cullowhee (Dunn Dispatch Oct. 17, 1974). Walter and Kathy live in Coats and both have been involved in the Coats Museum.
Another very familiar name to Coats and surrounding area folks is Hedgepeth. Ellen was a familiar face at the Coats Medical Clinic and James and Ellen’s children were three of Coats School’s honor students. Danny now retired from CPL (Duke Energy); Angel, a pharmacist and Randy, a pediatrician, surely made their teachers and parents proud. In the Daily Record Oct. 21, 1974 edition, the news was printed that Randy Hedgepeth as one of the Harnett County’s nominees for the Morehead Scholarship. Randy had an extraordinary record in academics and in extracurricular activities.
In 1974, Harnett County had 32,950 eligible voters. Harnett County Democratic Chairman Ronald Coats urged all Democrats in the county to attend the Third Congressional District Rally in Goldsboro. In Coats, the Coats Seniors Citizens were fast becoming the most popular musical attraction in the area. The group had been featured on several TV shows. There were 35 members in the club. Mrs. Bell Williams, wife of Coats mail carrier Thomas Williams, served as musical director. The group had fashioned their musical instruments of homemade equipment ranging from an old fashion scrub board to a baby rattler (Daily Record Oct. 23, 1974). Thomas’s bass washtub is on display in the Kress and Nell Penny Williams Exhibit Hall at the museum and many visitors are tempted to play a tune on it.
One of the most beloved politicians of the Grove Townships, Carson Gregory, urged all his friends and supporters to vote for Democratic team. Likely the Carter and Dunn families were more interested in the new arrival at the home of Tony Wade and Cathy Carter Dunn. The proud grandparents of Tonya Lynn Dunn were Mr. and Mrs. Carson Carter and Mr. and Mrs. Wade Dunn of Benson (Daily Record Nov. 1, 1974).
Death had made the news again when it was published that Mrs. Inez Byrd Powell, 47, of Coats had died on Friday in Wake Memorial Hospital. Her services were at Oak Grove Baptist Church and Byrd Cemetery. Surviving here were a son, Wayne Powell, and a daughter Mrs. Stanley Brown. Her brothers were Victor Ray and Garner Byrd. Mrs. Odell Williams was her sister (Daily Record Nov. 4, 1974).
Question-Where is the Byrd Cemetery? I do know that Sanford Stewart, 91, a retired farmer and a WWI veteran of Coats, had died. He had three sons-Willis, Warren G. and Rudolph Stewart (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1974).
The November 6, 1974 edition of the Daily Record printed that the Democrats won. It was announced that Robert Morgan defeated W.E. Stevens; David Henderson defeated Overby, and Carson Gregory was top vote getter for the N.C. House.
There were 82 cadet teachers in Campbell College. Deborah J. Lee, Jennifer Elaine Dixon, Joan Lee Byrd and Sherry Jane West were from Harnett County (Daily Record Nov. 13, 1974).
Rev. Ronald Lawrence and Rev. R.O. Byrd conducted funeral services for Moses Poole, 73, of Route 1, Coats. Burial was in the Williams Cemetery. Poole was a retired farmer and was the son of the late Joel Henry Poole and Fannie Alice Sawyer Poole. Surviving were his widow, Mrs. Vada Gregory Poole; a son, Walter E. Poole, and three daughters-Mrs. Ruby Williams, Mrs. BeBa Barbour and Mrs. China Williams. Mrs. Pearlie Tart was his sister (Daily Record Nov. 25, 1974).
The volunteers clip and file the obituaries from the Daily Record. Just a few weeks ago I filed the obituaries of Mrs. China Poole Williams. Mr. Poole’s sister, Pearlie Tart, lived to be in nineties and had a remarkable memory. She was an avid reader of the Daily Record and would always come up to me in the IGA and share additional information about items in the “Coats Museum News.” Wonder if the two other daughters and son of Mr. Poole are living.
A third retired farmer from the Coats area died in November. William Dennis Matthews, 63, left a widow, Mrs. Amy Matthews, a son, Emanuel Matthews, and four sisters –Mrs. Florence Ryals, Mrs. Effie Bass, Mrs. Gertrude Jacobs, and Mrs. Susanna Cox. James and Leander Matthews were his brothers. His services were at Cutts Chapel (Daily Record Nov. 25, 1974). Many of our readers will recognize the name Emanuel Matthews who was one of the outstanding graduates of Coats High School in 1974.
