March 16, 2018 Coats Museum News
Read very carefully the following bit of news that was printed in the Daily Record on March 28, 1969 as it is relevant to the Coats governing board. State Representative James Penny had introduced a bill in the legislature to change the terms of the members of the Coats City Council from staggered terms to all four year terms. The bill would provide for four-year terms of all councilmen and a two-year term for the mayor. It also called for the municipal election in Coats on Tuesday after the first Tuesday in May 1969 and biennially thereafter. The terms of the council would change under the bill except at the election in 1969 when the two top vote getters would serve four years. The next two candidates receiving the next highest votes would receive two-year terms, but at elections thereafter, the elections would be for four-year terms all around.
Coats news was being made in Erwin as it was announced that Miss Pamela Wolf was a contestant in the Miss Erwin pageant. Pamela was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Wolf of rural Coats (Daily Record Mar. 25, 1969).
I do know that W. Henry Weddings, 76, a retired farmer, had died on Thursday. His services were held at the Coats Baptist Church. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Sadie P. Weddings and their ten children-Mrs. Martha Driver, Mrs. Lou Sanders, Mrs. Annie Stephenson, Ira, Charlie, B.L, Howard and Harry Weddings (Daily Record Mar. 28, 1969). Can anyone share more information about this family? That was a full table. We do not have any Weddings veterans in our Defenders of the Red, White and Blue military book.
The colorful Erwin pageant left Miss Pamela Wolf as the second runner-up (Daily Record Mar. 31, 1969).
The Coats Election Bill, piloted by Rep. James Penny and Senator Bill Staton, was passed into law (Daily Record Apr. 1, 1969).
Sherrill Coats, Army Private First Class, and son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sherrill Coats, was assigned to the 34th Battalion near Phu Lai Vietnam, as a cook. His wife was Linda Coats (Daily Record Apr. 1, 1969).
We often see a veteran wearing a cap displaying the words, “Vietnam Veteran”. It might be of interest to read that Vietnam vets made up 9.7% of their generation. One out of 10 of those Vietnam soldiers was a war casualty. The number of Americans killed in action was 47, 434 and 10,786 dying as a result of war for a total of 58,148 deaths. There were 304,000 soldiers wounded out of the 2.7 million who served.
The Coats area sent a large number of our young men to Vietnam. Eight of them lost their lives there. The Daily Record Memorial Day edition prints the names of those who gave their lives for our country beginning with WWI. The paper printed that 26 Harnett County men died in the Vietnam War. Eight of those men from Coats were Donny Rae Campbell, Jerry Allen Dennis, Albert Lee Johnson, Larry Doby McKoy, William Brice Parnell, Leonard Monroe Parrish, Donald David Stewart and William Sherrill Willis. The math indicates that Coats had 30.76% of the county’s death casualties. Others from our area would be among the 304,000 who were wounded.
The Vietnam War would continue for another five years as we slowly revisited the year 1969. Back home in Harnett County, the residents likely enjoyed the beauty that was displayed as the weather had warmed. The bright red cardinals fluttered from tender green grass to flowering white dogwoods. The season of renewed life was the time of death for Mrs. Beulah Stancil, 66, of Benson. She was the mother of Mrs. Inez Holland of Holland Furniture.
In the Coats area, Mr. and Mrs. Johnny V. Williams announced the engagement of their daughter, Phyllis Annette, to Mr. Thomas M. McDonald, son of Mr. Thomas M. McDonald of rural Dunn. Phyllis was a Coats High School graduate who worked at Burlington Industries. Her fiancé’ was an Erwin high graduate and a two-year graduate of Entomology at NC State University. He was in medical training with the US Army in Texas (Daily Record Apr. 7, 1969).
Brookie Sorrell West was honored for her outstanding work by the executive staff and employees of the Jefferson-Carolina Corporation that owned the cablevision of Dunn-Erwin (Daily Record Apr. 8, 1969).
