July 5, 2019 Coats Museum News
The calendar continued to display the year 1978. The cost of mailing a letter was fifteen cents. The population of the world was 4.4 billion and was growing at a rate of 200,000 a day. There were 76 million households in the USA. Twenty thousand people wrote to suggest that Miss Piggy win the Academy Award for best actress for 1978. Major League baseball drew a record 40 million fans (Dickson, Paul. From Elvis to E-Mail. Massachusetts: Federal Street Press 1999, p. 235).
In the Grove area, a wedding was being planned by Shelia Faith, daughter of Keith Wayne Lloyd, Sr., to Charles David Wrench, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles David Wrench, Sr. In the same Feb. 21, 1978 edition of the Daily Record, it was printed that Lu Ann Stewart and James Randy Hedgepeth had made the Dean’s List at UNC Chapel Hill.
Another article printed in the same edition shared that the Coats Woman’s Club was a first place winner at the NC Federation of Woman’s Club District Fine Arts Festival. Some of the winners were Mrs. Howard Penny in macramé and Mrs. Ray Brewer in stamped needlepoint. The Coats club had placed second in the news writing category won by Mrs. Ray Brewer. Mrs. Herbert Johnson also took second place ribbon for her quilting.
The last Coats related article to appear in that Feb.21th edition was about Dr. Donald Moore of Coats who had headed the efforts to enlist individual friends of Campbell College outside of Harnett County as founders of the Campbell College School of Law.
The ground, bushes, yard ornaments and vehicles outside of garages were covered with a blanket of snow and everything was at a standstill (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1978).
The Future Homemakers of America at Coats had held its initiations of its new members. The festivities consumed the day and the highlights were in the way they were dressed in masquerade party outfits. The two students who had taken prizes were Kathy Turlington and Tonya Barnes (Daily Record Feb. 27, 1978).
That same paper wrote that J. Shell Stewart, 83, of Route One, Coats had died at the GHH in Erwin. His services were at the Erwin Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Colie Rock and Ralph Byrd. He was survived by his children, S. Earl Stewart and Mary Hazel Byrd.
Mr. and Mrs. John Wiggins of Coats had announced the birth of a daughter, Jennifer Blair Wiggins at Wake Medical Center. Mrs. Wiggins was the former Jennifer Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walton Johnson of Benson and Mrs. Ihrie Wiggins was the other grandparent (Daily Record Feb. 23, 1978).
While the people in Coats were sleeping, Mother Nature dropped another snowfall on the area and froze water on the power lines (Daily Record Mar. 3, 1978).
Mrs. Stella Sorrell Ennis, 96, of Route One, Coats, had died on Saturday. Her services were held at Red Hill PFWB Church with burial in the church cemetery. She was survived by four sons-Ed C., R.O., Richard A. (Tom), and Hunter. Her three daughters were Mrs. H.E. Creech, Mrs. F. G. Moffitt and Mrs. Lillian E. Williams. She was the daughter of the late William Richard Sorrell and Mary Eliza Hodges Sorrell and the widow of Walter Ennis (Daily Record Mar. 6, 1978).
Larry Turlington had been doing some old-fashioned car campaigning to meet the voters (Daily Record Mar. 7, 1978).
In 1978, 7.75 percent interest could be earned on six-year certificates with a $1,000 minimum (Daily Record Mar. 8, 1978).
Two government checks were taken when the Coats Postmaster found two boxes had been opened sometime on Monday night. Coats Officer Jerry Smith was investigating (Daily Record Mar. 9, 1978). Does anyone remember the outcome of that investigation?
I do know that Sammie C. Byrd, 76, of Coats, had died at Wake Memorial Hospital. His services were held at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with burial in the church cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Flonnie E. Byrd; one son, Graham Byrd, and daughters were Mrs. Faye Williford and Mrs. Pauline Wood. His siblings were Mrs. Callie Lee and Mrs. Myrtle Lee and half siblings were Edward Byrd, Mrs. Otis Penny and Mrs. Ruth Puckett (Daily Record Mar. 9, 1978).
