July 14, 2017 Coats Museum News
The year was 1963 and there were eighty-two million cars, trucks and buses crowding the American roads. There were now a million motel rooms in the nation-up from 60,000 in 1958. In Coats, Carolyn Cooke was engaged to Ed Ray Caldwell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray D. Caldwell of Erwin. Carolyn’s mother was Mrs. Robert Bright Jones of Coats and her dad was Coats resident, Walter Mack Cooke (Daily Record May 2, 1963).
The University of South Carolina had awarded Clarence Hicks Cannady, a grant of $3,000. He was one of 33 participants accepted from 200 applicants. Mr. Cannady was in the field of mathematic studies (Daily Record May 2, 1963). Did Mr. Cannady teach any of you math at the old Coats High School?
Remember reading about the candidates for the Coats town elections last week? The Daily Record reported that only 50 ballots had been cast for town officials by noontime (Daily Record May 6, 1963).
Can you recall that a 24-bottle crate of Pepsi cola had sold for only 97 cents in 1963? What happened in the production of the cola to make one bottle cost more today than an entire crate in 1963? If you can’t answer that question, then try this one. What was the original color of Coco Cola? If you said “green,“ then you are right?
In Coats, Miss Bess Watkins, a member of the VPA of the Woman’s Auxiliary of Prospect Original FWB Church, had won first place in a statewide essay contest on the “Christian Home.”Her essay appeared in the June issue of the FWB Witness Magazine (Daily Record May 16, 1963).
Mrs. Wade Stanley and Mrs. Henry Lloyd had honored Mrs. Frank Lloyd with a cradle shower at the Coats Community Building. Those attending were Mrs. Bobby Stanley, Mrs. Margaret House, Mrs. Exie Regan, Mrs. Luther Poole, Mrs. Judd Parrish, Mrs. Elgie Suggs, Mrs. David Lucas, Mrs. Jerry Grissom, Mrs. Woodrow Dowdy, Mrs. Lester Stanley, Mrs. Daisy Stanley, Mrs. Vernil Honeycutt, Mrs. Willie Byrd, Mrs. Grace McLeod, Mrs. Butt McLeod, Mrs. Nancy Lucas, Mrs. Clayton Johnson, Mrs. Dorothy Lloyd, Mrs. Jesse Godwin, Margaret Denning and Gladys Denning. Question—who was Mrs. Frank Lloyd?
I do know that Debbie Taylor gave the program, “It All Began with Jesus” to the Willing Hands at Coats Baptist Church. Wayne Stanley had come home for vacation from the John Umstead Hospital in Butner where he worked. He was in town visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wade Stanley. The family joined Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lloyd and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Norris for a weekend trip to Carolina Beach.
A group of WMU members of Coats Baptist Church attended an anniversary tea at the Dunn Church. Mrs. M.O. Phillips, Mrs. Johnny Barnes, Mrs. Mabel Barnes, Mrs. Dave House, Mrs. T.O. Beasley, Mrs. Gerald Langdon, Mrs. Henry Stewart and Mrs. Ora Parrish attended the event (Daily Record May 16, 1963).
Death took a lady from Route One, Erwin. Mrs. Vonnie Stephenson Avery, 72, had died at Good Hope Hospital. She was the daughter of the late J.C. and Sephronia Barnes Stephenson. Her services were at the Erwin Chapel Pentecostal FWB Church with burial in the Prospect Church Cemetery. She was survived by her husband, J.F. Avery; three sons-Maylon, Alton, and Earl Avery and one daughter, Mrs. Bruce Gomedella (Daily Record May 24, 1963).
A group from the Turlington HDC had visited the State House in Raleigh. Senator Robert Morgan of Harnett County gave the following a day to remember: Mrs. Jeff Turlington, Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Mrs. M.S. Whittington, Mrs. W.R. Langdon and Mrs. M.C. Stewart.