Death stayed around Coats and took the life of Benton Stone, 63, of Route 1, Coats. Surviving him were his widow, Mrs. Josephine Stone and two sons, W.C. and Keith Wayne Stone. His stepmother was Mrs. Lula Stone and a sister was Mrs. Gardner Benson (Daily Record Dec. 9, 1974). Was Keith Wayne Stone the young man who was able to graduate from Coats High without ever attending a class on campus?
The calendar is displaying the month of December and the letters were flowing into Santa Claus and those letters give us insight to what toys were popular in 1974. Kenneth Walden, Jasper Walden and Chasity Walden shared in their letter that they wanted a bike, a Big Wheel, and a Hobby Horse. Gina Keene desired a Barbie Townhouse and a Lassie dog. She also requested an Animated Mouse and Angora Kitty. David Jackson was only five years old but he wanted an Evil Kinevil, a tractor and trail bike (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1974). These kids did not seem to submit letters with extreme requests, did they?
I do know that the Coats Town Board of Commissioners adopted a vehicle registration ordinance that required cars and trucks kept in the town limits to be registered with the Coats tax collector. One dollar per vehicle entitled the owner to a town license plate. The board decided to study the cost of curb and gutter improvements on NC55. Commissioner Joe Tart was to investigate the possibility of purchasing a gasoline storage tank for the town. Mr. and Mrs. Benny Flowers announced the birth of a daughter in Wake Memorial Hospital. Shirley Ann Rutherford Flowers was the mother (Daily Record Dec. 13, 1974).
Drs. Donald and Anne Tucker Moore established a Memorial Trust Fund in memory of the late J.T. Moore (Daily Record Dec. 20, 1974).
Deborah Jo Lee and Jennifer Elaine Dixon of Coats received recognition at the graduation exercises on December 20th at Campbell College. Miss Lee graduated summa cum laude, a President’s List student and a member of the Epsilon Pi Eta honor society. Elaine graduated magna cum laude, member of NCAE, President’s List student and Epsilon Pi Eta member. Both were Elementary Education majors. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dixon were parents of the graduates (Daily Record Dec. 24, 1974).
Patsy and Stacy Avery recently freed their Sunday afternoon to volunteer at the museum and gave tours to some of their family as well as to some out of state visitors. Their daughter Terri and husband David Morris visited after holding church services in the community and granddaughter Rachell Langdon also paid a visit. Stacy does a remarkable job explaining the story of cotton in our Cotton Museum. While giving a tour, Stacy shared with his family and Perry Lewis and Mary Lee Hammond from Ohio the functions of the displayed antique farm items used to raise cotton in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s.
Is it “Spring forward and fall back” or is it “Spring back and fall forward’? Have you heard those phrases or at least one of them? Did it have to do with the time on our clocks? I do know that the Senate Commerce Committee had approved a bill passed in the US House to return the U.S. to standard time from October 27 to February 23, 1975. Do you know what crisis resulted in there being a Daylight Savings Time? Did it have something to do with an energy crisis?
This I do know. Penny Betts and Kenneth Stewart were married in a candlelight ceremony in the Piney Grove Baptist Church. The bride was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Leo Betts. She was a graduate of the Southern Seminary, Junior College, Buena Vista, Virginia. The bridegroom’s parents were Eugene and Mary Stewart of Coats. Ken was a graduate of N.C. State University and was an industrial engineer with Square D (Dunn Dispatch Sept. 16, 1974). Ken was one of the three children of Eugene and Mary Stewart and it is interesting to note that all three of their children (Don, Ken and Lou Ann) became licensed pilots.
For several years there had been talk of consolidating some of the high schools in Harnett County. It often became a point of contention for those who wanted to keep the community schools. The voters went to the ballot box to decide the course of the schools and in September, the voters rejected the school bond issue for consolidation (Dunn Dispatch Sept. 18, 1974). Did you note the September date? Was this a special election?
Dr. John B. Dunn, associate superintendent of Harnett County Schools, announced that Leonard Rowland, Becky Suggs (Williams), Roy Jones, Julia Norris, James Johnson, Karen Pope (Ferguson), Jackie Rowland and Henry Turlington had been chosen to serve on the Elementary and Secondary Assistance Act Project Student Advisory Committee (Dunn Dispatch Sept. 25,1974).
