January 10, 2025 Coats Museum News
The date on the Daily Record showed that it was March 15, 1995. The issue shared that Evie Norris Stephenson had died at the GHH in Erwin on Saturday. The Coats lady was the daughter of the late Seth and Lula Johnson Norris. She was survived by her husband, Clarence G. Stephenson, and children-Dorothy M. Buchannon, Ruth Jesse and Sherrill Stephenson.
While death had taken the loved one of the Stephenson family, various other families were dealing with it and other concerning issues. Lib Johnson was injured in a fall. Dawn Denning lost her grandfather to death. Trudy Smith had lost a loved one and Lentis and Inez Poole were at the bedside of their son Jerry Poole who had a heart transplant in the NC Memorial Hospital. Harry Wheeler had an ill son in Maryland (Daily Record Mar. 16, 1995).
It seemed that death had made a stay over in the Coats area. Hollie Davis Dennis, 76, of Coats, had died at her home on Tuesday. Services were at the Cape Fear “A” Conference Headquarters Building in the Riverside Community of Erwin. Elder Odell Jones officiated. Burial was in the Resthaven Cemetery in Dunn. Surviving her were two daughters-Gloria Harrington and Helen Cox and a sister-Zola Williams (Daily Record Mar. 23, 1995).
The passage of time has taken most of the folks who remember a gentleman named Mayton C. Upchurch, Sr., 97- year-old Coats citizen. The Coats citizen had received an award for 50 years of service to the Benson American Legion. Jim Pollard presented the award for the group.
Questions: Did he operate a dry cleaners business in Coats; was he not one of the last living veterans of WW1, - and did he not have a lovely daughter named Janice Upchurch and did his wife operate a florist?
This I do know. Owen Wilbert Cobb, 80, of Coats had died on Wednesday at his home. He was the son of the late Leonard and Tabitha Gregory Cobb. He was a farmer and carpenter. Owen was the widower of Ione Hardee Cobb. Services were held at Rose and Graham Funeral Home Chapel in Benson. Rev. Joe Norris and Mr. Roger Sexton officiated. His survivors were Kathleen Sawyer, Josephine Blackman Rains, Bonnie Cannon, and Barbara Hardison. Vera Lee Weeks and Ruby Lee Parker were sisters and Earl D. Cobb was his brother (Daily Record Mar. 24, 1995).
Who remembers reading all about Debro Turlington, Stuart (Stewart) Turlington, and Carl Turlington in Coats Museum News columns from awhile back? These men are all direct descendants of the Willis Turlington family who purchased the Dushee Shaw property in 1839 on which the Coats Erwin Middle School is located in 2025.
Frank Turlington, son of Carl Turlington, was an 11-year veteran of the rodeo circuit. He taught aspiring cowboys to ride bulls. Frank stated that it was a rough sport. He recalled that his dad once put on rodeos so he said he “grew up in rodeo.” Frank also raised bulls and was known for raising some of the best bucking bulls in the professional rodeo and for being able to teach a bull to do everything except talk.
Brandon Norris, the first baseman for the Triton High School baseball team, was an outstanding player for the team. He had six hits in the last two games played by the team (Daily Record Mar. 27, 1995).
After five months and two elections, Dan Page was finally declared the winner of the NC 15th District Senate seat. The final results were 11,899 for Page and 8,847 for Elaine Marshall (Daily Record Mar. 25, 1995).
Other happenings were being shared with the Daily Record. LaRae McLamb spent a week as a page for the NC Senate after being sponsored by Sen. Fred Hobbs of Southern Pines. Andrew Malone had earned his junior black belt at the Fuquay Karate Club and had three gold medals in the preliminaries to the State AAU Tournament (Daily Record Mar. 30, 1995).
I am going to have to ask for forgiveness from some of our awesome donors to the museum. I usually try to stay a couple of weeks ahead in writing the column because of the effects of my cancer treatment each month so sometimes your generosity does not show up promptly but does do so on our Funding under coatsmusem.com website.
Special thanks go Tommy and Judy W. Ennis for sending checks for the CHS Class of 1960 for memorials for Rumel Taylor Brandt and Bobby Pope and to the Class of 1958 for remembering Frances Wood Garriss. You have read the name Baxter Ennis of Chesapeake, VA. many times in this column for his outstanding contributions to both his military and community service. This time, we thank him for his very generous annual donation to his hometown Coats Museum.
Since the Coats Museum was organized, you have seen the name Geraldine Honeycutt mentioned as a dedicated volunteer and a very faithful donor to our memorial list. The love she had shown is being remembered, and many others are now showing their love for her. Betsy S. Olive, South River Electric, Jutta Turlington, John and Susan Leggett, the Ralph Byrd Family, Craig and Denise Currin (who also memorialized Coma Lee and Nelson Currin and Joe Tart) have added their names to honor “Gerri” Honeycutt with memorials to the museum. The last donations of 2024 came from Juergen Schall for a memorial for Ann Beasley and an honorarium from Linda Cobb for a friend’s birthday. Thank you-the museum volunteers are overwhelmed with joy and appreciation for the support given to the museum.
