June 11, 2021 Coats Museum News
The July 7, 1987 edition of the Daily Record really promoted Coats. Not only did it recap the history of the Harnett town but it also provided current news which gave historical insight for future generations. The paper shared that Coats was “Home of the Wagon Train” and “the Town of Coats is on the Move.” An advertisement page featured the town’s businesses and the statement “You’re Always Welcome in Coats!”
Oakdale Baptist Church had a huge “Dependence Day Celebration worship service featuring the “World’s Largest Firecracker” which was 12 feet tall loaded with the “World’s Most Powerful Force.” It was set to go off at the close of the Sunday morning service. The evening service was to be a “Watermelon Fellowship.” M.O. Phillips was scheduled to speak to the Dunn FellowSHARE Christian Businessmen’s breakfast. He was to share a series of 50 color slides of some of the most beautiful scenes of North Carolina and it was titled, NC and God” (Daily Record July 3, 1987). Would you have loved to have attended those two events?
Miss Vanessa Dorman, daughter of Jimmy Dorman and Sandy Dorman, won the Miss Photographic Award in the Miss Carolina Spring Pageant held at Erwin Middle School. Notes from Coats also reported that sympathy was expressed to the family of Mr. Ray Langdon and to Mr. Holt Cannady in the loss of his mother, Mrs. Louise Harvey.
Dale Ennis and his family were welcomed back to Coats after their years away while working with Food Lion Stores. He had very good training for the food store industry with the teachings of his dad-Earl Ennis. Dale had helped his dad in the Earl’s Self Service grocery store in Coats.
Heather Leigh McLamb, daughter of Marshall and Cindy Barnes McLamb celebrated her first birthday. Her maternal grandparents were Hearley and Blondell Barnes. Question-does Blondell continue to work at the Coats Pharmacy where her pleasant personality always made one feel special?
I do know according to Wanda Pollard in her Coats Social Notes that Delbert Lockamy and his wife Edna had just returned from a mountain vacation of touring and sightseeing. They also attended the National Junior Order Convention in Martinsburg, Virginia on the trip.
Mrs. Pearl Hayes celebrated her 89th birthday. Those attending the dinner at Lane’s Seafood and Steak were her son Gerald Hayes, Sr.; daughter Shirley Faye Stephenson and her husband, Holt Stephenson; daughter, Josie Lynn and her husband, O.B. Currin. Her grandchildren present were Linda and Gerald Hayes, Jr., Angela and Terry Godwin and Lynn Stephenson. Great-grandchildren attending were Heather and Parrish Hayes, Andrea and Steven Godwin and Matthew Currin.
Special recognition went to Keith McLeod for his volunteering with the fire department in Coats. He had graduated in 1969 from Coats High School and was the son of Victor and Grace McLeod. He was married to Wanda Lynn Lee and had two children-Stephanie and Angela McLeod. Keith was secretary for the Harnett County Fire Association and was Fire Chief of the Coats Grove Fire Department. He was also a member of the Rescue Squad and an EMT. Doesn’t it read like that recognition was well earned?
Wedding anniversaries were celebrated by Rev. and Mrs. Ralph Byrd, Mr. and Mrs. Keith McLeod, Dr. and Mrs. Harold Dixon, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Royal, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Tyndall, Mr. and Mrs. Millard Lamm and Mr. and Mrs. Earl Jones.
Birthday wishes went out to Kenneth Pollard, Diane Ralph Lanier, Stacy Godwin, Olene B. Ennis, Diana Danenburg, Diane Parrish, Elizabeth Guy, Hearley Barnes, Kemp Stewart, Carolyn Spears, Joyce Stewart, and Charles Ivey, Sr (Daily Record July 9, 1987).
The Coats IGA Store received a national recognition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for the “Beef Shootout” promotion. M.T. Strickland submitted the scrapbook to the panel of judges and was very pleased to be the one selected as the winner for the IGA stores. The Coats IGA scrapbook was made with the help of the Triton Agriculture Department who made the wooden cover for the poster size scrapbook. Strickland‘s daughter, Sharon Stevens, laid out and designed the scrapbook. In true “shootout “style, the scrapbook was delivered in a covered wagon.
Young Heather Inez Flowers celebrated her 9th birthday. She was daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Flowers and granddaughter of Mrs. Lura Flowers of Coats (Daily Record July 9, 1987).
