July 21, 2023 Coats Museum News
The printed date on the Daily Record was March 24, 1993 and in that edition was shared that the Coats baseball team had defeated Erwin. Tony Beasley pitched 4 endings with eight strike-outs. Gary Walden finished the game on the mound. For Coats, Steven Tart, Ashley Stewart and B.J. Blackman had hits. In the girls game, Beth Stanley had hit 4 for 4. Melissa Byrd, Shannon Williams, Angie McLeod and Lori Barnes had hit three each. Chrissy Wheeler, Crystal Maynor, and Kristie Parrish had hits. Congratulations were sent to the Teddy Byrd family on the arrival of a son, Zackary Byrd. Teddy had just opened a new insurance agency in Angier.
Many remember Tara Johnson from her days at Coats School. She had married Richard Redmond at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. However, in this March 25th Daily Record, it was shared that Richard and she were proud parents of a baby daughter, Caitlin Elizabeth, born on March 17th at the Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital. Tara is the daughter of Doug and Freda Adams Johnson of Angier route. Great-grandparents were Paul and Dorothy Godwin Johnson. Paternal grandparents were Lacy and Patsy Capps of Ayden and paternal great-grandmother was Geraldine Redmond of Malden, Mo.
The March 25th paper also recorded that Fernie Lee had quite a surprise on his 82nd birthday. He had family arriving at 10:30 until some forty-nine people arrived for lunch. The quiet, easy-going man surely enjoyed his big day.
The Coats baseball team grabbed a thriller in the 8th ending. Steven Tart scored all the way in a win of 6-5 over Western Harnett Middle School. Some stars for the baseball team mentioned were Adam Ennis, Gary Walden, Brooks West, David Taylor, and Thomas Hamilton. The Harnett Western Middle softball team won by 13-1 score. Mellissa Byrd, Shannon Williams, and Jennifer Penny led the Coats offense (Daily Record Mar. 26, 1993).
Alton Stewart’s name appeared in the March 29,, 1993 edition of the Daily Record even though he had died in a plane crash in Dunn on December 25, 1929. The Daily Record article stated that Alton Stewart was one of the first to fly in Harnett skies in 1919. His son, Hal Stewart, was working to get a historical marker in Coats to honor Alton Stewart as the first licensed pilot in NC. Alton had received his license on April 6, 1926 from Orville Wright at the old airport on Garner Road. The famed pilot, Orville Wright, had signed the license. Alton Stewart was the first licensed pilot in N.C. and the 221st in the country. Senator Robert Morgan and Congressman Martin Lancaster worked to get the marker for the town.
It would be June 10, 2005 that Hal Stewart would be able to convince the ten college professors at the state archives who rule on requests for historical markers that Alton Stewart merited a historical marker at the site of his house in Coats, NC. on McKinley Street (NC 55).
A couple of other Coats men made the news in the Apr. 1, 1993Daily Record. H.L. Sorrell, Jr., Chairman of the HCBOC was pictured speaking to the Dunn Rotary Club about the growth of Harnett County in relation to counties around it. He shared that Harnett County was the fifteenth fastest growing county in the state and he spoke on the economic growth occurring in and round Harnett County.
The second Coats man to make the news was Dan Honeycutt. Dan was recognized for being selected the Wachovia Principal of the Year in Harnett County. Dan, Teresa, Curt and Lance lived outside of Coats where Teresa was a teacher.
The County of Harnett and the town of Dunn joined leading citizens of the state and beyond in paying tribute to Dr. Norman Wiggins and Campbell University at the Newcomer Society Dinner at the Sheraton Imperial in the Research Triangle. More than 400 people saw H.L. Sorrell present Dr. Wiggins with a resolution from the Harnett County Board of Commissioners. Mr. Sorrell headed a delegation of more than 100 Harnett citizens to honor Dr. Wiggins.
I remember all these event s as if they were yesterday. H.L. would come home from all these activities and jerk off his tie, take off his white shirt and suit and change into his jeans, buffalo print work shirt and rubber boots and head out to our hog operation in Johnston County with a big smile on his face knowing that his hogs would be making all kinds of welcoming noises as they recognized the sound of his tractor as he headed with a load of feed to fill up their feeders. The sweat on this shirt would be different than that on the clothes that he would leave on the bed until he returned that night.
Wonder If Mr. Rudolph Ennis was sweating as he was snipping and snipping the shrubs at the Phillips Flower Shop in Erwin. The paper had shown him doing this job. I have memories of Rudolph and Garner Rose Ennis. My Aunt Nolie Johnson was married to Louis Johnson, father of Marvin Johnson. Both men were town merchants and Marvin worked very hard to get the Coats Senior Center. I don’t remember ever seeing Uncle Louis but I do remember he had a very old car that sat under his shed garage and I think was later sold to Harold Williams, brother of Stacy Williams of Williams Upholsters.
