March 22, 2024 Coats Museum News
It was May of 1994 that the CACC recognized Wilson Cleaners and Laundry as the Coats Business Focus. The owners were Brooks Best and John Willoughby. Willie Faircloth operated the Coats cleaners at 102 S. McKinley Street (Daily Record May 18, 1994).
Who remembers this business? Do you wonder why they called it Wilson Cleaners and not by the owners’ names? How long did it operate in Coats? It was really convenient to drop off clothes there and not have to travel to Dunn or Benson to have shirts and dress clothes serviced-right? Did we have other cleaners in Coats in the past?
The answer to the last two questions should have been a “yes”. The Mayton Upchurch family operated a dry cleaning business on Main Street for years. Was it called Bon Ton Cleaners? Were there others? Why were they sometimes called dry cleaners? I recall in our research of Coats history that several older citizens shared as young men they collected collars to be sent off for cleaning. They were paid so much for each collar they collected to have cleaned-I think they sent them to Greensboro. That should test your curiosity. Yes, there was a day when men worn collars that were removable from their shirt and the collar had to be washed and likely starched.
How times have changed. Ladies who had husbands whose jobs required dress white shirts and ties, do you remember all the hours you spent ironing those white shirts? Did not the woman and other family members also have clothes and household items that demanded a hot iron (later maybe a steam iron)to make them look presentable? We have had some women visitors to the museum say that they or their mothers ironed their pillowcases. Thank goodness for dry cleaners and new fabrics for making clothes and other items look good.
Wonder if the women who attended the Woman’s Club in May at Frisco Bay had to iron clothes. I do know that President Laura Langdon and Linda Massengill were hostesses. Julia Stewart was voted the Club Woman of the Year. Mary Denning presented Julia with her plaque.
Mary Denning, who met Julia in1991, shared that Mrs. Stewart was a native of Starkville, Mississippi. She moved to Coats in 1945 with her new husband Earl Stewart. Julia was always a goodwill ambassador for Harnett County. She was active in the Coats Museum, had served on the Buies Creek Fire Department Auxiliary. She was president of the Buies Creek Senior Center. Mrs. Denning stated that Julia always went the extra mile. Julia and Earl had two daughters-Ann and Lou.
The Kent Turlington family was voted the Family of the Year and it presented to them by Christine Parrish. Christine shared that Kent was chosen the Farmer of the Year in 1989 for the accomplishment of many honors. He had graduated cum laude from N.C. State University with a degree in agronomy. He had served on the Dunn Area Farm Development Committee and Agriculture Advisory Board to U.S. Congressman Martin Lancaster. Kent had also served as Sunday school superintendent, deacon, Long Range Planning Committee Chairman and teacher at the Coats Baptist Church.
Debbie Honeycutt Turlington, his wife, had graduated from Campbell University with a degree in primary education and was a teacher at Harnett Primary. She was also very active in the Coats Baptist Church where the family attended. The couple’s two children, Kyle and Kathryn, were active in RA’s and GA’s and were in the children’s choir (Daily Record May 19, 1994).
Before I continue with more May news from Coats, I wonder how many of you remember the location of that Woman’s Club meeting at Frisco Bay. Was it in Coats or was it simply operated by Coats women. I do know it was the place to go for many outings.
I can also verify that Mrs. Hazel Barnes was on the go. She had gone to Lexington, Kentucky to attend the graduation of her daughter Janice and granddaughter Paige Daniel from the University of Lexington. Janice received her PH.D in English while Paige received her B.A. in English and German. Paige received the Fulbright Scholarship and would teach in Germany. Janice was on the staff at the Morehead State University. Thessie Daniel, the other grandmother, was not able to attend the graduations because she was recuperating from surgery.
Writing about proud grandparents, surely Mabel Hayes had reason to be proud because her granddaughter Heather Hayes had graduated from the Campbell University School of Law with honors. Word was she would likely practice law with her dad, Gerald Hayes, Jr. Do you know how that turned out? Heather is recognized as one of the best attorneys in Harnett County and indeed does practice law with her dad Gerald.
