January 29, 2021 Coats Museum News
The year on the calendar continued to display 1986. It was the year when one could purchase a color television for $249.99 and a Tandy 600 portable computer for $1599.00. A trip to the grocery store was the place to buy a jar of Skippy peanut butter for $1.49 and a 5 pound bag of potatoes for $1.00. It was the year that one could own a Ford Mustang for $9,452 and rent a house monthly for $385.00 (www.thepeoplehistory .com 1986).
Wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ennis drove to the Daily Record to announce the engagement of their daughter, Margaret Renee Ennis, to Danny Glover, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie Glover. I do know that according to the above website, they would have paid 89 cents a gallon for gas. Ronald was a graduate of Coats High School.
Another Coats graduate made the August 10, 1986 Daily Record edition. Sandra Howard, a first grade teacher at Coats, was elected president of the Harnett County Association of Educators.( How many of you had your lives touched by Sandra Howard?)
Another Coats individual who was loved by so many was Earl Denning. Most of you can hear his voice and laughter as we read his name. We can see him driving his little pickup around Coats with his little battery operated Christmas decoration glowing. But in 1986, he made the news for the more serious side of Earl Denning. He had been appointed as chairman of the “Wheels for Life” Bike-A-Thon. The benefits of the ride would go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Daily Record Aug. 19, 1986).
The Coats community was shocked to hear about the death of one of Earl’s classmates. Harry Roberts, 43, of Coats had died of a massive heart attack. Mr. Roberts was an area supervisor of the State Social Services Department. He was son of the former Coats US postmistress Ophelia Roberts and the late Haywood Roberts and was grandson of the late Dr. H.C. Roberts. Harry was survived by his mother, his wife-Alice Lou Jackson Roberts and two daughters-Alice Ann and Harriett. Mrs. Sharon Roberts Gustafson was his sister (Daily Record Aug. 22, 1986).
Question-did the Hoover Adams family have any connection to the Harry Roberts family? I do know that Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Wilson Allen announced the engagement of their daughter, Anita Lane Allen, to Harold Brent Bowden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bowden. The groom was a 1981 graduate of Coats High School. Elsewhere, Mrs. Lynn Coats, wife of Tommy Coats, had received a promotion to Assistant Vice President and Assistant Controller of First Federal of Raleigh (Daily Record Aug. 27, 1986).
A current update on Lynn Sutton Coats is that she is the mother of Mayor Chris Coats. She would also be one of the 29,000 professional women that outnumbered men in 1986.)
During the ”Days of Celebration” at Belk in Harnett Crossing Shopping Center in Dunn, Becky Adams had won a Miss Elaine gown and robe set. Helen B. Langdon, Rose Beasley and Melody Gardner were also winners. Do any of these ladies remember what prize they won?
I heard my dad speak of the Tripp family from near Dunn with much respect. The children, relatives and friends honored J. Arthur Tripp on his 89th birthday. Mr. Tripp’s children were Rachel T. Turlington, Elbert Tripp and Dwight Tripp. (Some additional information about Arthur’s children is that Rachel married H.A. Turlington, Jr. and Elbert married Brookie Langdon. Dwight Tripp is alive and I think he married a Dupree from the Angier area. H.L. and I occasionally have seen him at funeral s and recall how friendly he was to us which must have been a family trait for I remember as a young shopper at the old Belk site in downtown where I recall how friendly and interested Brookie was as she asked about my older sisters.)
Judson W. Parrish of Coats had died. His wife, Willie Byrd Parrish; a son, J. Keith Parrish, and two daughters survived him (Daily Record Sept. 1, 1986).
(Question-Were these two daughters of his wife’s first marriage? Joy and Donna Stallings’s father was killed in WWII and they were siblings to Keith. )
Eugene Stewart was in the news when he was honored with the “Award for Excellence” from Chrysler Motors, Detroit, Michigan. The award was for outstanding performance in the management of his dealership, Coats Motor Co. Inc (Daily Record Sept. 2, 1986). Do you miss this car dealership?
Here is another familiar Coats name and, I might add, is connected to the Tripp family also. Bethany (Langdon) Stevens, a teacher at Harnett Primary, was pictured with her new enrolling class as school began according to the September 2, 1986 edition of the Daily Record.
Mrs. Bessie B. Page was honored on her 82nd birthday. Mrs. Page was the bride of Mr. Percy Page, a former farmer and merchant of Coats. Percy and Bessie had been married over 50 years when he passed away. Mrs. Page was the mother of nine children. The celebration began with her youngest daughter-Becky Ennis-, grandchildren-Kimberly, Martin, and Pamela E. Graham and also her great-granddaughter Paige Graham all attending the Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church together (Daily Record Sept. 9, 1986).
Who knows where Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church is located? This little church has an interesting origin which can be read about in the Heritage of Coats, NC. Vol.2. Mrs. Reba Byrd, aunt of the late Joe Tart, was a storehouse of information, and shared with Lynda Butler the history of that little church on Abattoir Road near Coats.
The museum volunteers wish to thank two couples this week for their continued generosity to the Coats Museum. Ralph and Lorena Denning memorialized Peggy Senter while Randy and Rhonda Denning Stephenson remembered Clara Barbour by giving to the Coats Museum memorials. Once again, thanks for being a “giver.”
How blessed the museum volunteers feel that we were able to talk with so many of our knowledgeable older citizens before they died and were able to share their stories of remembering the Coats area. Hence, you are encouraged to talk to older family members and neighbors and preserve their stories for your children. It is too late after death visits.