Not all women had drivers licenses in earlier days and Aunt Nolie was one of those who did not. Hence, she had to rely on others to get her to a certain location if her daughter Maude Avery or Marvin were not available. I am pretty sure she had no phone to even contact Marvin or Maude who worked with her husband Algie Avery at W.E. Nichols Enterprises. Anyway, it was common place to see either Garner or Rudolph Ennis drive into my parents’ driveway with Aunt Nolie on board to stay a few days with us. She always explained to us that they were such fine neighbors to take her to where she wanted to go.
Death had visited the family of Mary Elizabeth Stewart, a sixty-one year-old Coats woman, who had died on Sunday. Her services were held on Tuesday at the Coats Baptist Church with Rev. Jessie Mooney officiating. Her burial was in the Williams family Cemetery. Surviving her were her husband William E. Stewart and two daughters Teresa and Tonya and son Terry. Her siblings were Eloise Stewart, Bernice Trola, Ruth Vanhn, George Vann, Jr., Walter Vann and Sexton Vann, Sr. (Daily Record Apr. 6, 1993).
Growing up in a big family of ten children was one of the greatest gifts that God gave me and to make it more valuable was to be the ninth child. We had two dining rooms in our house- one very formal and the other used daily. It was in that formal room that was enjoyed stories shared by dad that he thought important enough that he often repeated them from time to time. I learned about the prominent people in and around Coats at that formal table because at that table is where my older sisters and husbands ate when they returned from distant points. It was also there that I learned that there is a big world of opportunity beyond Coats.
It was at this table that Dad talked about prominent farmers in and around Coats. One such farmer was a Mr. Byrd from the other side of Highway 55- a way that Dad often identified locations of farms. A big, prominent farmer he would say. I have no way of ever knowing exactly who this Mr. Byrd was because as years passed Dad died and more and more empty chairs were at that formal table.
I think Mr. Byrd was father of the late Bobby Byrd who died last year. His wife Geraldine has remembered Bobby with another generous memorial to the museum and we really appreciate the support that she and Bobby have given to the museum over the years. Thank you-Gerry.
The printed date on the Daily Record was March 24, 1993 and in that edition was shared that the Coats baseball team had defeated Erwin. Tony Beasley pitched 4 endings with eight strike-outs. Gary Walden finished the game on the mound. For Coats, Steven Tart, Ashley Stewart and B.J. Blackman had hits. In the girls game, Beth Stanley had hit 4 for 4. Melissa Byrd, Shannon Williams, Angie McLeod and Lori Barnes had hit three each. Chrissy Wheeler, Crystal Maynor, and Kristie Parrish had hits. Congratulations were sent to the Teddy Byrd family on the arrival of a son, Zackary Byrd. Teddy had just opened a new insurance agency in Angier.
Many remember Tara Johnson from her days at Coats School. She had married Richard Redmond at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. However, in this March 25th Daily Record, it was shared that Richard and she were proud parents of a baby daughter, Caitlin Elizabeth, born on March 17th at the Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital. Tara is the daughter of Doug and Freda Adams Johnson of Angier route. Great-grandparents were Paul and Dorothy Godwin Johnson. Paternal grandparents were Lacy and Patsy Capps of Ayden and paternal great-grandmother was Geraldine Redmond of Malden, Mo.
The March 25th paper also recorded that Fernie Lee had quite a surprise on his 82nd birthday. He had family arriving at 10:30 until some forty-nine people arrived for lunch. The quiet, easy-going man surely enjoyed his big day.
The Coats baseball team grabbed a thriller in the 8th ending. Steven Tart scored all the way in a win of 6-5 over Western Harnett Middle School. Some stars for the baseball team mentioned were Adam Ennis, Gary Walden, Brooks West, David Taylor, and Thomas Hamilton. The Harnett Western Middle softball team won by 13-1 score. Mellissa Byrd, Shannon Williams, and Jennifer Penny led the Coats offense (Daily Record Mar. 26, 1993).
Alton Stewart’s name appeared in the March 29,, 1993 edition of the Daily Record even though he had died in a plane crash in Dunn on December 25, 1929. The Daily Record article stated that Alton Stewart was one of the first to fly in Harnett skies in 1919. His son, Hal Stewart, was working to get a historical marker in Coats to honor Alton Stewart as the first licensed pilot in NC. Alton had received his license on April 6, 1926 from Orville Wright at the old airport on Garner Road. The famed pilot, Orville Wright, had signed the license. Alton Stewart was the first licensed pilot in N.C. and the 221st in the country. Senator Robert Morgan and Congressman Martin Lancaster worked to get the marker for the town.