The G.A.’s from the Coats Baptist Church had a picnic at the Fleming’s Pond. Kay Fish, Kay Stewart, Ann Stewart, Diane Williams, Betsy Weaver, Debbie Taylor, Pam Wolf, Sharon Byrd, and Mrs. Curtis Guy enjoyed the event.
Another group from the same church had a family picnic at Jernigan’s Pond. Thirty-five in that group enjoyed homemade ice cream.
The Ruth Eller Class met at the home of Rachel Ennis with Mrs. Clara Langdon serving as co-hostess. Eloise Lee was the class president. Betty M. Johnson, Barbara Gardner and Rachel Ennis had the program (Daily Record May 29, 1963).
The Women’s Missionary Society of the Coats Baptist Church observed the 75th Anniversary of the WMS. Miss Mattie Bain read the original minutes of the organizational meeting held in 1911. Two of the charter members were Mrs. Eva Nichols and Miss Mattie Bain who were attired in period costumes. Scrapbooks and memos were on display along with a golden chest that had been prepared for the 50th anniversary. Mrs. M.O. Phillips and Mrs. Margaret House told of the organization and its early leaders.
In the sixties, a Stanley Party would often go from one neighbor’s house to the next and socializing was a part of the fun. Mrs. Wilma Byrd had a party filled with Bingo and Stanley prizes. Some who enjoyed Wilma’s party were Mrs. Eloise Lee, Mrs. Willa Dean Powell, Miss June Powell, Mrs. Margret House, Mrs. Roscoe Thornton, Mrs. Ruby Harris, Mrs. Effie Turlington and Mrs. Willie Byrd (Daily Record May 30, 1963).
Some called it a baby shower; others called it a stork shower while those who honored Mrs. Woodrow Stancil called it a cradle shower. Hostesses for the event at the Coats Community Building were Mrs. Alene Lewis, Mrs. David Knox, Mrs. Harold Williams and Mrs. Frederick Byrd. Friends who attended were Margaret Pope, Mrs. Mary Knox, Mrs. Benton Hargis, Shelia Hargis, Effie Stancil, Mrs. Leon Pope, Mrs. Hubert Strickland, Mrs. T. P. Gregory, Mrs. Paul Wood (mother of Mrs. Stancil) Mrs. Sam Pope, Mrs. Patsy Avery, Mrs. Joseph Cobb, Mrs. Maude Stancil and Donna Kay Lewis.
Those who honored Mrs. Devon Page called their event a stork shower. She was honored at the home of Mrs. Lester Williams with Mrs. Jean Maynard as co-hostess. Those who attended the event were Mrs. Bertha Page, Mrs. Ruth Tart, Mrs. Edna Stephenson, Mrs. Jean Maynard, Mrs. Lonnie Turner, Miss Jeanise Turner, Mrs. Willie Mae Parrish, Mrs. Donna Stanley, Mrs. Tyrus Powell and Mrs. Elwood Page (Daily Record June 13, 1963).
Does anyone remember Bobby Edwin Hockaday? He and his wife, the former Doris Stone, announced the birth of a son in Good Hope Hospital (Daily Record June 17, 1963).
Henry Best Herring, Stacey Franklin Johnson and Harry Roberts were enrolled at Campbell (Daily Record June 17, 1963).
Did you ever have a church softball team for post teenager members of your church? The Church Softball League was in full swing. Warren Ennis, Cecil Fuquay, and Gail Pope played for the Coats Baptist Church. Howard Beard was their pitcher. Sammy Pope was a standout for Prospect while Harry Roberts, Johnny Malone, and Clyde Stone played for the younger people at Coats Baptist. Nesbitt Fleming was their pitcher. Tom Ennis was pitcher for the Coats Methodist. Ebenezer Presbyterian Church had Mike Coats, Tommy Ennis, Jerry Lee, Cecil Stephenson, and Junior Barbour. Garland Coats had pitched for the Presbyterians. Henry Holmes was pitcher for Pleasant Memory. Ronnie Penny and Haywood Penny were stars of the Pleasant Memory team. In the Women’s Softball League, Rachel Ennis, Sondra Ennis, and Beanie Ennis were stars for Coats Baptist (Daily Record June 20, 1963).