The year on the calendar continued to display 1986. It was the year when one could purchase a color television for $249.99 and a Tandy 600 portable computer for $1599.00. A trip to the grocery store was the place to buy a jar of Skippy peanut butter for $1.49 and a 5 pound bag of potatoes for $1.00. It was the year that one could own a Ford Mustang for $9,452 and rent a house monthly for $385.00 (www.thepeoplehistory .com 1986).
Wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ennis drove to the Daily Record to announce the engagement of their daughter, Margaret Renee Ennis, to Danny Glover, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie Glover. I do know that according to the above website, they would have paid 89 cents a gallon for gas. Ronald was a graduate of Coats High School.
Another Coats graduate made the August 10, 1986 Daily Record edition. Sandra Howard, a first grade teacher at Coats, was elected president of the Harnett County Association of Educators.( How many of you had your lives touched by Sandra Howard?)
Another Coats individual who was loved by so many was Earl Denning. Most of you can hear his voice and laughter as we read his name. We can see him driving his little pickup around Coats with his little battery operated Christmas decoration glowing. But in 1986, he made the news for the more serious side of Earl Denning. He had been appointed as chairman of the “Wheels for Life” Bike-A-Thon. The benefits of the ride would go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Daily Record Aug. 19, 1986).
The Coats community was shocked to hear about the death of one of Earl’s classmates. Harry Roberts, 43, of Coats had died of a massive heart attack. Mr. Roberts was an area supervisor of the State Social Services Department. He was son of the former Coats US postmistress Ophelia Roberts and the late Haywood Roberts and was grandson of the late Dr. H.C. Roberts. Harry was survived by his mother, his wife-Alice Lou Jackson Roberts and two daughters-Alice Ann and Harriett. Mrs. Sharon Roberts Gustafson was his sister (Daily Record Aug. 22, 1986).
Question-did the Hoover Adams family have any connection to the Harry Roberts family? I do know that Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Wilson Allen announced the engagement of their daughter, Anita Lane Allen, to Harold Brent Bowden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bowden. The groom was a 1981 graduate of Coats High School. Elsewhere, Mrs. Lynn Coats, wife of Tommy Coats, had received a promotion to Assistant Vice President and Assistant Controller of First Federal of Raleigh (Daily Record Aug. 27, 1986).
A current update on Lynn Sutton Coats is that she is the mother of Mayor Chris Coats. She would also be one of the 29,000 professional women that outnumbered men in 1986.)
During the ”Days of Celebration” at Belk in Harnett Crossing Shopping Center in Dunn, Becky Adams had won a Miss Elaine gown and robe set. Helen B. Langdon, Rose Beasley and Melody Gardner were also winners. Do any of these ladies remember what prize they won?
I heard my dad speak of the Tripp family from near Dunn with much respect. The children, relatives and friends honored J. Arthur Tripp on his 89th birthday. Mr. Tripp’s children were Rachel T. Turlington, Elbert Tripp and Dwight Tripp. (Some additional information about Arthur’s children is that Rachel married H.A. Turlington, Jr. and Elbert married Brookie Langdon. Dwight Tripp is alive and I think he married a Dupree from the Angier area. H.L. and I occasionally have seen him at funeral s and recall how friendly he was to us which must have been a family trait for I remember as a young shopper at the old Belk site in downtown where I recall how friendly and interested Brookie was as she asked about my older sisters.)
Judson W. Parrish of Coats had died. His wife, Willie Byrd Parrish; a son, J. Keith Parrish, and two daughters survived him (Daily Record Sept. 1, 1986).
(Question-Were these two daughters of his wife’s first marriage? Joy and Donna Stallings’s father was killed in WWII and they were siblings to Keith. )
Eugene Stewart was in the news when he was honored with the “Award for Excellence” from Chrysler Motors, Detroit, Michigan. The award was for outstanding performance in the management of his dealership, Coats Motor Co. Inc (Daily Record Sept. 2, 1986). Do you miss this car dealership?
Here is another familiar Coats name and, I might add, is connected to the Tripp family also. Bethany (Langdon) Stevens, a teacher at Harnett Primary, was pictured with her new enrolling class as school began according to the September 2, 1986 edition of the Daily Record.
Mrs. Bessie B. Page was honored on her 82nd birthday. Mrs. Page was the bride of Mr. Percy Page, a former farmer and merchant of Coats. Percy and Bessie had been married over 50 years when he passed away. Mrs. Page was the mother of nine children. The celebration began with her youngest daughter-Becky Ennis-, grandchildren-Kimberly, Martin, and Pamela E. Graham and also her great-granddaughter Paige Graham all attending the Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church together (Daily Record Sept. 9, 1986).
Who knows where Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church is located? This little church has an interesting origin which can be read about in the Heritage of Coats, NC. Vol.2. Mrs. Reba Byrd, aunt of the late Joe Tart, was a storehouse of information, and shared with Lynda Butler the history of that little church on Abattoir Road near Coats.
The museum volunteers wish to thank two couples this week for their continued generosity to the Coats Museum. Ralph and Lorena Denning memorialized Peggy Senter while Randy and Rhonda Denning Stephenson remembered Clara Barbour by giving to the Coats Museum memorials. Once again, thanks for being a “giver.”
How blessed the museum volunteers feel that we were able to talk with so many of our knowledgeable older citizens before they died and were able to share their stories of remembering the Coats area. Hence, you are encouraged to talk to older family members and neighbors and preserve their stories for your children. It is too late after death visits.