July 12, 2024 Coats Museum News
Who remembers when cross stitching was a favorite pastime back in the seventies? Most of the pieces of artwork had sayings on them. I recall doing this one -“This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important because I’m exchanging one day of my life for it…..”
The August 26, 1994 Daily Record shared the story that H.L. Sorrell, Jr. had presented the 1994 Harnett County Volunteer Recognition awards at the Coats Senior Center. These awards were presented to individuals who had made the decision to give their time for the betterment of the schools and community. Two of the recipients of the volunteer awards were M.O. Phillips and Stephanie Salmon who used their days for the good of those around them and should have had no regrets of how they had given their hours every day in the Coats community- making it a better place for those lives they touched.
Volunteerism is valued at millions of dollars in the schools, hospitals, fire departments, rescue services, museums and the lists could go on. Are any of you old enough to remember when there were few volunteers in the schools? I ran across these 1950’s numbers a few weeks ago and I questioned if they were accurate. The data stated that in the Harnett County School system that it cost $1, 225,000.00 to operate the schools and of that amount Harnett paid only $240,000.00 but in the 1951 budget, Harnett would pay $318,000 for the 12,000 students who attended the system. Is that possible?
Numbers are amazing. From the late 1940 and 50’s lunches were only 20-25 cents, and one cent of electricity could vacuum 6 large rugs or toast 3 full loaves of bread or beat and bake 6-layer cakes or wash and dry 6 loads of clothes. Most certainly people did not mind spending their money for entertainment because 60,000 televisions were sold weekly in the USA.
Mrs. Elsie Langdon Barnes, 84, had died at the Charles Parrish Nursing Home in Dunn. She had lived on Route 2, Angier and was the daughter of the late James Allison Langdon, Sr. and Alice Pleasant Langdon. Her services were held at the Coats Baptist Church by Rev. Jesse Mooney. Burial was in the Bethel PB Church Cemetery. She was survived by her husband Carvis E. Barnes; a daughter Phyllis Koutsis; sons-Maynard E. Barnes and Hank Barnes. Ruth Barefoot, Josephine Bullard, J. Roy Langdon and J.A. Langdon, Jr. were her surviving siblings (Daily Record Aug. 29, 1994). Would you not have loved to hear some of her memories of 84 years?
Are the numbers of deaths equal to the rate of births in America today? It does seem that I write more about deaths than births in the article. Here we do have Brittany Lynn Ennis announcing the birth of her new brother, Joseph Dustin Ennis. His parents were Callie Lynn Ennis and Sammy Ennis of Dunn. Maternal grandparents were Margie Pleasant and Cecil and Betty Pleasant. Paternal grandparents were Betty Jo and Robert Carroll and Donald Ennis. Mrs. Ettie Mae Pleasant, Irene Tart, Joyce Culpepper and Evelyn Ennis were great-grandparents (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1994).
Exciting happenings were going on in Coats. Debbie Grieder invited all to visit the Colonial Corner Antiques on 100 McKinley. Mark Pleasant also extended an invitation to the public to visit Ron’s Barn to hear the Crusaders. Mark was the pianist for the group. Dee Haskins from the CACC promoted applications for the “Miss Coats Autumn Days Pageant.”
Belle wrote that Clyde and Vic McLeod were ill and their sister Grace Taylor had had surgery at UNC Chapel Hill Hospital. Ihre Wiggins had fallen and broken her hip and was in Rex. Many of you may recognize these folks whose names were on the ailing list: James Grimes, Stephanie Blalock, Owen Cobb, Bennie Flowers, Marie Clayton, Willa Mae Parrish, Ruth Parrish, Rebecca Parrish, Ellie Byrd, Tom Tart, Pearl Tart, Marvin Byrd, Clyde Stone and Baxton Pollard (Daily Record Sept. 1, 1994).
It seems as time passes, more and more class reunions are being enjoyed by former classmates. Some meet monthly while others gather once a year. JoAnne Ennis Turlington shared with Becky Adams that her CHS Class of 1953 recently met at Lane’s for their reunion. She noted that J.W. Sorrell, Jr., Glenda Pope Denning, Joseph Pollard, Willie Carol Honeycutt and she attended. This is the class of the late Albert Gregory. When it was time to pay up, Lane announced that the meal was on his dad, the late Albert Gregory. That is so typical of the Gregory family- always giving back to the community.