The same copy of the Daily Record reported that Mrs. Mildred Miller Whittington, 60, had died on Wednesday. She was survived by Hampton, Johnny and Jack Whittington. Mrs. Nina Barnes, Mrs. Cleo Byrd, Mrs. Margaret Keymas, Prentiss, Fred, Bernice and Billy Miller were her siblings.
Ron Peters, Coats Police Chief, was the only registered polygraphist in the area (Daily Record Mar. 10, 1978). He was around Coats many years; does anyone know where he is today? Did he not also have a son to attend the Coats High School?
I do know that the Coats Woman’s Club had asked to use part of the community building for club meetings. You do recall how many times those ladies had raised funds to improve that building? You may also remember that it was through the generosity of Gerald and David Langdon that the town of Coats had a generous amount of land to build a recreational park for the Coats community. The Daily Record Mar. 10, 1978 wrote that Gerald and David Langdon were the property owners who signed over their land to the town commissioners for the recreational park (Daily Record mar. 10, 1978)).
The Harnett County Farm Bureau and the 4-H program sponsored a 4-H Fire Safety poster contest. Calvin Allen McNeill, a fifth grader from Coats, won the second place and Paul McLeod of Coats won third according to that same edition of the paper. Question-who won the first prize?
Do you remember that Larry Turlington from the Turlington Crossroads area was running for the seat held by Congressman Charlie Whitley in the US House of Representative? According to the April 10, 1978 Daily Record, Larry had as his campaign slogan “We Need Each Other.”
Cliff Morris was to marry Judy Elizabeth Rose (Daily Record Apr. 13, l978). On the school scene, Kathy Weaver and Jackie Rowland were elected as Coats “Students of the Month” (Daily Record Apr. 19, 1978).
Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey Tart announced the engagement of their daughter, Linda Sue Tart, to Wayne Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Thompson (Daily Record Apr. 20, 1978).
The headlines flashed across the paper read “The Dunn Dispatch to Cease Publication Today; Ends 63 Years Serving Harnett County” (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1978.
The Raleigh Times had endorsed Mrs. Anne Moore, a Campbell College administrator and history professor, for the NC State Senate Seat. The editorial described her as “quiet, dignified, and direct person who describes herself as a missionary” (Daily Record May 1, 1978). Who remembers if Dr. Anne won or lost that election? How many NC State senators and representatives have we had from the Coats area of Harnett County?
Death visited the Coats area again and took a man that was often seen around the school. J.D. Fish, 57, had died on Friday. His services were held at the Coats Methodist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. His wife was Isabelle Godwin Fish. He was father of to four children-Joseph D, Jr., Tim Fish, Janice Holder and Kay Tombs. His mother was Ida Johnson Fish (Daily Record May 1, 1978).
A couple of questions: was Mr. Fish the grandson of Preachers Dol Johnson and son-in-law of Blaney Godwin? Did his son Joseph, Jr. make a name for himself on the six-man football team at Coats High? Do you have memories of his other children?
The following is a name that comes up over and over at the museum when individuals remember their days growing up in the town of Coats. Howard Barnes, 66, a retired merchant, had died. Funeral services were at the Coats Baptist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Iris Langdon Barnes, and two daughters-Dorothy Valsame and Allie Mae Herring (Daily Record May 5, 1978). Many visitors to the museum recall that he sold Philco televisions often gave free ice cream to the children and listened as local men did community chat inside his store.
If the person responsible for stealing two government checks from the post office had been apprehended, it was not announced in the paper as of May, 1978. However, we did learn that Police Officer Jerry Smith, who was in charge of that investigation and a Coats officer since 1976, did receive a promotion to the rank sergeant (Daily Record May 5, 1978).
A special thank you goes to Rhonda Denning Stephenson for her Coats Museum memorial for Belle Williams who touched so many lives in the Coats community. H. L. and I have also remembered Belle Williams and Alice Stewart Ennis with memorials to the Coats Museum. Our good friends Ronnie and Sue Parrish recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and we are delighted to honor them with an honorarium to the museum.
We had a busy day at the museum last Thursday and were so excited to have Brenda Rhiner and Cora Dykes helping out with the various tasks at the museum. The museum always has fun and interesting happenings and we invite all to join us on Thursdays and Sundays for tours or research.