The date on the Daily Record showed that it was March 15, 1995. The issue shared that Evie Norris Stephenson had died at the GHH in Erwin on Saturday. The Coats lady was the daughter of the late Seth and Lula Johnson Norris. She was survived by her husband, Clarence G. Stephenson, and children-Dorothy M. Buchannon, Ruth Jesse and Sherrill Stephenson.
While death had taken the loved one of the Stephenson family, various other families were dealing with it and other concerning issues. Lib Johnson was injured in a fall. Dawn Denning lost her grandfather to death. Trudy Smith had lost a loved one and Lentis and Inez Poole were at the bedside of their son Jerry Poole who had a heart transplant in the NC Memorial Hospital. Harry Wheeler had an ill son in Maryland (Daily Record Mar. 16, 1995).
It seemed that death had made a stay over in the Coats area. Hollie Davis Dennis, 76, of Coats, had died at her home on Tuesday. Services were at the Cape Fear “A” Conference Headquarters Building in the Riverside Community of Erwin. Elder Odell Jones officiated. Burial was in the Resthaven Cemetery in Dunn. Surviving her were two daughters-Gloria Harrington and Helen Cox and a sister-Zola Williams (Daily Record Mar. 23, 1995).
The passage of time has taken most of the folks who remember a gentleman named Mayton C. Upchurch, Sr., 97- year-old Coats citizen. The Coats citizen had received an award for 50 years of service to the Benson American Legion. Jim Pollard presented the award for the group.
Questions: Did he operate a dry cleaners business in Coats; was he not one of the last living veterans of WW1, - and did he not have a lovely daughter named Janice Upchurch and did his wife operate a florist?
This I do know. Owen Wilbert Cobb, 80, of Coats had died on Wednesday at his home. He was the son of the late Leonard and Tabitha Gregory Cobb. He was a farmer and carpenter. Owen was the widower of Ione Hardee Cobb. Services were held at Rose and Graham Funeral Home Chapel in Benson. Rev. Joe Norris and Mr. Roger Sexton officiated. His survivors were Kathleen Sawyer, Josephine Blackman Rains, Bonnie Cannon, and Barbara Hardison. Vera Lee Weeks and Ruby Lee Parker were sisters and Earl D. Cobb was his brother (Daily Record Mar. 24, 1995).
Who remembers reading all about Debro Turlington, Stuart (Stewart) Turlington, and Carl Turlington in Coats Museum News columns from awhile back? These men are all direct descendants of the Willis Turlington family who purchased the Dushee Shaw property in 1839 on which the Coats Erwin Middle School is located in 2025.
Frank Turlington, son of Carl Turlington, was an 11-year veteran of the rodeo circuit. He taught aspiring cowboys to ride bulls. Frank stated that it was a rough sport. He recalled that his dad once put on rodeos so he said he “grew up in rodeo.” Frank also raised bulls and was known for raising some of the best bucking bulls in the professional rodeo and for being able to teach a bull to do everything except talk.
Brandon Norris, the first baseman for the Triton High School baseball team, was an outstanding player for the team. He had six hits in the last two games played by the team (Daily Record Mar. 27, 1995).
After five months and two elections, Dan Page was finally declared the winner of the NC 15th District Senate seat. The final results were 11,899 for Page and 8,847 for Elaine Marshall (Daily Record Mar. 25, 1995).
Other happenings were being shared with the Daily Record. LaRae McLamb spent a week as a page for the NC Senate after being sponsored by Sen. Fred Hobbs of Southern Pines. Andrew Malone had earned his junior black belt at the Fuquay Karate Club and had three gold medals in the preliminaries to the State AAU Tournament (Daily Record Mar. 30, 1995).
I am going to have to ask for forgiveness from some of our awesome donors to the museum. I usually try to stay a couple of weeks ahead in writing the column because of the effects of my cancer treatment each month so sometimes your generosity does not show up promptly but does do so on our Funding under coatsmusem.com website.
Special thanks go Tommy and Judy W. Ennis for sending checks for the CHS Class of 1960 for memorials for Rumel Taylor Brandt and Bobby Pope and to the Class of 1958 for remembering Frances Wood Garriss. You have read the name Baxter Ennis of Chesapeake, VA. many times in this column for his outstanding contributions to both his military and community service. This time, we thank him for his very generous annual donation to his hometown Coats Museum.
Since the Coats Museum was organized, you have seen the name Geraldine Honeycutt mentioned as a dedicated volunteer and a very faithful donor to our memorial list. The love she had shown is being remembered, and many others are now showing their love for her. Betsy S. Olive, South River Electric, Jutta Turlington, John and Susan Leggett, the Ralph Byrd Family, Craig and Denise Currin (who also memorialized Coma Lee and Nelson Currin and Joe Tart) have added their names to honor “Gerri” Honeycutt with memorials to the museum. The last donations of 2024 came from Juergen Schall for a memorial for Ann Beasley and an honorarium from Linda Cobb for a friend’s birthday. Thank you-the museum volunteers are overwhelmed with joy and appreciation for the support given to the museum.