How many of you can recall seeing the long procession of horses and wagons riding on the country roads around Coats during the fall time? The October 2, 1974 edition of the Dunn Dispatch reported that some thirty trophies were given away at the Wagon Train and Farmers Day celebration. The celebration started in the Jr. Order ballpark where a horse-pulling contest was held. The celebration closed with church services on the Camp Grounds followed by a ten-mile wagon train.
Anna Belle Stewart touched the lives of so many folks in Coats and throughout Harnett County while using her nursing skills on both adults and school students. Anna Belle was a survivor of Mrs. Emma O’Neal Jeffreys, 77, of Benson. Mrs. Jeffreys had died on Wednesday and her services were conducted at the Benson United Methodist Church with burial in Roselawn Cemetery. Another survivor was Miss Nancy Jeffreys of Coats (Dunn Dispatch Oct. 3, 1974).
The Friendship Free Will Baptist Church of Coats was to have Rev. Nathan Eason as guest evangelist according to Rev. Troy Daniel, pastor (Dunn Dispatch Oct. 11, 1974).
Max Matthews, Jr. was one of the 20 winners in the Harnett County 4-H Show (Dunn Dispatch Oct.11, 1974). Does anyone know in what divisions Max, Jr. won?
A December wedding was planned for Walter T. Weeks and Kathy Irene Turner. The bride-elect was the daughter of Mrs. Harry K. Turner and the late Mr. Turner. Walter was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter T. Weeks. The young couple attended Western Carolina University at Cullowhee (Dunn Dispatch Oct. 17, 1974). Walter and Kathy live in Coats and both have been involved in the Coats Museum.
Another very familiar name to Coats and surrounding area folks is Hedgepeth. Ellen was a familiar face at the Coats Medical Clinic and James and Ellen’s children were three of Coats School’s honor students. Danny now retired from CPL (Duke Energy); Angel, a pharmacist and Randy, a pediatrician, surely made their teachers and parents proud. In the Daily Record Oct. 21, 1974 edition, the news was printed that Randy Hedgepeth as one of the Harnett County’s nominees for the Morehead Scholarship. Randy had an extraordinary record in academics and in extracurricular activities.
In 1974, Harnett County had 32,950 eligible voters. Harnett County Democratic Chairman Ronald Coats urged all Democrats in the county to attend the Third Congressional District Rally in Goldsboro. In Coats, the Coats Seniors Citizens were fast becoming the most popular musical attraction in the area. The group had been featured on several TV shows. There were 35 members in the club. Mrs. Bell Williams, wife of Coats mail carrier Thomas Williams, served as musical director. The group had fashioned their musical instruments of homemade equipment ranging from an old fashion scrub board to a baby rattler (Daily Record Oct. 23, 1974). Thomas’s bass washtub is on display in the Kress and Nell Penny Williams Exhibit Hall at the museum and many visitors are tempted to play a tune on it.
One of the most beloved politicians of the Grove Townships, Carson Gregory, urged all his friends and supporters to vote for Democratic team. Likely the Carter and Dunn families were more interested in the new arrival at the home of Tony Wade and Cathy Carter Dunn. The proud grandparents of Tonya Lynn Dunn were Mr. and Mrs. Carson Carter and Mr. and Mrs. Wade Dunn of Benson (Daily Record Nov. 1, 1974).
Death had made the news again when it was published that Mrs. Inez Byrd Powell, 47, of Coats had died on Friday in Wake Memorial Hospital. Her services were at Oak Grove Baptist Church and Byrd Cemetery. Surviving here were a son, Wayne Powell, and a daughter Mrs. Stanley Brown. Her brothers were Victor Ray and Garner Byrd. Mrs. Odell Williams was her sister (Daily Record Nov. 4, 1974).
Question-Where is the Byrd Cemetery? I do know that Sanford Stewart, 91, a retired farmer and a WWI veteran of Coats, had died. He had three sons-Willis, Warren G. and Rudolph Stewart (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1974).
The November 6, 1974 edition of the Daily Record printed that the Democrats won. It was announced that Robert Morgan defeated W.E. Stevens; David Henderson defeated Overby, and Carson Gregory was top vote getter for the N.C. House.