The calendar continued to display the year 1978. The cost of mailing a letter was fifteen cents. The population of the world was 4.4 billion and was growing at a rate of 200,000 a day. There were 76 million households in the USA. Twenty thousand people wrote to suggest that Miss Piggy win the Academy Award for best actress for 1978. Major League baseball drew a record 40 million fans (Dickson, Paul. From Elvis to E-Mail. Massachusetts: Federal Street Press 1999, p. 235).
In the Grove area, a wedding was being planned by Shelia Faith, daughter of Keith Wayne Lloyd, Sr., to Charles David Wrench, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles David Wrench, Sr. In the same Feb. 21, 1978 edition of the Daily Record, it was printed that Lu Ann Stewart and James Randy Hedgepeth had made the Dean’s List at UNC Chapel Hill.
Another article printed in the same edition shared that the Coats Woman’s Club was a first place winner at the NC Federation of Woman’s Club District Fine Arts Festival. Some of the winners were Mrs. Howard Penny in macramé and Mrs. Ray Brewer in stamped needlepoint. The Coats club had placed second in the news writing category won by Mrs. Ray Brewer. Mrs. Herbert Johnson also took second place ribbon for her quilting.
The last Coats related article to appear in that Feb.21th edition was about Dr. Donald Moore of Coats who had headed the efforts to enlist individual friends of Campbell College outside of Harnett County as founders of the Campbell College School of Law.
The ground, bushes, yard ornaments and vehicles outside of garages were covered with a blanket of snow and everything was at a standstill (Daily Record Feb. 22, 1978).
The Future Homemakers of America at Coats had held its initiations of its new members. The festivities consumed the day and the highlights were in the way they were dressed in masquerade party outfits. The two students who had taken prizes were Kathy Turlington and Tonya Barnes (Daily Record Feb. 27, 1978).
That same paper wrote that J. Shell Stewart, 83, of Route One, Coats had died at the GHH in Erwin. His services were at the Erwin Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Colie Rock and Ralph Byrd. He was survived by his children, S. Earl Stewart and Mary Hazel Byrd.
Mr. and Mrs. John Wiggins of Coats had announced the birth of a daughter, Jennifer Blair Wiggins at Wake Medical Center. Mrs. Wiggins was the former Jennifer Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walton Johnson of Benson and Mrs. Ihrie Wiggins was the other grandparent (Daily Record Feb. 23, 1978).
While the people in Coats were sleeping, Mother Nature dropped another snowfall on the area and froze water on the power lines (Daily Record Mar. 3, 1978).
Mrs. Stella Sorrell Ennis, 96, of Route One, Coats, had died on Saturday. Her services were held at Red Hill PFWB Church with burial in the church cemetery. She was survived by four sons-Ed C., R.O., Richard A. (Tom), and Hunter. Her three daughters were Mrs. H.E. Creech, Mrs. F. G. Moffitt and Mrs. Lillian E. Williams. She was the daughter of the late William Richard Sorrell and Mary Eliza Hodges Sorrell and the widow of Walter Ennis (Daily Record Mar. 6, 1978).
Larry Turlington had been doing some old-fashioned car campaigning to meet the voters (Daily Record Mar. 7, 1978).
In 1978, 7.75 percent interest could be earned on six-year certificates with a $1,000 minimum (Daily Record Mar. 8, 1978).
Two government checks were taken when the Coats Postmaster found two boxes had been opened sometime on Monday night. Coats Officer Jerry Smith was investigating (Daily Record Mar. 9, 1978). Does anyone remember the outcome of that investigation?
I do know that Sammie C. Byrd, 76, of Coats, had died at Wake Memorial Hospital. His services were held at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with burial in the church cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Flonnie E. Byrd; one son, Graham Byrd, and daughters were Mrs. Faye Williford and Mrs. Pauline Wood. His siblings were Mrs. Callie Lee and Mrs. Myrtle Lee and half siblings were Edward Byrd, Mrs. Otis Penny and Mrs. Ruth Puckett (Daily Record Mar. 9, 1978).
