February 9, 2024 Coats Museum News
How many of you read the billboards as you ride down the highways? Can you imagine riding down NC Highway 55 between Coats and Erwin and reading that Wendy Ennis loves Jason Walker? Apparently Wendy really wanted everyone to know of her love for Jason because she had the Lucas Sign Company make the billboard to share her message to the world or the folks who travel Highway 55 anyway (Daily Record Feb. 15, 1994). Note the date on the Daily Record—it was the Valentine season. Wonder if Wendy also gave Jason a valentine card and a box of candy and vice versa.
This I do know. Max Matthews, who is well known for his New Year’s cookout events at his house, was running for the sheriff of Harnett County. Max was a Harnett County native and said that getting the neighborhood involved would be his top priority if he were elected sheriff of the county. He filed as a Democratic candidate for Harnett Sheriff.
Max was a member of the sheriff’s department but felt new insight, energy, and leadership were needed to provide better protection and service to the citizens. The prominent farmer had seven years experience and was serving as the supervisor for DARE (drug awareness and resistance education) program and liaison officers in the public schools.
Max had been married for 36 years to Dorothy Matthews and they are parents of Max, Jr. and Anita Matthews. Max, Jr. was employed as a Criminal Justice Instructor with the N.C. Division of Prisons. Anita was a special agent with the SBI.
The Matthews family had years invested in the community and the Prospect Freewill Baptist Church. Max was a past Patron of the Eastern Star. He served with the various youth groups such as Cub Scouts and 4-H. Can you understand why a large group of family and supporters were with him when he filed for the office (Daily Record Feb. 16, 1994)?
Daisy Girl Scouts from Dunn Troop 370 and Lillington Troop 584 met at the Coats Baptist Church for a “Teddy Bear Tea”. Crystal Miller, Angela McCall, Misty Daniel, LaRae Stewart, Jennifer Robinson, and Terry Bennett worked with the girls while Lynda Butler was an adult participant (Daily Record Feb. 16, 1994).
Congratulations were extended to several Coats folks. Kris Williams continued to be a star gymnast. Ruth Parrish had her poem, “Moments of Dawn”, published in the Coming of Dawn, a compilation by the National Library of Poetry. Linda Turlington was selected the Harnett County Principal of the Year. The Lafayette School principal was a member of the Coats Baptist Church Choir. She was mother of Amanda Turlington.
While some folks were celebrating, others in Coats area were mourning the loss of loved ones. John and Wade Stephenson had lost their brother Julian Stephenson. Betty Moore Johnson and David Moore had lost their sister Rena C. Matthews.
It was party time for little Whitney Leigh Johnson, daughter of Clark and Kathy Johnson. Her party was held at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with a “Muppet Babies” party theme (Daily Record Feb. 17, 1994).
Are there any readers who can recall that there was a time when the skies over the Coats area had planes flying over the area almost hourly. Many of them were military planes while others sounded to be small single engine planes. It was not uncommon to have helicopters buzzing the sky also. At certain hours of the day, one could almost tell the time a commercial flight from Raleigh Durham Airport was headed south. It was hard not to look in awe as the jets marked the sky with their trail of emissions.
I can remember as a younger me and my sisters would wave to the low flying military planes thinking that whoever was in those planes was waving back to us as we chopped the tobacco or cotton in the fields below them.
The headlines in the Daily Record read, “Harnett Airport Top in Its Class, New Manager Starts Next Week, and Members Honored.” The Harnett County Airport, located between Erwin and Erwin, had as its Chairman of the Airport Commission, Eugene Stewart of Coats. The airport is one of the most used airports without a tower. The airport handled about 5800 operations in 1993. (Operations meant take offs and landings).
Ron Ginn was to be the new manager and was to be assisted by his son Joe Ginn. Eugene Stewart reminded the audience that Food Lion, Swift Textiles, and Campbell University used the airport. The State Bureau of Investigation stored its airplanes in the hangers. Pope Field at Fort Bragg used the airport to train airplane and helicopter pilots in night operations. The National Guard also used the airport.
