March 27, 2015 Coats
Museum News
Last week you read that a boy born in 1900 could expect to live to be 48 years old; whereas, one born in 1952 could live to be 66. Wonder if that last number has changed. I do know that quite a few births were recorded in the Daily Record in the early fifties. For examples, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Penny, Jr. announced the birth of Hal Douglas at Good Hope Hospital. Mrs. Penny was the former Dorothy Stewart. At the same hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Byrd became parents of another daughter. Mrs. Byrd was the former Margorie Elizabeth Matthews. Was this new baby Sherry? Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Jackson Williams announced the birth of a daughter at Good Hope. Mrs. Williams was the former Virgie Mae Ferguson (Daily Record Feb. 28 and 29, 1952).
Mr. E.B. Taylor had traveled to Elizabeth City to spend the weekend with his parents while Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Guy had spent the weekend in Norfolk, VA. Cecil Fuquay of Carolina Beach was visiting Coats. Wonder if he knew that the Eugene Stewart family was moving into their new home on the Coats-Buies Creek Road. Mrs. Nell Williams’ students were unhappy to learn that she was sick but were all smiles when they had learned that Mrs. Donald Moore was the substitute. The class had been studying China and Mrs. Moore had been a missionary in that country (Daily Record Feb. 29, 1952).
Many of the roads in Grove Township were not paved in 1952 and people were really attempting to get more hard surfaced or all weather ones. Road petitions were heard for several in our area. One was to hard surface the road from Highway 40 to Bailey’s Crossroads. This is known as the Ebenezer Church Road in 2015. Another petition for a hard surface was also from Highway 40 near the Joe Penny Store for half a mile to R.L. Turlington thence one and one half miles to Coats. Which Joe Penny was this- Jr. or Sr.? Did Mr. Penny own or operate the store?
Grove jurors for March were Florence Neighbors, C.R. Joyner and J.H. Ivey. Ruth Denning continued to write the news from the Coats School for the Daily Record. She wrote that “Sue Langdon, a 5’10” brown eyed and brown haired, neat and attractive girl and one of Coats’ best guards, had won selection on the “All County Basketball” team. She continued that Rudolph Miller, a 6’2’’ tall, four- year player had also won a place on the “All County Team”. Ruth also wrote that Dennis Pope, president of FFA, participated in a radio program at WCKB. It was reported that the seniors had completed the yearbook, “The Echo” which was sold for $1.50 (Daily Record March 4, 1952).
Due to the consolidation of 5 schools into the Erwin Negro School, the outmoded and abandoned Negro schools would be sold. The sale at Mt. Pisgah was set for April 7, 1952 and the Coats Negro School on the same date (Daily Record Mar. 5, 1952).
Coats Jr. 4-H member, Carson Gregory, Jr., and Sr. 4-H member, Jo Anne Ennis, were recognized as outstanding members. Mrs. Addie Pope Shepherd, a slender brunette bank worker, filed for Harnett County Register of Deeds. Oscar (O.S) Young filed for Judge of Recorder’s Court. D. Vic Lee of Coats filed for a county commissioner seat.
The Coats Woman’s Club had held its regular monthly meeting. The members for 1952 were Mrs. Billie Keene, Mrs. Guy Stewart, Mrs. Carlos Stewart, Mrs. Ora Parrish, Mrs. J. Ben Eller, Mrs. Mildred Creech, Mrs. L. Marvin Johnson, Mrs. Clyde Grimes, Mrs. Owen Odum, Mrs. Gladys Phillips, Mrs. Dewey Yarley, Mrs. Nan Williams, Mrs. Fred Fleming, Mrs. Carl Hough, Mrs. Luther Barefoot, and Mrs. W. E. Nichols. Elsewhere, a number of locals would attend the funeral of Mrs. Paul Fish, a sister of Henry and Guy Stewart (Daily Record Mar. 7, 1952).
Jesse Martin Gregory of Angier, Route 2, died at 10:00 PM at the home of his grandson, Rep. Carson Gregory. He was born in Harnett County on May 23, 1865, the son of the late Matthew and Polly Woodell Gregory. Harnett County was only 10 years old when he was born; he most definitely had seen some major changes in those 87 years. Gregory had served as local road overseer and had also been on the old Gregory School Board in Grove Township (Daily Record Mar. 11, 1952).
