January 26, 2024 Coats Museum News
When you hear the word flower, which flower do you think of- a rose, carnation, or maybe an orchid? Where do you think of seeing pretty flowers-a wedding, funeral or maybe a fancy gathering?
Can you recall when it was not uncommon for a deceased person to have dozens and dozens of floral tributes given for display at the funeral home, church or cemetery? In fact, in earlier years, when the obituary was posted in the paper, the large number of floral tributes was mentioned of how the deceased was held in high esteem.
When pilot Alton Stewart was buried in the Coats Cemetery, did some of his pilot buddies fly over the grave service and drop flowers from their planes? This I do know. “Flowers by Jean” had opened her shop in the old ABC store on McKinley Street on Highway 55. Do any of you recall when she later moved over to the old Luke Barefoot building and opened a shop?
Wonder if many people ordered flowers from Jean when Mrs. Thelma Mason died. She was mother to Connie and Curtis Mason and Carol Mason Holmes. Thelma was sister to Rupert Parrish.
Recall that week that I wrote that Jesse Johnson was to preach his initial sermon. Belle in her “Notes” shared that Jesse had preached to an overflowing crowd in the church where his sermon titles were “Thank God I’m on My Way Home” and “It’s Getting Late in the Evening and the Sun is Going Down”.
Belle also wrote that Mr. and Mrs. James Grimes, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Abate and Mr. and Mrs. Herley Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Pope, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Tart had celebrated anniversaries (Daily Record Jan. 27, 1994).
Wonder how many Coats folks have been inventors? Let’s see if we can think of a few. Willis Pope invented a couple of tobacco barn curing inventions. Did not M.P. Lee also invent a device for transplanting tobacco plants? Didn’t Albert and W.H. Gregory invent the Soda-Flo? I’m sure there are many more.
But- the one who made news in 1994 was Jerry Tyndall who invented a metal detector. Jerry was a former ITT electronics engineer who had worked on this new product development for ten years. He left ITT and started his own business-Tyndall’s Electronics. He developed the Nautilus Metal Detector at his business on 115 Main Street in Coats. He had four full-time employees-Terri Tart, Don Whittington, Trent Allen and Earnie Taylor. Jerry’s wife, the former Dottie Bowden, was a co-worker and co-owner of the business (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1994).
A Harnett County farmer was to take over as president of the N.C. Tobacco Association and an agriculture agent from the area was to receive one of the top awards at the annual meeting at the State Fairgrounds in conjunction with the Southern Farm Show. Keith Parrish, a tobacco farmer, would move up from his position as first vice- president to become president of the tobacco growers group. Jeff Turlington of Coats was on the nominating committee that selected Bobby Bowers as the top “Young Ag-Agent” of the year by the Tobacco Association (Daily Record Feb. 3, 1994).
Belle’s February 3, 1994 “Notes” were filled with Coats news. She shared that Paul Bryant, a Dunn attorney, told the Coats Senior Center folks about the Civil War with is collected weaponry, memorabilia from that era. She wrote that Morning Sky from Campbell University sang to a capacity crowd at the Coats Baptist Church.
Belle also wrote that Flowers by Jean had had a fantastic first week. Owner Jean Bryant reported that everything went well and she and co-workers-Susie Popplewell and Charles Pulliam, instructors from CCCC, were working well together.
Harold Jernigan and his wife Helen had flown to Naples, Italy. The Jernigans visited their daughter and son-in-law, Mike and Terri Shrieves and grandchildren-Kim and Cris Shrieves. Several in Coats had hospital visits-Linwood Jernigan and Fletcher Flowers. Teddy Byrd reported to Belle that the Coats Chamber of Commerce Banquet was to be on Feb. 3. He also told her that he would be in Germany in June for the annual training with the Army Reserve Unit of which he was a commander (Daily Record Feb. 3, 1994).
The Record headlines flashed that “Johnsons Take the Show in Coats”. Doug Johnson, Linda Jo Johnson, and Herbert Johnson were recognized as Farmer, Woman and Man of the Year at the Feb. 3rd CACC Banquet. Dudley Langdon was the recipient of the M.O. Phillips Award.
Linda Jo Johnson was presented the Woman of the Year Award by Frances Avery, the 1984 recipient, because the 1993 recipient Mrs. Florence Grimes was unable to attend. Linda Jo was a graduate of Coats High and Fayetteville State Community College. She was Customer Service Representative at the First Citizens Bank in Coats. She and her husband, C.J. Johnson, owned that operated the Coats Party Beverage for eight years but retired in 1993. Linda was very active in the chamber.