Belle shared some more good news with her readers. She informed them that Clyde Stone and his wife Dorothy were finally at home after they both had spent time in the hospital. The couple was looking forward to their 53rd wedding anniversary on June 28th. Another popular couple, Frances and Grady Matthews, had celebrated their 40th.
How many of you know someone who attended Boys State? Several young boys from Coats were selected to attend the program at Wake Forest. The following Coats lads representing the American Legion Post 109 were Lee Patterson (son of Pete and Joan Patterson), Brad Butler (son of Gary and Julia Butler), David Pope (son of Claude and Joan Pope), Keith Harmon (son of Wendy Harmon and Bennie Harmon) and Glenn Faircloth (son of Donald and Jan Faircloth).
Heartfelt sympathy was extended to the family of Patricia W. Gould, daughter of Maxine Taylor Wilbourne. Belle also noted that Garner Rose Ennis was expected home from the hospital. Annie Phillips was a patient at GHH. H.A. Turlington, Jr. had been reported as looking chipper when he attended the Baptist Church on Sunday.
Good news came to the Coats Town Board and Harnett County Commissioners after working hard to get a new industry in Coats. Tom Meece, the county’s economic developer, worked with all parties to get Gray Flex Systems, Inc. to occupy the former THM Lingerie plant next to the Coats Senior Center. The company manufactures flexible air ducts for heating and cooling applications. The company hired 40 new employees.
This was a big success for Coats. The big trucks continue to travel throughout the country delivering the Gray Flex products and on the doors to the big transfer trucks one can read the name “Coats, NC”.
Thank you goes to Sandy Kay Howard for her memorial to the museum for Dorothea Stewart Gilbert. Sandy is a very active volunteer at the museum and is well aware of the many items shared by Dorothea to the Coats Museum. We all miss Dorothea’s visit to the museum.
It was May of 1994 that the CACC recognized Wilson Cleaners and Laundry as the Coats Business Focus. The owners were Brooks Best and John Willoughby. Willie Faircloth operated the Coats cleaners at 102 S. McKinley Street (Daily Record May 18, 1994).
Who remembers this business? Do you wonder why they called it Wilson Cleaners and not by the owners’ names? How long did it operate in Coats? It was really convenient to drop off clothes there and not have to travel to Dunn or Benson to have shirts and dress clothes serviced-right? Did we have other cleaners in Coats in the past?
The answer to the last two questions should have been a “yes”. The Mayton Upchurch family operated a dry cleaning business on Main Street for years. Was it called Bon Ton Cleaners? Were there others? Why were they sometimes called dry cleaners? I recall in our research of Coats history that several older citizens shared as young men they collected collars to be sent off for cleaning. They were paid so much for each collar they collected to have cleaned-I think they sent them to Greensboro. That should test your curiosity. Yes, there was a day when men worn collars that were removable from their shirt and the collar had to be washed and likely starched.
How times have changed. Ladies who had husbands whose jobs required dress white shirts and ties, do you remember all the hours you spent ironing those white shirts? Did not the woman and other family members also have clothes and household items that demanded a hot iron (later maybe a steam iron)to make them look presentable? We have had some women visitors to the museum say that they or their mothers ironed their pillowcases. Thank goodness for dry cleaners and new fabrics for making clothes and other items look good.
Wonder if the women who attended the Woman’s Club in May at Frisco Bay had to iron clothes. I do know that President Laura Langdon and Linda Massengill were hostesses. Julia Stewart was voted the Club Woman of the Year. Mary Denning presented Julia with her plaque.