The same copy of the Daily Record reported that Mrs. Mildred Miller Whittington, 60, had died on Wednesday. She was survived by Hampton, Johnny and Jack Whittington. Mrs. Nina Barnes, Mrs. Cleo Byrd, Mrs. Margaret Keymas, Prentiss, Fred, Bernice and Billy Miller were her siblings.
Ron Peters, Coats Police Chief, was the only registered polygraphist in the area (Daily Record Mar. 10, 1978). He was around Coats many years; does anyone know where he is today? Did he not also have a son to attend the Coats High School?
I do know that the Coats Woman’s Club had asked to use part of the community building for club meetings. You do recall how many times those ladies had raised funds to improve that building? You may also remember that it was through the generosity of Gerald and David Langdon that the town of Coats had a generous amount of land to build a recreational park for the Coats community. The Daily Record Mar. 10, 1978 wrote that Gerald and David Langdon were the property owners who signed over their land to the town commissioners for the recreational park (Daily Record mar. 10, 1978)).
The Harnett County Farm Bureau and the 4-H program sponsored a 4-H Fire Safety poster contest. Calvin Allen McNeill, a fifth grader from Coats, won the second place and Paul McLeod of Coats won third according to that same edition of the paper. Question-who won the first prize?
Do you remember that Larry Turlington from the Turlington Crossroads area was running for the seat held by Congressman Charlie Whitley in the US House of Representative? According to the April 10, 1978 Daily Record, Larry had as his campaign slogan “We Need Each Other.”
Cliff Morris was to marry Judy Elizabeth Rose (Daily Record Apr. 13, l978). On the school scene, Kathy Weaver and Jackie Rowland were elected as Coats “Students of the Month” (Daily Record Apr. 19, 1978).
Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey Tart announced the engagement of their daughter, Linda Sue Tart, to Wayne Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Thompson (Daily Record Apr. 20, 1978).
The headlines flashed across the paper read “The Dunn Dispatch to Cease Publication Today; Ends 63 Years Serving Harnett County” (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1978.
The Raleigh Times had endorsed Mrs. Anne Moore, a Campbell College administrator and history professor, for the NC State Senate Seat. The editorial described her as “quiet, dignified, and direct person who describes herself as a missionary” (Daily Record May 1, 1978). Who remembers if Dr. Anne won or lost that election? How many NC State senators and representatives have we had from the Coats area of Harnett County?
Death visited the Coats area again and took a man that was often seen around the school. J.D. Fish, 57, had died on Friday. His services were held at the Coats Methodist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. His wife was Isabelle Godwin Fish. He was father of to four children-Joseph D, Jr., Tim Fish, Janice Holder and Kay Tombs. His mother was Ida Johnson Fish (Daily Record May 1, 1978).
A couple of questions: was Mr. Fish the grandson of Preachers Dol Johnson and son-in-law of Blaney Godwin? Did his son Joseph, Jr. make a name for himself on the six-man football team at Coats High? Do you have memories of his other children?
The following is a name that comes up over and over at the museum when individuals remember their days growing up in the town of Coats. Howard Barnes, 66, a retired merchant, had died. Funeral services were at the Coats Baptist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Iris Langdon Barnes, and two daughters-Dorothy Valsame and Allie Mae Herring (Daily Record May 5, 1978). Many visitors to the museum recall that he sold Philco televisions often gave free ice cream to the children and listened as local men did community chat inside his store.
If the person responsible for stealing two government checks from the post office had been apprehended, it was not announced in the paper as of May, 1978. However, we did learn that Police Officer Jerry Smith, who was in charge of that investigation and a Coats officer since 1976, did receive a promotion to the rank sergeant (Daily Record May 5, 1978).
A special thank you goes to Rhonda Denning Stephenson for her Coats Museum memorial for Belle Williams who touched so many lives in the Coats community. H. L. and I have also remembered Belle Williams and Alice Stewart Ennis with memorials to the Coats Museum. Our good friends Ronnie and Sue Parrish recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and we are delighted to honor them with an honorarium to the museum.
We had a busy day at the museum last Thursday and were so excited to have Brenda Rhiner and Cora Dykes helping out with the various tasks at the museum. The museum always has fun and interesting happenings and we invite all to join us on Thursdays and Sundays for tours or research.