June 6, 2025 Coats Museum News
What was going on in your life 30 years ago? According to the August 31, 1995 Daily Record edition, the CACC had saluted the Rose and Graham Funeral Home as the Business Focus of the Week. The business had come to Coats in 1970. The Benson firm was founded in 1905. (Ironically the year Coats became incorporated as a town.) The business was founded by the late J.H. Rose and then his son, Hiram Rose, followed his dad and before HIram Rose’s death, his son, Jimmie Rose, had joined his father in 1953. In 1978, Winn Graham joined the firm and later bought into the 90 year-old- funeral home business. Winn had married Anne Rose, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Rose.
Belle Williams in her “Notes from Coats” shared that William Pope of Route 1, Coats had recently passed the N.C. Bar Association and was sworn in on August 22 as a practicing attorney. Will’s proud parents were Bobby and Margaret Pope on Johnson Road.
Neighbors of Bobby and Margaret, H.L and Gayle Sorrell, also had a son to be proud of as Bryan had graduated from NCSU with honors in zoology and pre-vet studies. Bryan planned to attend the School of Veterinary Medicine at NCSU.
“Notes from Coats” shared that Mrs. Mattie Walker was 88 years old and had a second knee replacement. Cecil Stephenson was welcomed home after having several heart bypasses at Wake Medical. Sad news was G.R. Stephenson had undergone surgery on his leg last week. Ola Gardner was recovering from knee replacement and her son, David Gardner, was home after several months in Seattle, Washington where he had had bone marrow transplant. Betty Gregory was recovering from eye surgery. Baxton Pollard was home after a two week stay in UNC Memorial Hospital. It was not a surprise that grandson Lee Joseph Pollard had tied yellow ribbons to welcome him home.
Those who attended the wedding of Helen Lockamy and Ray Penny witnessed a western-style ceremony on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Raven Rock Overlook in Blowing Rock. Do you wonder who witnessed this scenic event? Names shared were Delbert and Edna Lockamy, Jerry and Carolyn Tart, Michelle LeNeave, Ashley and Tyler, Kelly Lee, Krista Ward, David Green, Jo Ann Allen, Kristy and Allen Murphy and son Dalton. What a unique yet beautiful setting for a wedding.
Nancy Ellen Gilliam 64, of Route 2, Coats had died at UNC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill. She was born in Wise County, VA. to the late Auburn and Nancy Hillman Gilliam. She was employed as an office manager with the U.S. Depart. of Commerce (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1995).
Some happy events were happening in the area. Wilber and Carolyn Perry and Carl and June Byrd had announced the engagement of their daughter, Angela Renee Byrd, to James Russell Wilson of Sanford, son of Janet Denning Wilson of the Benson Oakdale area. The wedding was planned for the Hodges Chapel Church (Daily Record Sept. 4, 1995).
Melody Hope Matthews, daughter of Nealie and Lucille Matthews of Buies Creek, and Roy Thomas McGee, Jr. announced their engagement. Tommy was the son of the late Roy and Lector McGee of Coats. Melody was employed at CCCC as a Basic Skills Specialist and Tommy was a building contractor (Daily Record Sept. 5, 1995).
Isn’t it amazing as we get older that our perspective of what is “old” changes? As a teenager, I always had to tell my parents who I was going on a date with-yes- I did have very strict and protective parents of eight daughters and I, the youngest, was not exempt from that ritual. My husband HL graduated from the university in three years so when he began to teach in high school, many of his students were only two to three years younger. Having absolutely no interest in H.L while I was a student in his class, he later called to ask if I wanted to go play some putt putt golf or bowling in Raleigh. My brain must have been on vacation or temporarily unplugged because I responded on the phone –“Sure”.
When H.L. arrived and I had to share with my dad that I wanted to go Raleigh with “Mr. Sorrell”, Dad promptly responded-“He’s old-who are his parents?” To this day, I am sure that the only reason that I was given permission to date that old man Sorrell was that H.L.’s granddaddy was Joe Penny, Sr. who was a good friend of my dad’s.
So when I write that Tony and Anna Belle Stewart and Lottie Lamm had attended the Durham Bulls game at the new stadium, I thought they are too old to be driving in all that traffic for a ballgame. Belle said the Bulls lost but the fans had a great evening. She even recalled that Thomas and she had enjoyed the Tobacco State League Games in Dunn with J.D. and Lottie Lamm and seldom missed a game.
All of these folks are deceased now and it is amazing that they were really not that old at the time that I thought they were. It is when those dying near our age that reality of death sets in. For example the deaths of Casey Jones, Bobby Pope and Ted Penny are reminders as their family and classmates have remembered them with memorials to the museum. Thank you so much, Ann, for remembering your husband Casey Jones and Ted Penny with memorials to the museum. We appreciate you so much.
