July 12, 2013 Coats Museum News
For several years the people in Coats had been asking for a gymnasium. That is not surprising since the teams had been playing on dirt courts for decades. The Coats gymnasium approved by the district office in Smithfield was to be one of the four schools annexed. The cost estimate was $16,575. The request was for the WPA funds (Harnett County News February 20, 1941). What did the paper mean by “annexed” and if Coats did get that gymnasium, where was it located on the Coats School campus?
The Apollo Entertainers presented classical music in the Coats School auditorium. The Sicilian tenor, Senor Giovanni Sperandeo, was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Elsie Sperandeo (Harnett County News March 6, 1941).
For voluntarily reducing cotton acreage, cotton farmers in N.C. could earn as much as 25 dollars in stamps to use in retail stores to buy cotton products. W.M. Keene was enticing customers to visit his market to purchase Palmolive soap-three bars for 20 cents; Octagon soap-3 for 25 cents; Octagon Powder-3 for 14 cents, and Octagon Cleanser- 2 for 9 cents (Harnett County News March 13, 1941). Wonder if Mr. Keene offered reduced prices on cotton products.
The Coats Page Book Club met at the home of Mrs. Stewart Turlington. Mrs. W.E. Nichols, Mrs. M. O. Phillips, Mrs. M.P Snipes, and Mrs. Exie Smith were officers. Over at Louisburg College, the college and faculty honored Earl Williams of Coats and 18 others with a birthday banquet. Wow! You say. Also, farm families had until April 30, 1941 to apply for material to make cotton mattresses and comforters (Harnett County News March 27, 1941).
In town, C.J. Turlington, W.R. Roycroft, T.O. Beasley, Clyde Grimes, Marvin Johnson, Carlos Dixon, and T.A Powell were hoping to win a seat on the Coats Town Board (Harnett County News April 29, 1941).
To protect America from aggressors, funds were raised by purchase of U.S. Defense Savings Bonds and Postal Savings Stamps and were sold at post offices. The news also reported that Zeb Stewart, political leader and 10 –year member of the Coats School Board, died on April 17, 1941. He was the son of the late James Elmond and Civil Ann Ennis Stewart. His second wife, the former Esther Turlington, survived him. Over in the Barclaysville area, the Coats Community Home Demonstration Club met on April 23. Mesdames O.S. Young, Everett Barnes and (?) Mitchell became new members. Mrs. L. W. Jones, a fascinating 70- year-old demonstrated her handmade slip. The next meeting was to be held at the home of Mrs. R.C. Collier (Harnett County News May 1, 1941).
The same issue of the paper reported that on April 1, 1941, there had been an Alumni Day at Coats School. The student council president was Celia Honeycutt. (Do you know who her family was?) The Toy Band played several selections. Other activities involved the newspaper with Helen Roycroft; the annual- Josie Lynn Hayes; the student council-Shirley Faye Hayes; glee club-Keith Wayne Stewart; boys athletics-Raeford Parrish; girls athletics-Berlene Langdon; agriculture-Carsie Denning; home economics-Mildred Johnson; commercial-Christine Stewart; band-P.C. Britt; shows-Zenobia Surles; defense-David Ennis; solo by Joyce Johnson; and a violin duet by Gloria Roycroft and Jerry Jerome (Harnett County News May 1, 1941).
It was May of 1941 and Coats School graduated its seniors. The names of the students who were on the list were Carsie K. Denning, Louisa Elliott, David Ennis, Ellen Ennis, Edna Flowers, Lucy Mae Franklin, Vada Gregory, Ethelyn Grimes, Josie Lynn Hayes, Celia Honeycutt, Marian Gray Johnson, Mildred Gold Johnson, Ann Delia Lamm, Lily Dean Lee, Cleo Miller, Cassie Moore, Joseph Neighbors, Alma Parrish, Raeford Parrish, Rupert Parrish, Louise Reardon, Helen White Roycroft, Grace Snipes, Sybil Sorrell, Pauline Stephenson, Christine Stewart, Graydon Stewart, Keith Wayne Stewart, Rayvaugh Stewart, Zenobia Surles, Addie Turlington, H.A. Turlington, Mary Lois Weaver, Edna Whittington, Lillian Wilburn, Curtis Williams, Dorothy Wood, and Frances Wood (Sorrell, “Together We Leave” 1985).
As the graduates said their final farewells to the school, wonder if they recalled that there had been 67 of them when they were freshmen in 1937. Did they recall that some of them had given a shower for Mr. and Mrs. M.O. Phillips who were newlyweds. Certainly some of them will remember raising money to purchase a much needed football and basketball. Did they remember that Meredith Nichols had won the scholarship medal in the freshmen and sophomore years. Did they recall that Ann Delia Lamm (Beasley), Jewel Ennis and Ellen Ennis came to Coats in their freshmen year?