Who remembers when cross stitching was a favorite pastime back in the seventies? Most of the pieces of artwork had sayings on them. I recall doing this one -“This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important because I’m exchanging one day of my life for it…..”
The August 26, 1994 Daily Record shared the story that H.L. Sorrell, Jr. had presented the 1994 Harnett County Volunteer Recognition awards at the Coats Senior Center. These awards were presented to individuals who had made the decision to give their time for the betterment of the schools and community. Two of the recipients of the volunteer awards were M.O. Phillips and Stephanie Salmon who used their days for the good of those around them and should have had no regrets of how they had given their hours every day in the Coats community- making it a better place for those lives they touched.
Volunteerism is valued at millions of dollars in the schools, hospitals, fire departments, rescue services, museums and the lists could go on. Are any of you old enough to remember when there were few volunteers in the schools? I ran across these 1950’s numbers a few weeks ago and I questioned if they were accurate. The data stated that in the Harnett County School system that it cost $1, 225,000.00 to operate the schools and of that amount Harnett paid only $240,000.00 but in the 1951 budget, Harnett would pay $318,000 for the 12,000 students who attended the system. Is that possible?
Numbers are amazing. From the late 1940 and 50’s lunches were only 20-25 cents, and one cent of electricity could vacuum 6 large rugs or toast 3 full loaves of bread or beat and bake 6-layer cakes or wash and dry 6 loads of clothes. Most certainly people did not mind spending their money for entertainment because 60,000 televisions were sold weekly in the USA.
Mrs. Elsie Langdon Barnes, 84, had died at the Charles Parrish Nursing Home in Dunn. She had lived on Route 2, Angier and was the daughter of the late James Allison Langdon, Sr. and Alice Pleasant Langdon. Her services were held at the Coats Baptist Church by Rev. Jesse Mooney. Burial was in the Bethel PB Church Cemetery. She was survived by her husband Carvis E. Barnes; a daughter Phyllis Koutsis; sons-Maynard E. Barnes and Hank Barnes. Ruth Barefoot, Josephine Bullard, J. Roy Langdon and J.A. Langdon, Jr. were her surviving siblings (Daily Record Aug. 29, 1994). Would you not have loved to hear some of her memories of 84 years?
Are the numbers of deaths equal to the rate of births in America today? It does seem that I write more about deaths than births in the article. Here we do have Brittany Lynn Ennis announcing the birth of her new brother, Joseph Dustin Ennis. His parents were Callie Lynn Ennis and Sammy Ennis of Dunn. Maternal grandparents were Margie Pleasant and Cecil and Betty Pleasant. Paternal grandparents were Betty Jo and Robert Carroll and Donald Ennis. Mrs. Ettie Mae Pleasant, Irene Tart, Joyce Culpepper and Evelyn Ennis were great-grandparents (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1994).
Exciting happenings were going on in Coats. Debbie Grieder invited all to visit the Colonial Corner Antiques on 100 McKinley. Mark Pleasant also extended an invitation to the public to visit Ron’s Barn to hear the Crusaders. Mark was the pianist for the group. Dee Haskins from the CACC promoted applications for the “Miss Coats Autumn Days Pageant.”
Belle wrote that Clyde and Vic McLeod were ill and their sister Grace Taylor had had surgery at UNC Chapel Hill Hospital. Ihre Wiggins had fallen and broken her hip and was in Rex. Many of you may recognize these folks whose names were on the ailing list: James Grimes, Stephanie Blalock, Owen Cobb, Bennie Flowers, Marie Clayton, Willa Mae Parrish, Ruth Parrish, Rebecca Parrish, Ellie Byrd, Tom Tart, Pearl Tart, Marvin Byrd, Clyde Stone and Baxton Pollard (Daily Record Sept. 1, 1994).
It seems as time passes, more and more class reunions are being enjoyed by former classmates. Some meet monthly while others gather once a year. JoAnne Ennis Turlington shared with Becky Adams that her CHS Class of 1953 recently met at Lane’s for their reunion. She noted that J.W. Sorrell, Jr., Glenda Pope Denning, Joseph Pollard, Willie Carol Honeycutt and she attended. This is the class of the late Albert Gregory. When it was time to pay up, Lane announced that the meal was on his dad, the late Albert Gregory. That is so typical of the Gregory family- always giving back to the community.