Herbert Johnson was named the 1994 Man of the Year and was presented the award by Nelson Currin, the 1993 Man of the Year. Mr. Johnson had operated a real estate business on Main Street for forty-four years. He was member and past trustee of the N.C. Board of Realtors. He worked to obtain water and sewer to Coats and also to keep NC 27 routed through Coats. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the First Citizens Bank and chairman of the fundraising in the area for the National Cancer Society for 39 years. He served on the Coats School Board and worked very hard to get funds for the Coats Community Building project after his family moved from the farm to Coats in 1947. Herbert was very active in all roles at his Ebenezer Presbyterian Church.
Doug Johnson was named the 1994 Farmer of the Year and was presented the award by Sandy Langdon, the 1993 recipient. Mr. Johnson attended Coats High School and N.C. State University. He had farmed tobacco, cotton, cucumbers, and small grains for 30 years. He had worked with N.C. State on tobacco disease research for six years. Mr. Johnson served four terms on the Coats School Advisory Board was a member of the Farm Bureau and the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church.
Dudley Langdon was the recipient of the M.O. Phillips award. Dudley was a member of the CACC and had given extra effort on behalf of the chamber. Mayor Tim McKinnie welcomed the group and noted the diverse types of businesses in Coats citing the Coats Motor Company as being one of the oldest car dealerships in N.C. and Applied Computers Technologies as being one of the newest high tech service businesses.
C.J. Johnson served as master of ceremonies and Darrell Smith passed the gavel to the new chamber president Teddy Byrd. Other awards went to Rebeth Mitchell and Stephanie Salmon who received Governor’s Volunteer Awards. Delores Royals was recognized as the Educator of the Year recipient from Coats School. The Coats Fire and Rescue was recognized for their hard work. Chief Keith McLeod accepted the certificate on their behalf (Daily Record Feb. 4, 1994).
A very special thank you goes to Sherry Byrd Royals for her four honorariums for teachers whom she admired and appreciated- Norfleet Gardner, Marie Salmon and Gayle Sorrell and a memorial for H.L. Sorrell. My cousin Mary Ellen Johnson Lauder just celebrated her birthday and it with love that I honor her at the museum with an honorarium.
When you hear the word flower, which flower do you think of- a rose, carnation, or maybe an orchid? Where do you think of seeing pretty flowers-a wedding, funeral or maybe a fancy gathering?
Can you recall when it was not uncommon for a deceased person to have dozens and dozens of floral tributes given for display at the funeral home, church or cemetery? In fact, in earlier years, when the obituary was posted in the paper, the large number of floral tributes was mentioned of how the deceased was held in high esteem.
When pilot Alton Stewart was buried in the Coats Cemetery, did some of his pilot buddies fly over the grave service and drop flowers from their planes? This I do know. “Flowers by Jean” had opened her shop in the old ABC store on McKinley Street on Highway 55. Do any of you recall when she later moved over to the old Luke Barefoot building and opened a shop?
Wonder if many people ordered flowers from Jean when Mrs. Thelma Mason died. She was mother to Connie and Curtis Mason and Carol Mason Holmes. Thelma was sister to Rupert Parrish.
Recall that week that I wrote that Jesse Johnson was to preach his initial sermon. Belle in her “Notes” shared that Jesse had preached to an overflowing crowd in the church where his sermon titles were “Thank God I’m on My Way Home” and “It’s Getting Late in the Evening and the Sun is Going Down”.
Belle also wrote that Mr. and Mrs. James Grimes, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Abate and Mr. and Mrs. Herley Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Pope, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Tart had celebrated anniversaries (Daily Record Jan. 27, 1994).
Wonder how many Coats folks have been inventors? Let’s see if we can think of a few. Willis Pope invented a couple of tobacco barn curing inventions. Did not M.P. Lee also invent a device for transplanting tobacco plants? Didn’t Albert and W.H. Gregory invent the Soda-Flo? I’m sure there are many more.
But- the one who made news in 1994 was Jerry Tyndall who invented a metal detector. Jerry was a former ITT electronics engineer who had worked on this new product development for ten years. He left ITT and started his own business-Tyndall’s Electronics. He developed the Nautilus Metal Detector at his business on 115 Main Street in Coats. He had four full-time employees-Terri Tart, Don Whittington, Trent Allen and Earnie Taylor. Jerry’s wife, the former Dottie Bowden, was a co-worker and co-owner of the business (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1994).