Sherrill and Linda Whitman Moore visited her brother, SP4 Danny Whitman at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert, Mr. and Mrs. James Whitman and his sister Barbara had also made the trip (Daily Record (Daily Record April 10, 1969). Can you imagine the excitement in that car as they traveled that long distance?
Mrs. Carrie Turlington Parker, 80, had died on Friday. Martin Turlington of Coats was her brother and Mrs. Edna P. Byrd and Mrs. Merlie Upchurch were daughters (Daily Record Apr. 14, 1969).
Coats Principal was the newly elected president of the Harnett County NCAE (Daily Record Apr. 15, 1969).
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Johnson announced the birth of a son. Mrs. Johnson was the former Janell Weaver (Daily Record Apr. 15, 1969).
Who remembers the name R. Hal Smith? He had been a principal of Coats. Upon leaving Coats, he went to Angier High School where he retired as principal after having given 33 years to education in Harnett County Schools. He had started as a classroom teacher of five years at Benhaven and then seven years as its principal. He came to Coats in 1946-47 and worked there for fourteen years having left in 1959 to attend graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill. In 1962, he became principal of Angier High School where he was principal for seven years. His wife Olivia was a teacher. Their two sons, Captain Robert Smith (USAF) and Major Smith (US Army) were outstanding Coats High graduates.
Another outstanding Coats graduate who served his country was Lee Gregory. In 1969, Lee was Sgt. Lee Gregory who was on duty at Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand. Sgt. Gregory was a food service specialist and was son of Mr. and Mrs. I. H. Gregory of Coats (Daily Record Apr. 16, 1969).
Johnnie L. Adams, 44, of Coats, had died and his services were held at Sandy Grove PBC by Elders Calvin Howard and Silas Williams (Daily Record Apr. 18, 1969).
Army Private First Class Cecil W. Stephenson, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd W. Stephenson, of Route One, Coats, had completed an air defense radar repairman course at the Army Signal School at Fort Monmouth, NJ (Daily Record Apr. 21, 1969).
Alonzo Thornton, a farmer of near Benson, had died on Saturday. His services were held at the Rose and Graham Funeral Home in Benson with burial at the Elevation Church Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Dorothy Eason Thornton and children-Sherwood, Eddie Ray, Sammy and Kay (Stuart) Johnson. His siblings were Mrs. Jonah Johnson, Jake, Leon, and Charlie Thornton. Happier news came to two Coats families. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Williams announced the engagement of their daughter Marilyn Janice Williams to Monroe P. Lee, Jr., son of M.P. Lee, Sr. (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1969).
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Buffkin announced the engagement of their daughter Sue to Airman Ronnie Parrish, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Parrish. Sue was a Cleveland High graduate and Ronnie was a 1965 Coats High graduate (Daily Record Apr.29, 1969).
The annual pageant to select the Coats Miss Junior Order was planned. It would be held in the Coats High School auditorium. Lamar Stone and Hap Hansen would direct and MC the event. The girls who would compete for the title were Carolyn Giles, Teresa Langdon, Lou Stewart, Cathy Norris, Elaine Dixon, Joy Weaver, Gayle Wilkins, Sybil Lamm, and Gennie Sorrell. Does anyone know who won?
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Flowers had announced that their daughter Sandra Flowers would marry Lynwood Massengill of Benson. The bride was a graduate of Coats High and ECU. She was teaching at Erwin high School. Mr. Massengill was sales representative for Montgomery Green in Raleigh. Other news reported in the same edition was that the NC Extension Homemakers Association met at the Dunn Woman’s Club. Mrs. Mack R. Hudson was District President (Daily Record Apr. 30, 1969).
Pretty Miss Neta Lee, the 1968 Miss Coats Junior Order, had plans to crown the 1969 Miss Coats Junior Order at the Coats High School. We also learned in that same edition that it was officially announced that the Terre Hill, which made lingerie and sports clothing, would add 15,000 square feet to the manufacturing plant that had begun operating in 1967. The expansion would total 45,000 sq. ft. for the entire facility (Daily Record May 8, 1969).