A reception was given to honor the 50th Anniversary of Rev. and Mrs. Ralph Byrd. The hosts of the event were their six children and spouses and their grandchildren. They were Billie Jean Garriss, wife of Frankie Garriss, and their children-Beth and Connie; Pat Ellis, wife of Rev. Condary Ellis, Jr., and their children-Condary Ellis, III, and Sheree Ellis; Judy Bandy, wife of Lee Bandy; Larry Byrd and wife, Linda Byrd, and son Larry Byrd, Jr.; Ronnie Byrd and his wife Cathy , and their children-Jeremy and Melissa Byrd; Sherry Royal and husband Wayne Royal and their daughters- Elizabeth, Ashley and Magan Royal. At the request of the honorees, contributions could be made to the Heritage Bible College in lieu of gifts (Daily Record July 10, 1987).
Who remembers this business that was recognized by the CACC? Family Video Rentals was the Business Focus of the Week and was owned by Keith and Brenda Gregory who had bought the McKnight Drugstore Building and established the business in the old Fleetwood Adams Barber Shop space. The firm employed Karen Faircloth, Kim Faircloth and Jim Gregory (Daily Record July 14, 1987).
How many of you recall that a mural was painted on the inside wall of the Coats School cafeteria? The building was completed in 1957 after which the students no longer had to eat in the basement cafeteria located in the 1921 brick building. Carolyn Tart painted the beautiful mural which she painted five hours a day for one week and she worked without the aid of sketches or pictures. Her husband, Richard Tart, was her only support person for the project.
The idea was that of Dot Ferrell, the cafeteria manager. She was very proud of the improvements she had made to the building-adding curtains and air conditioning and the mural. All the funds had to be raised by the staff having supper fundraisers.
Do you have memories of certain foods served in that cafeteria? Do you recall the homemade vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and especially the turkey and dressing? Wonder how hard it was to prepare food to feed all those hungry students. In 1954 that would have been 1042 students plus teachers if they all ate.
How many of you had R. Hal Smith as your principal at Coats High School? Do you recall that his wife was a second grade teacher and their two sons, Bobby and Billy Smith, were both outstanding students and athletes? Billy dropped by the museum on Sunday and left his military information with Andy Cole. It will be entered into our second “Defenders of the Red, White and Blue” publication. Billy, the volunteers thank you for your military information and for your generous donation to the museum. Please come back and share your Smith family genealogy for the Research Library.
The July 7, 1987 edition of the Daily Record really promoted Coats. Not only did it recap the history of the Harnett town but it also provided current news which gave historical insight for future generations. The paper shared that Coats was “Home of the Wagon Train” and “the Town of Coats is on the Move.” An advertisement page featured the town’s businesses and the statement “You’re Always Welcome in Coats!”
Oakdale Baptist Church had a huge “Dependence Day Celebration worship service featuring the “World’s Largest Firecracker” which was 12 feet tall loaded with the “World’s Most Powerful Force.” It was set to go off at the close of the Sunday morning service. The evening service was to be a “Watermelon Fellowship.” M.O. Phillips was scheduled to speak to the Dunn FellowSHARE Christian Businessmen’s breakfast. He was to share a series of 50 color slides of some of the most beautiful scenes of North Carolina and it was titled, NC and God” (Daily Record July 3, 1987). Would you have loved to have attended those two events?
Miss Vanessa Dorman, daughter of Jimmy Dorman and Sandy Dorman, won the Miss Photographic Award in the Miss Carolina Spring Pageant held at Erwin Middle School. Notes from Coats also reported that sympathy was expressed to the family of Mr. Ray Langdon and to Mr. Holt Cannady in the loss of his mother, Mrs. Louise Harvey.
Dale Ennis and his family were welcomed back to Coats after their years away while working with Food Lion Stores. He had very good training for the food store industry with the teachings of his dad-Earl Ennis. Dale had helped his dad in the Earl’s Self Service grocery store in Coats.
Heather Leigh McLamb, daughter of Marshall and Cindy Barnes McLamb celebrated her first birthday. Her maternal grandparents were Hearley and Blondell Barnes. Question-does Blondell continue to work at the Coats Pharmacy where her pleasant personality always made one feel special?
I do know according to Wanda Pollard in her Coats Social Notes that Delbert Lockamy and his wife Edna had just returned from a mountain vacation of touring and sightseeing. They also attended the National Junior Order Convention in Martinsburg, Virginia on the trip.