What was going on in your life 30 years ago? According to the August 31, 1995 Daily Record edition, the CACC had saluted the Rose and Graham Funeral Home as the Business Focus of the Week. The business had come to Coats in 1970. The Benson firm was founded in 1905. (Ironically the year Coats became incorporated as a town.) The business was founded by the late J.H. Rose and then his son, Hiram Rose, followed his dad and before HIram Rose’s death, his son, Jimmie Rose, had joined his father in 1953. In 1978, Winn Graham joined the firm and later bought into the 90 year-old- funeral home business. Winn had married Anne Rose, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Rose.
Belle Williams in her “Notes from Coats” shared that William Pope of Route 1, Coats had recently passed the N.C. Bar Association and was sworn in on August 22 as a practicing attorney. Will’s proud parents were Bobby and Margaret Pope on Johnson Road.
Neighbors of Bobby and Margaret, H.L and Gayle Sorrell, also had a son to be proud of as Bryan had graduated from NCSU with honors in zoology and pre-vet studies. Bryan planned to attend the School of Veterinary Medicine at NCSU.
“Notes from Coats” shared that Mrs. Mattie Walker was 88 years old and had a second knee replacement. Cecil Stephenson was welcomed home after having several heart bypasses at Wake Medical. Sad news was G.R. Stephenson had undergone surgery on his leg last week. Ola Gardner was recovering from knee replacement and her son, David Gardner, was home after several months in Seattle, Washington where he had had bone marrow transplant. Betty Gregory was recovering from eye surgery. Baxton Pollard was home after a two week stay in UNC Memorial Hospital. It was not a surprise that grandson Lee Joseph Pollard had tied yellow ribbons to welcome him home.
Those who attended the wedding of Helen Lockamy and Ray Penny witnessed a western-style ceremony on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Raven Rock Overlook in Blowing Rock. Do you wonder who witnessed this scenic event? Names shared were Delbert and Edna Lockamy, Jerry and Carolyn Tart, Michelle LeNeave, Ashley and Tyler, Kelly Lee, Krista Ward, David Green, Jo Ann Allen, Kristy and Allen Murphy and son Dalton. What a unique yet beautiful setting for a wedding.
Nancy Ellen Gilliam 64, of Route 2, Coats had died at UNC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill. She was born in Wise County, VA. to the late Auburn and Nancy Hillman Gilliam. She was employed as an office manager with the U.S. Depart. of Commerce (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1995).
Some happy events were happening in the area. Wilber and Carolyn Perry and Carl and June Byrd had announced the engagement of their daughter, Angela Renee Byrd, to James Russell Wilson of Sanford, son of Janet Denning Wilson of the Benson Oakdale area. The wedding was planned for the Hodges Chapel Church (Daily Record Sept. 4, 1995).
Melody Hope Matthews, daughter of Nealie and Lucille Matthews of Buies Creek, and Roy Thomas McGee, Jr. announced their engagement. Tommy was the son of the late Roy and Lector McGee of Coats. Melody was employed at CCCC as a Basic Skills Specialist and Tommy was a building contractor (Daily Record Sept. 5, 1995).
Isn’t it amazing as we get older that our perspective of what is “old” changes? As a teenager, I always had to tell my parents who I was going on a date with-yes- I did have very strict and protective parents of eight daughters and I, the youngest, was not exempt from that ritual. My husband HL graduated from the university in three years so when he began to teach in high school, many of his students were only two to three years younger. Having absolutely no interest in H.L while I was a student in his class, he later called to ask if I wanted to go play some putt putt golf or bowling in Raleigh. My brain must have been on vacation or temporarily unplugged because I responded on the phone –“Sure”.
When H.L. arrived and I had to share with my dad that I wanted to go Raleigh with “Mr. Sorrell”, Dad promptly responded-“He’s old-who are his parents?” To this day, I am sure that the only reason that I was given permission to date that old man Sorrell was that H.L.’s granddaddy was Joe Penny, Sr. who was a good friend of my dad’s.
So when I write that Tony and Anna Belle Stewart and Lottie Lamm had attended the Durham Bulls game at the new stadium, I thought they are too old to be driving in all that traffic for a ballgame. Belle said the Bulls lost but the fans had a great evening. She even recalled that Thomas and she had enjoyed the Tobacco State League Games in Dunn with J.D. and Lottie Lamm and seldom missed a game.
All of these folks are deceased now and it is amazing that they were really not that old at the time that I thought they were. It is when those dying near our age that reality of death sets in. For example the deaths of Casey Jones, Bobby Pope and Ted Penny are reminders as their family and classmates have remembered them with memorials to the museum. Thank you so much, Ann, for remembering your husband Casey Jones and Ted Penny with memorials to the museum. We appreciate you so much.