The standings for the Coats Church Softball League were posted. Baptist, Methodist, Ebenezer, Pleasant Memory, Prospect and Young People were the June 27, 1963 rankings. The Baptist Church Women had defeated Methodist by a 22-5 score. Beanie Ennis and Sondra Ennis led the Baptist team. Beanie hit two homeruns and Sondra went five for five. Janet Carlson also hit a homerun. The Baptist scored 12 runs in the last ending. For the Methodist, Judy Norris, Dorothy Lawrence, Priscilla Godwin and Willadean Johnson banged out points. Sondra Ennis was the Baptist pitcher and Geraldine Johnson was the Methodist pitcher.
In the men’s game, stars on the Methodist team Jimmy Johnson, Charles Ennis, Curtis Parker, Goat Pleasant, and Wade Norris were supported by pitcher Delbert Lockamy. For Prospect, players were Jarvis Tart, Jackie Turlington, Joe Butts who supported Sam Stephenson as pitcher (Daily Record June 27, 1963). Who remembers all these games?
H.L. and I enjoyed a short visit from Brian Davis and his beautiful daughter while volunteering at the museum on Sunday afternoon. Brian has been busy with his travels, ministry and writing. He plans to donate to the museum a few books to give away. We are excited that nine groups have signed up for the August 5th (10-12pm) genealogical event to be held on the Heritage Square. Weeks could be spent going through the scores of family genealogies already in our research library. Many family members have spent decades gathering family archival records and the volunteers have found these collections to be useful in the search for the names of military veterans who have connections to Coats and Grove citizens. The museum volunteers will preserve the names, stories and pictures, when available, of these heroes in the publication, “Defenders of the Red, White and Blue.”
The year was 1963 and there were eighty-two million cars, trucks and buses crowding the American roads. There were now a million motel rooms in the nation-up from 60,000 in 1958. In Coats, Carolyn Cooke was engaged to Ed Ray Caldwell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray D. Caldwell of Erwin. Carolyn’s mother was Mrs. Robert Bright Jones of Coats and her dad was Coats resident, Walter Mack Cooke (Daily Record May 2, 1963).
The University of South Carolina had awarded Clarence Hicks Cannady, a grant of $3,000. He was one of 33 participants accepted from 200 applicants. Mr. Cannady was in the field of mathematic studies (Daily Record May 2, 1963). Did Mr. Cannady teach any of you math at the old Coats High School?
Remember reading about the candidates for the Coats town elections last week? The Daily Record reported that only 50 ballots had been cast for town officials by noontime (Daily Record May 6, 1963).
Can you recall that a 24-bottle crate of Pepsi cola had sold for only 97 cents in 1963? What happened in the production of the cola to make one bottle cost more today than an entire crate in 1963? If you can’t answer that question, then try this one. What was the original color of Coco Cola? If you said “green,“ then you are right?
In Coats, Miss Bess Watkins, a member of the VPA of the Woman’s Auxiliary of Prospect Original FWB Church, had won first place in a statewide essay contest on the “Christian Home.”Her essay appeared in the June issue of the FWB Witness Magazine (Daily Record May 16, 1963).
Mrs. Wade Stanley and Mrs. Henry Lloyd had honored Mrs. Frank Lloyd with a cradle shower at the Coats Community Building. Those attending were Mrs. Bobby Stanley, Mrs. Margaret House, Mrs. Exie Regan, Mrs. Luther Poole, Mrs. Judd Parrish, Mrs. Elgie Suggs, Mrs. David Lucas, Mrs. Jerry Grissom, Mrs. Woodrow Dowdy, Mrs. Lester Stanley, Mrs. Daisy Stanley, Mrs. Vernil Honeycutt, Mrs. Willie Byrd, Mrs. Grace McLeod, Mrs. Butt McLeod, Mrs. Nancy Lucas, Mrs. Clayton Johnson, Mrs. Dorothy Lloyd, Mrs. Jesse Godwin, Margaret Denning and Gladys Denning. Question—who was Mrs. Frank Lloyd?