Mary Denning, who met Julia in1991, shared that Mrs. Stewart was a native of Starkville, Mississippi. She moved to Coats in 1945 with her new husband Earl Stewart. Julia was always a goodwill ambassador for Harnett County. She was active in the Coats Museum, had served on the Buies Creek Fire Department Auxiliary. She was president of the Buies Creek Senior Center. Mrs. Denning stated that Julia always went the extra mile. Julia and Earl had two daughters-Ann and Lou.
The Kent Turlington family was voted the Family of the Year and it presented to them by Christine Parrish. Christine shared that Kent was chosen the Farmer of the Year in 1989 for the accomplishment of many honors. He had graduated cum laude from N.C. State University with a degree in agronomy. He had served on the Dunn Area Farm Development Committee and Agriculture Advisory Board to U.S. Congressman Martin Lancaster. Kent had also served as Sunday school superintendent, deacon, Long Range Planning Committee Chairman and teacher at the Coats Baptist Church.
Debbie Honeycutt Turlington, his wife, had graduated from Campbell University with a degree in primary education and was a teacher at Harnett Primary. She was also very active in the Coats Baptist Church where the family attended. The couple’s two children, Kyle and Kathryn, were active in RA’s and GA’s and were in the children’s choir (Daily Record May 19, 1994).
Before I continue with more May news from Coats, I wonder how many of you remember the location of that Woman’s Club meeting at Frisco Bay. Was it in Coats or was it simply operated by Coats women. I do know it was the place to go for many outings.
I can also verify that Mrs. Hazel Barnes was on the go. She had gone to Lexington, Kentucky to attend the graduation of her daughter Janice and granddaughter Paige Daniel from the University of Lexington. Janice received her PH.D in English while Paige received her B.A. in English and German. Paige received the Fulbright Scholarship and would teach in Germany. Janice was on the staff at the Morehead State University. Thessie Daniel, the other grandmother, was not able to attend the graduations because she was recuperating from surgery.
Writing about proud grandparents, surely Mabel Hayes had reason to be proud because her granddaughter Heather Hayes had graduated from the Campbell University School of Law with honors. Word was she would likely practice law with her dad, Gerald Hayes, Jr. Do you know how that turned out? Heather is recognized as one of the best attorneys in Harnett County and indeed does practice law with her dad Gerald.
Belle shared some more good news with her readers. She informed them that Clyde Stone and his wife Dorothy were finally at home after they both had spent time in the hospital. The couple was looking forward to their 53rd wedding anniversary on June 28th. Another popular couple, Frances and Grady Matthews, had celebrated their 40th.
How many of you know someone who attended Boys State? Several young boys from Coats were selected to attend the program at Wake Forest. The following Coats lads representing the American Legion Post 109 were Lee Patterson (son of Pete and Joan Patterson), Brad Butler (son of Gary and Julia Butler), David Pope (son of Claude and Joan Pope), Keith Harmon (son of Wendy Harmon and Bennie Harmon) and Glenn Faircloth (son of Donald and Jan Faircloth).
Heartfelt sympathy was extended to the family of Patricia W. Gould, daughter of Maxine Taylor Wilbourne. Belle also noted that Garner Rose Ennis was expected home from the hospital. Annie Phillips was a patient at GHH. H.A. Turlington, Jr. had been reported as looking chipper when he attended the Baptist Church on Sunday.
Good news came to the Coats Town Board and Harnett County Commissioners after working hard to get a new industry in Coats. Tom Meece, the county’s economic developer, worked with all parties to get Gray Flex Systems, Inc. to occupy the former THM Lingerie plant next to the Coats Senior Center. The company manufactures flexible air ducts for heating and cooling applications. The company hired 40 new employees.
This was a big success for Coats. The big trucks continue to travel throughout the country delivering the Gray Flex products and on the doors to the big transfer trucks one can read the name “Coats, NC”.
Thank you goes to Sandy Kay Howard for her memorial to the museum for Dorothea Stewart Gilbert. Sandy is a very active volunteer at the museum and is well aware of the many items shared by Dorothea to the Coats Museum. We all miss Dorothea’s visit to the museum.