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ray Stephenson of Coats were parents of a son on May 12th at GHH. The mother was the former Ruby Baker (Daily Record May 12, 1969).
Lacy F. Langdon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Merchant Langdon, had become the first New Bern Jaycee to be elected National Director of the Southeastern division of N.C. Jaycees (Daily Record May 12, 1969).
It is always a delight to talk to those who read the column weekly. Teeny Pleasant, who for years worked faithfully with the Coats Boys Scouts, recently shared how he had enjoyed working with the young students all those years. He especially remembered that Marc Powell had earned his Eagle. Teeny and his wife made it a family thing because I remember hearing how they would give the scouts Christmas parties at the community building. Since Marc and Jean Powell have returned to Coats, hopefully Teeny and Marc can share memories of their Boy Scouts days.
Teeny’s niece, Jeanette Stewart Pleasant, dropped by the museum to share many interesting business and personal papers of Ervin Stewart, a businessman in Coats in the 1950’s and operator of a store at the intersection of McKinley and Main Street. What is your current light bill? Mr. and Mrs. Stewart’s bill was under $6.00 most months. It is amazing what one can learn from just looking at old papers saved by our ancestors. Thank you, Jeanette, you made the day very interesting and delightful. We also enjoyed a visit from two of my former classmates-Jimmy and Ann Beasley Jones. They, too, donated some interesting items from the home of Lib Guy. Some doilies possibly made by Lib’s mom or grandmother, Mrs. Mollie Stewart, gave Lynda Butler a chance to use Robie’s mother’s doily stretchers. Did you know there was such a thing? A beautiful glass tray from Lib’s house has a new home in our pre WW1 bedroom. Thanks –Jeanette, Ann and Jimmy Jones.
Special thanks go to the Coats United Methodist Church and Jan and Jim Slusser for remembering Joe Tart’s mom, Mrs. Hazel Tart, with a memorial donation to the museum.
Read very carefully the following bit of news that was printed in the Daily Record on March 28, 1969 as it is relevant to the Coats governing board. State Representative James Penny had introduced a bill in the legislature to change the terms of the members of the Coats City Council from staggered terms to all four year terms. The bill would provide for four-year terms of all councilmen and a two-year term for the mayor. It also called for the municipal election in Coats on Tuesday after the first Tuesday in May 1969 and biennially thereafter. The terms of the council would change under the bill except at the election in 1969 when the two top vote getters would serve four years. The next two candidates receiving the next highest votes would receive two-year terms, but at elections thereafter, the elections would be for four-year terms all around.
Coats news was being made in Erwin as it was announced that Miss Pamela Wolf was a contestant in the Miss Erwin pageant. Pamela was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Wolf of rural Coats (Daily Record Mar. 25, 1969).
I do know that W. Henry Weddings, 76, a retired farmer, had died on Thursday. His services were held at the Coats Baptist Church. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Sadie P. Weddings and their ten children-Mrs. Martha Driver, Mrs. Lou Sanders, Mrs. Annie Stephenson, Ira, Charlie, B.L, Howard and Harry Weddings (Daily Record Mar. 28, 1969). Can anyone share more information about this family? That was a full table. We do not have any Weddings veterans in our Defenders of the Red, White and Blue military book.
The colorful Erwin pageant left Miss Pamela Wolf as the second runner-up (Daily Record Mar. 31, 1969).
The Coats Election Bill, piloted by Rep. James Penny and Senator Bill Staton, was passed into law (Daily Record Apr. 1, 1969).
Sherrill Coats, Army Private First Class, and son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sherrill Coats, was assigned to the 34th Battalion near Phu Lai Vietnam, as a cook. His wife was Linda Coats (Daily Record Apr. 1, 1969).