The airport had two large hangars that hold 5 to 10 planes each and six taxi through hangers. It had tie down room for 40 planes outside the hangers. A total of 29 planes were stored there by owners of the planes. The long range goal of the airport committee was to increase the runways from 3700 feet to 5000 feet. The new length would allow larger planes and some jets to land. The airport had proven to be an asset to the county since it was established through the efforts of Robert Morgan when he was our U.S. Senator for Harnett (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1994).
Valentine was a few days past but the local florists were still talking about the volume of roses and carnations that went out of their businesses. Carolyn Moore of the Coats Flower Shop reported that they sold over 2000. Flowers by Jean and Denning’s Flowers also reported brisk sales. The Coats Pharmacy staff was extremely busy selling big boxes of chocolates.
Belle extended sympathy to the families of Lela Sparks, Ruthie Mae Hayes and Clyde Andrews. The Notes also recorded that Brandon Turlington and John Horne took advantage of the beautiful weather and participated in the motorcross race at Dublin. Brandon took first place in the 125 race and John won second in the same competition. Effie and Graham Turlington enjoyed the race as they watched their grandson come in first (Daily Record Feb. 24, 1994).
The volunteers were delighted to hear from Jerry Gardner from S.C. but formerly from Ebenezer Church Road. The Coats High and East Carolina University graduate has done well for himself. He is nephew of Mike Tocci from Sparks, NV whose many items are on loan at the museum such as the nightgown and wedding dress made from Mike’s dad reserve parachute. He also gifted small models of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington and the jet flown by Buck Cunningham over Vietnam.
Jerry and his wife Della came through Coats last week and had a long visit with Becky Adams who was doing book work for the museum. Jerry and Della were staying with high school friends Bruce and Debbie Barefoot for a few days so Jerry and Della could take care of some family business of his late mom, Margaret Johnson, and could also travel to Raleigh to visit Della’s ailing sister.
Jerry, a pancreatic cancer survivor, is an inspiration to those of us who fight cancer. He never fails to share that he had so much support from the Coats community while he was being raised by his single mother and grandmother and the advice and support given to him that helped mold him into a very successful businessman in dam and bridge construction throughout the U.S.
How many of you read the billboards as you ride down the highways? Can you imagine riding down NC Highway 55 between Coats and Erwin and reading that Wendy Ennis loves Jason Walker? Apparently Wendy really wanted everyone to know of her love for Jason because she had the Lucas Sign Company make the billboard to share her message to the world or the folks who travel Highway 55 anyway (Daily Record Feb. 15, 1994). Note the date on the Daily Record—it was the Valentine season. Wonder if Wendy also gave Jason a valentine card and a box of candy and vice versa.
This I do know. Max Matthews, who is well known for his New Year’s cookout events at his house, was running for the sheriff of Harnett County. Max was a Harnett County native and said that getting the neighborhood involved would be his top priority if he were elected sheriff of the county. He filed as a Democratic candidate for Harnett Sheriff.
Max was a member of the sheriff’s department but felt new insight, energy, and leadership were needed to provide better protection and service to the citizens. The prominent farmer had seven years experience and was serving as the supervisor for DARE (drug awareness and resistance education) program and liaison officers in the public schools.
Max had been married for 36 years to Dorothy Matthews and they are parents of Max, Jr. and Anita Matthews. Max, Jr. was employed as a Criminal Justice Instructor with the N.C. Division of Prisons. Anita was a special agent with the SBI.
The Matthews family had years invested in the community and the Prospect Freewill Baptist Church. Max was a past Patron of the Eastern Star. He served with the various youth groups such as Cub Scouts and 4-H. Can you understand why a large group of family and supporters were with him when he filed for the office (Daily Record Feb. 16, 1994)?
Daisy Girl Scouts from Dunn Troop 370 and Lillington Troop 584 met at the Coats Baptist Church for a “Teddy Bear Tea”. Crystal Miller, Angela McCall, Misty Daniel, LaRae Stewart, Jennifer Robinson, and Terry Bennett worked with the girls while Lynda Butler was an adult participant (Daily Record Feb. 16, 1994).