There were only 46 strong in their junior year. In that year they elected Carsie Denning as president; Celia Honeycutt as vice-president, and Kirkland Ennis as secretary-treasurer. The number of classmates decreased to 40 as they entered the senior year. They chose Christine Stewart as president, Raeford Parrish as Vice-president, and Celia Honeycutt as secretary-treasurer. Did some of them have their husband or wife watch them graduate since there were ten seniors who were married during their high school days. They were Meredith Nichols, Ruth Seagroves, Iva Lee Wood, Jewel Ennis, Kirkland Ennis, Hermie Dorman, Johnnie Williams, J.D. Fish, Isabell Godwin, and Virginia Matthews.
Selected as Beta Club officers were Carsie Denning-president, Helen White Roycroft-vice president, Christine Stewart-secretary and Keith Wayne Stewart as treasurer. Miss Kate Black and Misss Ruth Summers were Beta sponsors. Josie Lynn Hayes was class valedictorian and Mildred Johnson earned salutatorian. Azaleen McLamb was Chief Marshal. Celia Honeycutt was president of the Student Council. Carsie Denning was president of the FFA with Keith Wayne Stewart-vice president, Lamas Denning-secretary, David Ennis-treasurer and Grayden Stewart –reporter. M. O. Phillips had served as FFA advisor (Panorama 1941).
Mayor J.B. Williams, although he had expressed a desire to retire as mayor, again won that position by a 118 to 65 vote. The four commissioners elected were C.J. Turlington, W.R. Roycroft, T.O Beasley and Clyde Grimes (Harnett County News May 8, 1941).
Read next week to see if school kids were collecting aluminum from pots and pans to be used in airplane construction before or after the US entered WWII.
The volunteers really enjoyed the young children from Victory Camp. They were so well-mannered and attentive. Several members and their mates from the Coats High Class of 1960 visited after having a class reunion in Dunn. Most of them were from out of state, so we are proud to show them what is happening in their old home town. Special thanks also goes to Hope and Devon Moore for their generous contribution to the museum and to Lenee Smith for remembering her Dad with a honorarium to the building fund.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News appeared in the Daily Record on July 12, 2013.
For several years the people in Coats had been asking for a gymnasium. That is not surprising since the teams had been playing on dirt courts for decades. The Coats gymnasium approved by the district office in Smithfield was to be one of the four schools annexed. The cost estimate was $16,575. The request was for the WPA funds (Harnett County News February 20, 1941). What did the paper mean by “annexed” and if Coats did get that gymnasium, where was it located on the Coats School campus?
The Apollo Entertainers presented classical music in the Coats School auditorium. The Sicilian tenor, Senor Giovanni Sperandeo, was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Elsie Sperandeo (Harnett County News March 6, 1941).
For voluntarily reducing cotton acreage, cotton farmers in N.C. could earn as much as 25 dollars in stamps to use in retail stores to buy cotton products. W.M. Keene was enticing customers to visit his market to purchase Palmolive soap-three bars for 20 cents; Octagon soap-3 for 25 cents; Octagon Powder-3 for 14 cents, and Octagon Cleanser- 2 for 9 cents (Harnett County News March 13, 1941). Wonder if Mr. Keene offered reduced prices on cotton products.
The Coats Page Book Club met at the home of Mrs. Stewart Turlington. Mrs. W.E. Nichols, Mrs. M. O. Phillips, Mrs. M.P Snipes, and Mrs. Exie Smith were officers. Over at Louisburg College, the college and faculty honored Earl Williams of Coats and 18 others with a birthday banquet. Wow! You say. Also, farm families had until April 30, 1941 to apply for material to make cotton mattresses and comforters (Harnett County News March 27, 1941).
In town, C.J. Turlington, W.R. Roycroft, T.O. Beasley, Clyde Grimes, Marvin Johnson, Carlos Dixon, and T.A Powell were hoping to win a seat on the Coats Town Board (Harnett County News April 29, 1941).
To protect America from aggressors, funds were raised by purchase of U.S. Defense Savings Bonds and Postal Savings Stamps and were sold at post offices. The news also reported that Zeb Stewart, political leader and 10 –year member of the Coats School Board, died on April 17, 1941. He was the son of the late James Elmond and Civil Ann Ennis Stewart. His second wife, the former Esther Turlington, survived him. Over in the Barclaysville area, the Coats Community Home Demonstration Club met on April 23. Mesdames O.S. Young, Everett Barnes and (?) Mitchell became new members. Mrs. L. W. Jones, a fascinating 70- year-old demonstrated her handmade slip. The next meeting was to be held at the home of Mrs. R.C. Collier (Harnett County News May 1, 1941).