We often see a veteran wearing a cap displaying the words, “Vietnam Veteran”. It might be of interest to read that Vietnam vets made up 9.7% of their generation. One out of 10 of those Vietnam soldiers was a war casualty. The number of Americans killed in action was 47, 434 and 10,786 dying as a result of war for a total of 58,148 deaths. There were 304,000 soldiers wounded out of the 2.7 million who served.
The Coats area sent a large number of our young men to Vietnam. Eight of them lost their lives there. The Daily Record Memorial Day edition prints the names of those who gave their lives for our country beginning with WWI. The paper printed that 26 Harnett County men died in the Vietnam War. Eight of those men from Coats were Donny Rae Campbell, Jerry Allen Dennis, Albert Lee Johnson, Larry Doby McKoy, William Brice Parnell, Leonard Monroe Parrish, Donald David Stewart and William Sherrill Willis. The math indicates that Coats had 30.76% of the county’s death casualties. Others from our area would be among the 304,000 who were wounded.
The Vietnam War would continue for another five years as we slowly revisited the year 1969. Back home in Harnett County, the residents likely enjoyed the beauty that was displayed as the weather had warmed. The bright red cardinals fluttered from tender green grass to flowering white dogwoods. The season of renewed life was the time of death for Mrs. Beulah Stancil, 66, of Benson. She was the mother of Mrs. Inez Holland of Holland Furniture.
In the Coats area, Mr. and Mrs. Johnny V. Williams announced the engagement of their daughter, Phyllis Annette, to Mr. Thomas M. McDonald, son of Mr. Thomas M. McDonald of rural Dunn. Phyllis was a Coats High School graduate who worked at Burlington Industries. Her fiancé’ was an Erwin high graduate and a two-year graduate of Entomology at NC State University. He was in medical training with the US Army in Texas (Daily Record Apr. 7, 1969).
Brookie Sorrell West was honored for her outstanding work by the executive staff and employees of the Jefferson-Carolina Corporation that owned the cablevision of Dunn-Erwin (Daily Record Apr. 8, 1969).
Sherrill and Linda Whitman Moore visited her brother, SP4 Danny Whitman at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert, Mr. and Mrs. James Whitman and his sister Barbara had also made the trip (Daily Record (Daily Record April 10, 1969). Can you imagine the excitement in that car as they traveled that long distance?
Mrs. Carrie Turlington Parker, 80, had died on Friday. Martin Turlington of Coats was her brother and Mrs. Edna P. Byrd and Mrs. Merlie Upchurch were daughters (Daily Record Apr. 14, 1969).
Coats Principal was the newly elected president of the Harnett County NCAE (Daily Record Apr. 15, 1969).
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Johnson announced the birth of a son. Mrs. Johnson was the former Janell Weaver (Daily Record Apr. 15, 1969).
Who remembers the name R. Hal Smith? He had been a principal of Coats. Upon leaving Coats, he went to Angier High School where he retired as principal after having given 33 years to education in Harnett County Schools. He had started as a classroom teacher of five years at Benhaven and then seven years as its principal. He came to Coats in 1946-47 and worked there for fourteen years having left in 1959 to attend graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill. In 1962, he became principal of Angier High School where he was principal for seven years. His wife Olivia was a teacher. Their two sons, Captain Robert Smith (USAF) and Major Smith (US Army) were outstanding Coats High graduates.
Another outstanding Coats graduate who served his country was Lee Gregory. In 1969, Lee was Sgt. Lee Gregory who was on duty at Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand. Sgt. Gregory was a food service specialist and was son of Mr. and Mrs. I. H. Gregory of Coats (Daily Record Apr. 16, 1969).
Johnnie L. Adams, 44, of Coats, had died and his services were held at Sandy Grove PBC by Elders Calvin Howard and Silas Williams (Daily Record Apr. 18, 1969).
Army Private First Class Cecil W. Stephenson, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd W. Stephenson, of Route One, Coats, had completed an air defense radar repairman course at the Army Signal School at Fort Monmouth, NJ (Daily Record Apr. 21, 1969).