I do know that Debbie Taylor gave the program, “It All Began with Jesus” to the Willing Hands at Coats Baptist Church. Wayne Stanley had come home for vacation from the John Umstead Hospital in Butner where he worked. He was in town visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wade Stanley. The family joined Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lloyd and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Norris for a weekend trip to Carolina Beach.
A group of WMU members of Coats Baptist Church attended an anniversary tea at the Dunn Church. Mrs. M.O. Phillips, Mrs. Johnny Barnes, Mrs. Mabel Barnes, Mrs. Dave House, Mrs. T.O. Beasley, Mrs. Gerald Langdon, Mrs. Henry Stewart and Mrs. Ora Parrish attended the event (Daily Record May 16, 1963).
Death took a lady from Route One, Erwin. Mrs. Vonnie Stephenson Avery, 72, had died at Good Hope Hospital. She was the daughter of the late J.C. and Sephronia Barnes Stephenson. Her services were at the Erwin Chapel Pentecostal FWB Church with burial in the Prospect Church Cemetery. She was survived by her husband, J.F. Avery; three sons-Maylon, Alton, and Earl Avery and one daughter, Mrs. Bruce Gomedella (Daily Record May 24, 1963).
A group from the Turlington HDC had visited the State House in Raleigh. Senator Robert Morgan of Harnett County gave the following a day to remember: Mrs. Jeff Turlington, Mrs. H.A. Turlington, Mrs. M.S. Whittington, Mrs. W.R. Langdon and Mrs. M.C. Stewart.
The G.A.’s from the Coats Baptist Church had a picnic at the Fleming’s Pond. Kay Fish, Kay Stewart, Ann Stewart, Diane Williams, Betsy Weaver, Debbie Taylor, Pam Wolf, Sharon Byrd, and Mrs. Curtis Guy enjoyed the event.
Another group from the same church had a family picnic at Jernigan’s Pond. Thirty-five in that group enjoyed homemade ice cream.
The Ruth Eller Class met at the home of Rachel Ennis with Mrs. Clara Langdon serving as co-hostess. Eloise Lee was the class president. Betty M. Johnson, Barbara Gardner and Rachel Ennis had the program (Daily Record May 29, 1963).
The Women’s Missionary Society of the Coats Baptist Church observed the 75th Anniversary of the WMS. Miss Mattie Bain read the original minutes of the organizational meeting held in 1911. Two of the charter members were Mrs. Eva Nichols and Miss Mattie Bain who were attired in period costumes. Scrapbooks and memos were on display along with a golden chest that had been prepared for the 50th anniversary. Mrs. M.O. Phillips and Mrs. Margaret House told of the organization and its early leaders.
In the sixties, a Stanley Party would often go from one neighbor’s house to the next and socializing was a part of the fun. Mrs. Wilma Byrd had a party filled with Bingo and Stanley prizes. Some who enjoyed Wilma’s party were Mrs. Eloise Lee, Mrs. Willa Dean Powell, Miss June Powell, Mrs. Margret House, Mrs. Roscoe Thornton, Mrs. Ruby Harris, Mrs. Effie Turlington and Mrs. Willie Byrd (Daily Record May 30, 1963).