Congratulations were extended to several Coats folks. Kris Williams continued to be a star gymnast. Ruth Parrish had her poem, “Moments of Dawn”, published in the Coming of Dawn, a compilation by the National Library of Poetry. Linda Turlington was selected the Harnett County Principal of the Year. The Lafayette School principal was a member of the Coats Baptist Church Choir. She was mother of Amanda Turlington.
While some folks were celebrating, others in Coats area were mourning the loss of loved ones. John and Wade Stephenson had lost their brother Julian Stephenson. Betty Moore Johnson and David Moore had lost their sister Rena C. Matthews.
It was party time for little Whitney Leigh Johnson, daughter of Clark and Kathy Johnson. Her party was held at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with a “Muppet Babies” party theme (Daily Record Feb. 17, 1994).
Are there any readers who can recall that there was a time when the skies over the Coats area had planes flying over the area almost hourly. Many of them were military planes while others sounded to be small single engine planes. It was not uncommon to have helicopters buzzing the sky also. At certain hours of the day, one could almost tell the time a commercial flight from Raleigh Durham Airport was headed south. It was hard not to look in awe as the jets marked the sky with their trail of emissions.
I can remember as a younger me and my sisters would wave to the low flying military planes thinking that whoever was in those planes was waving back to us as we chopped the tobacco or cotton in the fields below them.
The headlines in the Daily Record read, “Harnett Airport Top in Its Class, New Manager Starts Next Week, and Members Honored.” The Harnett County Airport, located between Erwin and Erwin, had as its Chairman of the Airport Commission, Eugene Stewart of Coats. The airport is one of the most used airports without a tower. The airport handled about 5800 operations in 1993. (Operations meant take offs and landings).
Ron Ginn was to be the new manager and was to be assisted by his son Joe Ginn. Eugene Stewart reminded the audience that Food Lion, Swift Textiles, and Campbell University used the airport. The State Bureau of Investigation stored its airplanes in the hangers. Pope Field at Fort Bragg used the airport to train airplane and helicopter pilots in night operations. The National Guard also used the airport.
The airport had two large hangars that hold 5 to 10 planes each and six taxi through hangers. It had tie down room for 40 planes outside the hangers. A total of 29 planes were stored there by owners of the planes. The long range goal of the airport committee was to increase the runways from 3700 feet to 5000 feet. The new length would allow larger planes and some jets to land. The airport had proven to be an asset to the county since it was established through the efforts of Robert Morgan when he was our U.S. Senator for Harnett (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1994).
Valentine was a few days past but the local florists were still talking about the volume of roses and carnations that went out of their businesses. Carolyn Moore of the Coats Flower Shop reported that they sold over 2000. Flowers by Jean and Denning’s Flowers also reported brisk sales. The Coats Pharmacy staff was extremely busy selling big boxes of chocolates.
Belle extended sympathy to the families of Lela Sparks, Ruthie Mae Hayes and Clyde Andrews. The Notes also recorded that Brandon Turlington and John Horne took advantage of the beautiful weather and participated in the motorcross race at Dublin. Brandon took first place in the 125 race and John won second in the same competition. Effie and Graham Turlington enjoyed the race as they watched their grandson come in first (Daily Record Feb. 24, 1994).
The volunteers were delighted to hear from Jerry Gardner from S.C. but formerly from Ebenezer Church Road. The Coats High and East Carolina University graduate has done well for himself. He is nephew of Mike Tocci from Sparks, NV whose many items are on loan at the museum such as the nightgown and wedding dress made from Mike’s dad reserve parachute. He also gifted small models of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington and the jet flown by Buck Cunningham over Vietnam.
Jerry and his wife Della came through Coats last week and had a long visit with Becky Adams who was doing book work for the museum. Jerry and Della were staying with high school friends Bruce and Debbie Barefoot for a few days so Jerry and Della could take care of some family business of his late mom, Margaret Johnson, and could also travel to Raleigh to visit Della’s ailing sister.
Jerry, a pancreatic cancer survivor, is an inspiration to those of us who fight cancer. He never fails to share that he had so much support from the Coats community while he was being raised by his single mother and grandmother and the advice and support given to him that helped mold him into a very successful businessman in dam and bridge construction throughout the U.S.