A Harnett County farmer was to take over as president of the N.C. Tobacco Association and an agriculture agent from the area was to receive one of the top awards at the annual meeting at the State Fairgrounds in conjunction with the Southern Farm Show. Keith Parrish, a tobacco farmer, would move up from his position as first vice- president to become president of the tobacco growers group. Jeff Turlington of Coats was on the nominating committee that selected Bobby Bowers as the top “Young Ag-Agent” of the year by the Tobacco Association (Daily Record Feb. 3, 1994).
Belle’s February 3, 1994 “Notes” were filled with Coats news. She shared that Paul Bryant, a Dunn attorney, told the Coats Senior Center folks about the Civil War with is collected weaponry, memorabilia from that era. She wrote that Morning Sky from Campbell University sang to a capacity crowd at the Coats Baptist Church.
Belle also wrote that Flowers by Jean had had a fantastic first week. Owner Jean Bryant reported that everything went well and she and co-workers-Susie Popplewell and Charles Pulliam, instructors from CCCC, were working well together.
Harold Jernigan and his wife Helen had flown to Naples, Italy. The Jernigans visited their daughter and son-in-law, Mike and Terri Shrieves and grandchildren-Kim and Cris Shrieves. Several in Coats had hospital visits-Linwood Jernigan and Fletcher Flowers. Teddy Byrd reported to Belle that the Coats Chamber of Commerce Banquet was to be on Feb. 3. He also told her that he would be in Germany in June for the annual training with the Army Reserve Unit of which he was a commander (Daily Record Feb. 3, 1994).
The Record headlines flashed that “Johnsons Take the Show in Coats”. Doug Johnson, Linda Jo Johnson, and Herbert Johnson were recognized as Farmer, Woman and Man of the Year at the Feb. 3rd CACC Banquet. Dudley Langdon was the recipient of the M.O. Phillips Award.
Linda Jo Johnson was presented the Woman of the Year Award by Frances Avery, the 1984 recipient, because the 1993 recipient Mrs. Florence Grimes was unable to attend. Linda Jo was a graduate of Coats High and Fayetteville State Community College. She was Customer Service Representative at the First Citizens Bank in Coats. She and her husband, C.J. Johnson, owned that operated the Coats Party Beverage for eight years but retired in 1993. Linda was very active in the chamber.
Herbert Johnson was named the 1994 Man of the Year and was presented the award by Nelson Currin, the 1993 Man of the Year. Mr. Johnson had operated a real estate business on Main Street for forty-four years. He was member and past trustee of the N.C. Board of Realtors. He worked to obtain water and sewer to Coats and also to keep NC 27 routed through Coats. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the First Citizens Bank and chairman of the fundraising in the area for the National Cancer Society for 39 years. He served on the Coats School Board and worked very hard to get funds for the Coats Community Building project after his family moved from the farm to Coats in 1947. Herbert was very active in all roles at his Ebenezer Presbyterian Church.
Doug Johnson was named the 1994 Farmer of the Year and was presented the award by Sandy Langdon, the 1993 recipient. Mr. Johnson attended Coats High School and N.C. State University. He had farmed tobacco, cotton, cucumbers, and small grains for 30 years. He had worked with N.C. State on tobacco disease research for six years. Mr. Johnson served four terms on the Coats School Advisory Board was a member of the Farm Bureau and the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church.
Dudley Langdon was the recipient of the M.O. Phillips award. Dudley was a member of the CACC and had given extra effort on behalf of the chamber. Mayor Tim McKinnie welcomed the group and noted the diverse types of businesses in Coats citing the Coats Motor Company as being one of the oldest car dealerships in N.C. and Applied Computers Technologies as being one of the newest high tech service businesses.
C.J. Johnson served as master of ceremonies and Darrell Smith passed the gavel to the new chamber president Teddy Byrd. Other awards went to Rebeth Mitchell and Stephanie Salmon who received Governor’s Volunteer Awards. Delores Royals was recognized as the Educator of the Year recipient from Coats School. The Coats Fire and Rescue was recognized for their hard work. Chief Keith McLeod accepted the certificate on their behalf (Daily Record Feb. 4, 1994).
A very special thank you goes to Sherry Byrd Royals for her four honorariums for teachers whom she admired and appreciated- Norfleet Gardner, Marie Salmon and Gayle Sorrell and a memorial for H.L. Sorrell. My cousin Mary Ellen Johnson Lauder just celebrated her birthday and it with love that I honor her at the museum with an honorarium.