Some called it a baby shower; others called it a stork shower while those who honored Mrs. Woodrow Stancil called it a cradle shower. Hostesses for the event at the Coats Community Building were Mrs. Alene Lewis, Mrs. David Knox, Mrs. Harold Williams and Mrs. Frederick Byrd. Friends who attended were Margaret Pope, Mrs. Mary Knox, Mrs. Benton Hargis, Shelia Hargis, Effie Stancil, Mrs. Leon Pope, Mrs. Hubert Strickland, Mrs. T. P. Gregory, Mrs. Paul Wood (mother of Mrs. Stancil) Mrs. Sam Pope, Mrs. Patsy Avery, Mrs. Joseph Cobb, Mrs. Maude Stancil and Donna Kay Lewis.
Those who honored Mrs. Devon Page called their event a stork shower. She was honored at the home of Mrs. Lester Williams with Mrs. Jean Maynard as co-hostess. Those who attended the event were Mrs. Bertha Page, Mrs. Ruth Tart, Mrs. Edna Stephenson, Mrs. Jean Maynard, Mrs. Lonnie Turner, Miss Jeanise Turner, Mrs. Willie Mae Parrish, Mrs. Donna Stanley, Mrs. Tyrus Powell and Mrs. Elwood Page (Daily Record June 13, 1963).
Does anyone remember Bobby Edwin Hockaday? He and his wife, the former Doris Stone, announced the birth of a son in Good Hope Hospital (Daily Record June 17, 1963).
Henry Best Herring, Stacey Franklin Johnson and Harry Roberts were enrolled at Campbell (Daily Record June 17, 1963).
Did you ever have a church softball team for post teenager members of your church? The Church Softball League was in full swing. Warren Ennis, Cecil Fuquay, and Gail Pope played for the Coats Baptist Church. Howard Beard was their pitcher. Sammy Pope was a standout for Prospect while Harry Roberts, Johnny Malone, and Clyde Stone played for the younger people at Coats Baptist. Nesbitt Fleming was their pitcher. Tom Ennis was pitcher for the Coats Methodist. Ebenezer Presbyterian Church had Mike Coats, Tommy Ennis, Jerry Lee, Cecil Stephenson, and Junior Barbour. Garland Coats had pitched for the Presbyterians. Henry Holmes was pitcher for Pleasant Memory. Ronnie Penny and Haywood Penny were stars of the Pleasant Memory team. In the Women’s Softball League, Rachel Ennis, Sondra Ennis, and Beanie Ennis were stars for Coats Baptist (Daily Record June 20, 1963).
The standings for the Coats Church Softball League were posted. Baptist, Methodist, Ebenezer, Pleasant Memory, Prospect and Young People were the June 27, 1963 rankings. The Baptist Church Women had defeated Methodist by a 22-5 score. Beanie Ennis and Sondra Ennis led the Baptist team. Beanie hit two homeruns and Sondra went five for five. Janet Carlson also hit a homerun. The Baptist scored 12 runs in the last ending. For the Methodist, Judy Norris, Dorothy Lawrence, Priscilla Godwin and Willadean Johnson banged out points. Sondra Ennis was the Baptist pitcher and Geraldine Johnson was the Methodist pitcher.
In the men’s game, stars on the Methodist team Jimmy Johnson, Charles Ennis, Curtis Parker, Goat Pleasant, and Wade Norris were supported by pitcher Delbert Lockamy. For Prospect, players were Jarvis Tart, Jackie Turlington, Joe Butts who supported Sam Stephenson as pitcher (Daily Record June 27, 1963). Who remembers all these games?
H.L. and I enjoyed a short visit from Brian Davis and his beautiful daughter while volunteering at the museum on Sunday afternoon. Brian has been busy with his travels, ministry and writing. He plans to donate to the museum a few books to give away. We are excited that nine groups have signed up for the August 5th (10-12pm) genealogical event to be held on the Heritage Square. Weeks could be spent going through the scores of family genealogies already in our research library. Many family members have spent decades gathering family archival records and the volunteers have found these collections to be useful in the search for the names of military veterans who have connections to Coats and Grove citizens. The museum volunteers will preserve the names, stories and pictures, when available, of these heroes in the publication, “Defenders of the Red, White and Blue.”