It would be June 10, 2005 that Hal Stewart would be able to convince the ten college professors at the state archives who rule on requests for historical markers that Alton Stewart merited a historical marker at the site of his house in Coats, NC. on McKinley Street (NC 55).
A couple of other Coats men made the news in the Apr. 1, 1993Daily Record. H.L. Sorrell, Jr., Chairman of the HCBOC was pictured speaking to the Dunn Rotary Club about the growth of Harnett County in relation to counties around it. He shared that Harnett County was the fifteenth fastest growing county in the state and he spoke on the economic growth occurring in and round Harnett County.
The second Coats man to make the news was Dan Honeycutt. Dan was recognized for being selected the Wachovia Principal of the Year in Harnett County. Dan, Teresa, Curt and Lance lived outside of Coats where Teresa was a teacher.
The County of Harnett and the town of Dunn joined leading citizens of the state and beyond in paying tribute to Dr. Norman Wiggins and Campbell University at the Newcomer Society Dinner at the Sheraton Imperial in the Research Triangle. More than 400 people saw H.L. Sorrell present Dr. Wiggins with a resolution from the Harnett County Board of Commissioners. Mr. Sorrell headed a delegation of more than 100 Harnett citizens to honor Dr. Wiggins.
I remember all these event s as if they were yesterday. H.L. would come home from all these activities and jerk off his tie, take off his white shirt and suit and change into his jeans, buffalo print work shirt and rubber boots and head out to our hog operation in Johnston County with a big smile on his face knowing that his hogs would be making all kinds of welcoming noises as they recognized the sound of his tractor as he headed with a load of feed to fill up their feeders. The sweat on this shirt would be different than that on the clothes that he would leave on the bed until he returned that night.
Wonder If Mr. Rudolph Ennis was sweating as he was snipping and snipping the shrubs at the Phillips Flower Shop in Erwin. The paper had shown him doing this job. I have memories of Rudolph and Garner Rose Ennis. My Aunt Nolie Johnson was married to Louis Johnson, father of Marvin Johnson. Both men were town merchants and Marvin worked very hard to get the Coats Senior Center. I don’t remember ever seeing Uncle Louis but I do remember he had a very old car that sat under his shed garage and I think was later sold to Harold Williams, brother of Stacy Williams of Williams Upholsters.
Not all women had drivers licenses in earlier days and Aunt Nolie was one of those who did not. Hence, she had to rely on others to get her to a certain location if her daughter Maude Avery or Marvin were not available. I am pretty sure she had no phone to even contact Marvin or Maude who worked with her husband Algie Avery at W.E. Nichols Enterprises. Anyway, it was common place to see either Garner or Rudolph Ennis drive into my parents’ driveway with Aunt Nolie on board to stay a few days with us. She always explained to us that they were such fine neighbors to take her to where she wanted to go.
Death had visited the family of Mary Elizabeth Stewart, a sixty-one year-old Coats woman, who had died on Sunday. Her services were held on Tuesday at the Coats Baptist Church with Rev. Jessie Mooney officiating. Her burial was in the Williams family Cemetery. Surviving her were her husband William E. Stewart and two daughters Teresa and Tonya and son Terry. Her siblings were Eloise Stewart, Bernice Trola, Ruth Vanhn, George Vann, Jr., Walter Vann and Sexton Vann, Sr. (Daily Record Apr. 6, 1993).
Growing up in a big family of ten children was one of the greatest gifts that God gave me and to make it more valuable was to be the ninth child. We had two dining rooms in our house- one very formal and the other used daily. It was in that formal room that was enjoyed stories shared by dad that he thought important enough that he often repeated them from time to time. I learned about the prominent people in and around Coats at that formal table because at that table is where my older sisters and husbands ate when they returned from distant points. It was also there that I learned that there is a big world of opportunity beyond Coats.
It was at this table that Dad talked about prominent farmers in and around Coats. One such farmer was a Mr. Byrd from the other side of Highway 55- a way that Dad often identified locations of farms. A big, prominent farmer he would say. I have no way of ever knowing exactly who this Mr. Byrd was because as years passed Dad died and more and more empty chairs were at that formal table.
I think Mr. Byrd was father of the late Bobby Byrd who died last year. His wife Geraldine has remembered Bobby with another generous memorial to the museum and we really appreciate the support that she and Bobby have given to the museum over the years. Thank you-Gerry.