Alonzo Thornton, a farmer of near Benson, had died on Saturday. His services were held at the Rose and Graham Funeral Home in Benson with burial at the Elevation Church Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Dorothy Eason Thornton and children-Sherwood, Eddie Ray, Sammy and Kay (Stuart) Johnson. His siblings were Mrs. Jonah Johnson, Jake, Leon, and Charlie Thornton. Happier news came to two Coats families. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Williams announced the engagement of their daughter Marilyn Janice Williams to Monroe P. Lee, Jr., son of M.P. Lee, Sr. (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1969).
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Buffkin announced the engagement of their daughter Sue to Airman Ronnie Parrish, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Parrish. Sue was a Cleveland High graduate and Ronnie was a 1965 Coats High graduate (Daily Record Apr.29, 1969).
The annual pageant to select the Coats Miss Junior Order was planned. It would be held in the Coats High School auditorium. Lamar Stone and Hap Hansen would direct and MC the event. The girls who would compete for the title were Carolyn Giles, Teresa Langdon, Lou Stewart, Cathy Norris, Elaine Dixon, Joy Weaver, Gayle Wilkins, Sybil Lamm, and Gennie Sorrell. Does anyone know who won?
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Flowers had announced that their daughter Sandra Flowers would marry Lynwood Massengill of Benson. The bride was a graduate of Coats High and ECU. She was teaching at Erwin high School. Mr. Massengill was sales representative for Montgomery Green in Raleigh. Other news reported in the same edition was that the NC Extension Homemakers Association met at the Dunn Woman’s Club. Mrs. Mack R. Hudson was District President (Daily Record Apr. 30, 1969).
Pretty Miss Neta Lee, the 1968 Miss Coats Junior Order, had plans to crown the 1969 Miss Coats Junior Order at the Coats High School. We also learned in that same edition that it was officially announced that the Terre Hill, which made lingerie and sports clothing, would add 15,000 square feet to the manufacturing plant that had begun operating in 1967. The expansion would total 45,000 sq. ft. for the entire facility (Daily Record May 8, 1969).
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ray Stephenson of Coats were parents of a son on May 12th at GHH. The mother was the former Ruby Baker (Daily Record May 12, 1969).
Lacy F. Langdon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Merchant Langdon, had become the first New Bern Jaycee to be elected National Director of the Southeastern division of N.C. Jaycees (Daily Record May 12, 1969).
It is always a delight to talk to those who read the column weekly. Teeny Pleasant, who for years worked faithfully with the Coats Boys Scouts, recently shared how he had enjoyed working with the young students all those years. He especially remembered that Marc Powell had earned his Eagle. Teeny and his wife made it a family thing because I remember hearing how they would give the scouts Christmas parties at the community building. Since Marc and Jean Powell have returned to Coats, hopefully Teeny and Marc can share memories of their Boy Scouts days.
Teeny’s niece, Jeanette Stewart Pleasant, dropped by the museum to share many interesting business and personal papers of Ervin Stewart, a businessman in Coats in the 1950’s and operator of a store at the intersection of McKinley and Main Street. What is your current light bill? Mr. and Mrs. Stewart’s bill was under $6.00 most months. It is amazing what one can learn from just looking at old papers saved by our ancestors. Thank you, Jeanette, you made the day very interesting and delightful. We also enjoyed a visit from two of my former classmates-Jimmy and Ann Beasley Jones. They, too, donated some interesting items from the home of Lib Guy. Some doilies possibly made by Lib’s mom or grandmother, Mrs. Mollie Stewart, gave Lynda Butler a chance to use Robie’s mother’s doily stretchers. Did you know there was such a thing? A beautiful glass tray from Lib’s house has a new home in our pre WW1 bedroom. Thanks –Jeanette, Ann and Jimmy Jones.
Special thanks go to the Coats United Methodist Church and Jan and Jim Slusser for remembering Joe Tart’s mom, Mrs. Hazel Tart, with a memorial donation to the museum.