Mrs. Pearl Hayes celebrated her 89th birthday. Those attending the dinner at Lane’s Seafood and Steak were her son Gerald Hayes, Sr.; daughter Shirley Faye Stephenson and her husband, Holt Stephenson; daughter, Josie Lynn and her husband, O.B. Currin. Her grandchildren present were Linda and Gerald Hayes, Jr., Angela and Terry Godwin and Lynn Stephenson. Great-grandchildren attending were Heather and Parrish Hayes, Andrea and Steven Godwin and Matthew Currin.
Special recognition went to Keith McLeod for his volunteering with the fire department in Coats. He had graduated in 1969 from Coats High School and was the son of Victor and Grace McLeod. He was married to Wanda Lynn Lee and had two children-Stephanie and Angela McLeod. Keith was secretary for the Harnett County Fire Association and was Fire Chief of the Coats Grove Fire Department. He was also a member of the Rescue Squad and an EMT. Doesn’t it read like that recognition was well earned?
Wedding anniversaries were celebrated by Rev. and Mrs. Ralph Byrd, Mr. and Mrs. Keith McLeod, Dr. and Mrs. Harold Dixon, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Royal, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Tyndall, Mr. and Mrs. Millard Lamm and Mr. and Mrs. Earl Jones.
Birthday wishes went out to Kenneth Pollard, Diane Ralph Lanier, Stacy Godwin, Olene B. Ennis, Diana Danenburg, Diane Parrish, Elizabeth Guy, Hearley Barnes, Kemp Stewart, Carolyn Spears, Joyce Stewart, and Charles Ivey, Sr (Daily Record July 9, 1987).
The Coats IGA Store received a national recognition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for the “Beef Shootout” promotion. M.T. Strickland submitted the scrapbook to the panel of judges and was very pleased to be the one selected as the winner for the IGA stores. The Coats IGA scrapbook was made with the help of the Triton Agriculture Department who made the wooden cover for the poster size scrapbook. Strickland‘s daughter, Sharon Stevens, laid out and designed the scrapbook. In true “shootout “style, the scrapbook was delivered in a covered wagon.
Young Heather Inez Flowers celebrated her 9th birthday. She was daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Flowers and granddaughter of Mrs. Lura Flowers of Coats (Daily Record July 9, 1987).
A reception was given to honor the 50th Anniversary of Rev. and Mrs. Ralph Byrd. The hosts of the event were their six children and spouses and their grandchildren. They were Billie Jean Garriss, wife of Frankie Garriss, and their children-Beth and Connie; Pat Ellis, wife of Rev. Condary Ellis, Jr., and their children-Condary Ellis, III, and Sheree Ellis; Judy Bandy, wife of Lee Bandy; Larry Byrd and wife, Linda Byrd, and son Larry Byrd, Jr.; Ronnie Byrd and his wife Cathy , and their children-Jeremy and Melissa Byrd; Sherry Royal and husband Wayne Royal and their daughters- Elizabeth, Ashley and Magan Royal. At the request of the honorees, contributions could be made to the Heritage Bible College in lieu of gifts (Daily Record July 10, 1987).
Who remembers this business that was recognized by the CACC? Family Video Rentals was the Business Focus of the Week and was owned by Keith and Brenda Gregory who had bought the McKnight Drugstore Building and established the business in the old Fleetwood Adams Barber Shop space. The firm employed Karen Faircloth, Kim Faircloth and Jim Gregory (Daily Record July 14, 1987).
How many of you recall that a mural was painted on the inside wall of the Coats School cafeteria? The building was completed in 1957 after which the students no longer had to eat in the basement cafeteria located in the 1921 brick building. Carolyn Tart painted the beautiful mural which she painted five hours a day for one week and she worked without the aid of sketches or pictures. Her husband, Richard Tart, was her only support person for the project.
The idea was that of Dot Ferrell, the cafeteria manager. She was very proud of the improvements she had made to the building-adding curtains and air conditioning and the mural. All the funds had to be raised by the staff having supper fundraisers.
Do you have memories of certain foods served in that cafeteria? Do you recall the homemade vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and especially the turkey and dressing? Wonder how hard it was to prepare food to feed all those hungry students. In 1954 that would have been 1042 students plus teachers if they all ate.
How many of you had R. Hal Smith as your principal at Coats High School? Do you recall that his wife was a second grade teacher and their two sons, Bobby and Billy Smith, were both outstanding students and athletes? Billy dropped by the museum on Sunday and left his military information with Andy Cole. It will be entered into our second “Defenders of the Red, White and Blue” publication. Billy, the volunteers thank you for your military information and for your generous donation to the museum. Please come back and share your Smith family genealogy for the Research Library.