The same issue of the paper reported that on April 1, 1941, there had been an Alumni Day at Coats School. The student council president was Celia Honeycutt. (Do you know who her family was?) The Toy Band played several selections. Other activities involved the newspaper with Helen Roycroft; the annual- Josie Lynn Hayes; the student council-Shirley Faye Hayes; glee club-Keith Wayne Stewart; boys athletics-Raeford Parrish; girls athletics-Berlene Langdon; agriculture-Carsie Denning; home economics-Mildred Johnson; commercial-Christine Stewart; band-P.C. Britt; shows-Zenobia Surles; defense-David Ennis; solo by Joyce Johnson; and a violin duet by Gloria Roycroft and Jerry Jerome (Harnett County News May 1, 1941).
It was May of 1941 and Coats School graduated its seniors. The names of the students who were on the list were Carsie K. Denning, Louisa Elliott, David Ennis, Ellen Ennis, Edna Flowers, Lucy Mae Franklin, Vada Gregory, Ethelyn Grimes, Josie Lynn Hayes, Celia Honeycutt, Marian Gray Johnson, Mildred Gold Johnson, Ann Delia Lamm, Lily Dean Lee, Cleo Miller, Cassie Moore, Joseph Neighbors, Alma Parrish, Raeford Parrish, Rupert Parrish, Louise Reardon, Helen White Roycroft, Grace Snipes, Sybil Sorrell, Pauline Stephenson, Christine Stewart, Graydon Stewart, Keith Wayne Stewart, Rayvaugh Stewart, Zenobia Surles, Addie Turlington, H.A. Turlington, Mary Lois Weaver, Edna Whittington, Lillian Wilburn, Curtis Williams, Dorothy Wood, and Frances Wood (Sorrell, “Together We Leave” 1985).
As the graduates said their final farewells to the school, wonder if they recalled that there had been 67 of them when they were freshmen in 1937. Did they recall that some of them had given a shower for Mr. and Mrs. M.O. Phillips who were newlyweds. Certainly some of them will remember raising money to purchase a much needed football and basketball. Did they remember that Meredith Nichols had won the scholarship medal in the freshmen and sophomore years. Did they recall that Ann Delia Lamm (Beasley), Jewel Ennis and Ellen Ennis came to Coats in their freshmen year?
There were only 46 strong in their junior year. In that year they elected Carsie Denning as president; Celia Honeycutt as vice-president, and Kirkland Ennis as secretary-treasurer. The number of classmates decreased to 40 as they entered the senior year. They chose Christine Stewart as president, Raeford Parrish as Vice-president, and Celia Honeycutt as secretary-treasurer. Did some of them have their husband or wife watch them graduate since there were ten seniors who were married during their high school days. They were Meredith Nichols, Ruth Seagroves, Iva Lee Wood, Jewel Ennis, Kirkland Ennis, Hermie Dorman, Johnnie Williams, J.D. Fish, Isabell Godwin, and Virginia Matthews.
Selected as Beta Club officers were Carsie Denning-president, Helen White Roycroft-vice president, Christine Stewart-secretary and Keith Wayne Stewart as treasurer. Miss Kate Black and Misss Ruth Summers were Beta sponsors. Josie Lynn Hayes was class valedictorian and Mildred Johnson earned salutatorian. Azaleen McLamb was Chief Marshal. Celia Honeycutt was president of the Student Council. Carsie Denning was president of the FFA with Keith Wayne Stewart-vice president, Lamas Denning-secretary, David Ennis-treasurer and Grayden Stewart –reporter. M. O. Phillips had served as FFA advisor (Panorama 1941).
Mayor J.B. Williams, although he had expressed a desire to retire as mayor, again won that position by a 118 to 65 vote. The four commissioners elected were C.J. Turlington, W.R. Roycroft, T.O Beasley and Clyde Grimes (Harnett County News May 8, 1941).
Read next week to see if school kids were collecting aluminum from pots and pans to be used in airplane construction before or after the US entered WWII.
The volunteers really enjoyed the young children from Victory Camp. They were so well-mannered and attentive. Several members and their mates from the Coats High Class of 1960 visited after having a class reunion in Dunn. Most of them were from out of state, so we are proud to show them what is happening in their old home town. Special thanks also goes to Hope and Devon Moore for their generous contribution to the museum and to Lenee Smith for remembering her Dad with a honorarium to the building fund.
Please be mindful that this Coats Museum News appeared in the Daily Record on July 12, 2013.