There were 82 cadet teachers in Campbell College. Deborah J. Lee, Jennifer Elaine Dixon, Joan Lee Byrd and Sherry Jane West were from Harnett County (Daily Record Nov. 13, 1974).
Rev. Ronald Lawrence and Rev. R.O. Byrd conducted funeral services for Moses Poole, 73, of Route 1, Coats. Burial was in the Williams Cemetery. Poole was a retired farmer and was the son of the late Joel Henry Poole and Fannie Alice Sawyer Poole. Surviving were his widow, Mrs. Vada Gregory Poole; a son, Walter E. Poole, and three daughters-Mrs. Ruby Williams, Mrs. BeBa Barbour and Mrs. China Williams. Mrs. Pearlie Tart was his sister (Daily Record Nov. 25, 1974).
The volunteers clip and file the obituaries from the Daily Record. Just a few weeks ago I filed the obituaries of Mrs. China Poole Williams. Mr. Poole’s sister, Pearlie Tart, lived to be in nineties and had a remarkable memory. She was an avid reader of the Daily Record and would always come up to me in the IGA and share additional information about items in the “Coats Museum News.” Wonder if the two other daughters and son of Mr. Poole are living.
A third retired farmer from the Coats area died in November. William Dennis Matthews, 63, left a widow, Mrs. Amy Matthews, a son, Emanuel Matthews, and four sisters –Mrs. Florence Ryals, Mrs. Effie Bass, Mrs. Gertrude Jacobs, and Mrs. Susanna Cox. James and Leander Matthews were his brothers. His services were at Cutts Chapel (Daily Record Nov. 25, 1974). Many of our readers will recognize the name Emanuel Matthews who was one of the outstanding graduates of Coats High School in 1974.
Death stayed around Coats and took the life of Benton Stone, 63, of Route 1, Coats. Surviving him were his widow, Mrs. Josephine Stone and two sons, W.C. and Keith Wayne Stone. His stepmother was Mrs. Lula Stone and a sister was Mrs. Gardner Benson (Daily Record Dec. 9, 1974). Was Keith Wayne Stone the young man who was able to graduate from Coats High without ever attending a class on campus?
The calendar is displaying the month of December and the letters were flowing into Santa Claus and those letters give us insight to what toys were popular in 1974. Kenneth Walden, Jasper Walden and Chasity Walden shared in their letter that they wanted a bike, a Big Wheel, and a Hobby Horse. Gina Keene desired a Barbie Townhouse and a Lassie dog. She also requested an Animated Mouse and Angora Kitty. David Jackson was only five years old but he wanted an Evil Kinevil, a tractor and trail bike (Daily Record Dec. 11, 1974). These kids did not seem to submit letters with extreme requests, did they?
I do know that the Coats Town Board of Commissioners adopted a vehicle registration ordinance that required cars and trucks kept in the town limits to be registered with the Coats tax collector. One dollar per vehicle entitled the owner to a town license plate. The board decided to study the cost of curb and gutter improvements on NC55. Commissioner Joe Tart was to investigate the possibility of purchasing a gasoline storage tank for the town. Mr. and Mrs. Benny Flowers announced the birth of a daughter in Wake Memorial Hospital. Shirley Ann Rutherford Flowers was the mother (Daily Record Dec. 13, 1974).
Drs. Donald and Anne Tucker Moore established a Memorial Trust Fund in memory of the late J.T. Moore (Daily Record Dec. 20, 1974).
Deborah Jo Lee and Jennifer Elaine Dixon of Coats received recognition at the graduation exercises on December 20th at Campbell College. Miss Lee graduated summa cum laude, a President’s List student and a member of the Epsilon Pi Eta honor society. Elaine graduated magna cum laude, member of NCAE, President’s List student and Epsilon Pi Eta member. Both were Elementary Education majors. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dixon were parents of the graduates (Daily Record Dec. 24, 1974).
Patsy and Stacy Avery recently freed their Sunday afternoon to volunteer at the museum and gave tours to some of their family as well as to some out of state visitors. Their daughter Terri and husband David Morris visited after holding church services in the community and granddaughter Rachell Langdon also paid a visit. Stacy does a remarkable job explaining the story of cotton in our Cotton Museum. While giving a tour, Stacy shared with his family and Perry Lewis and Mary Lee Hammond from Ohio the functions of the displayed antique farm items used to raise cotton in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s.