Elder J.T. Lewis and Shepherd Stephenson had held Mr. Gregory’s rites at Little Flock PBC. Burial was in the church cemetery. He was survived by one daughter, Florence Ammons of Alexandria, VA and two brothers, Alex Gregory and George W. Gregory of New Bern. His five grandsons were Carson, Jesse, Jack, Sherwood, Barbour, and Richard (Is that not six?),and the five granddaughters were Mrs. Hassell Lewis, Mrs. Rachel Weaver, Mrs. Paul Revels, Judy Gregory, Marie Gregory and Shirley Gregory. (Is that also not six?) Can a Gregory descendant help us explain those numbers? Was he buried at Little Flock? I would have thought that he would have buried in Bethel since Mr. Carson Gregory was so involved with Bethel and that is where the last Gregory School was located.
Mr. and Mrs. David Pope and daughters, Janice and Diane, had spent Sunday in Benson. Mrs. Fred Fleming and sons, Bland and Nesbit, had visited the Roycrofts, formerly of Roycroft Drug Store in Coats. Where did they live in 1952? I do know that Mr. Paul Merritt of Jacksonville, Florida was the overnight guest of the T.J. Turlington family. Mr. Merritt was headed to Baltimore where he was to attend the Air Force School. Does that mean we now have an Air Force and not the Army Air Corps? Mr. Merritt was brother-in-law of Mrs. Turlington.
Mrs. E.T. Malone and Teddy had attended the funeral of Captain Clyde Welch at Arlington Cemetery. Staff Sergeant Billy Stewart, son of Irwin Stewart, had spent 30 days furlough with his parents. He had just completed three and one half years in Frankfort, Germany. He had left Coats to report to duty with the Air Force in the Oscoda, Michigan. Elsewhere in Coats, Mrs. J.A. Malone, Mrs. A.E. Wilbourne and Mrs. Laverne Stewart had attended the funeral of Mrs. Winstead’s brother, Mr. George Winstead of Wilson, N.C. (Daily Record, Mar.11, 1952).
Do any of our readers know where the Coats United Methodist Church met before they moved to the old Coats Baptist Church which was across the street from the current Gray-Flex industry?
Ed Lauder, thank you for loaning a piece of wall board from the old Gregory School where Mary Ellen’s dad, Herbert Johnson, attended. They also loaned a 1970’s typewriter that she used as a student at UNC Chapel Hill. Thanks. John Freitas, thank you for the WWII bayonet. We found a place for it in our WWII exhibit cabinet.
The volunteers thank C.T. and Elsa Clayton for their memorial donation to honor Aubrey Wood and also Rhonda and Randy Stephenson for their memorial for Mary Stevens. Hilda Pope, Stacy and Patsy Avery, Jeanette Johnson, Mack and Juanita Hudson, Charles and Betty Manning, Dudley Langdon, Randy and Rhonda Stephenson, and Robie and Lynda Butler gave memorials for Dennis Adams, the husband of our faithful Museum Board Secretary Becky Adams while Peggy Robinson and H.L. Sorrell gave to the Museum Endowment to honor Dennis. Patsy and Stacy also donated a memorial to the Coats Museum for Daisy Williams, wife of Wade Williams and H.L. has remembered Ken Johnson and Cecil Parrish in the endowment.
One of the museum’s faithful supporters is a veteran of the Vietnam War and a 1965 graduate of Coats High School. Wallace Pollard, the volunteers at the museum thank you for your continuing generosity. Wallace, you and the other donors are the reason that individuals from out of town say that the Coats Museum is one of the nicest museums they have ever attended.
Last week you read that a boy born in 1900 could expect to live to be 48 years old; whereas, one born in 1952 could live to be 66. Wonder if that last number has changed. I do know that quite a few births were recorded in the Daily Record in the early fifties. For examples, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Penny, Jr. announced the birth of Hal Douglas at Good Hope Hospital. Mrs. Penny was the former Dorothy Stewart. At the same hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Byrd became parents of another daughter. Mrs. Byrd was the former Margorie Elizabeth Matthews. Was this new baby Sherry? Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Jackson Williams announced the birth of a daughter at Good Hope. Mrs. Williams was the former Virgie Mae Ferguson (Daily Record Feb. 28 and 29, 1952).
Mr. E.B. Taylor had traveled to Elizabeth City to spend the weekend with his parents while Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Guy had spent the weekend in Norfolk, VA. Cecil Fuquay of Carolina Beach was visiting Coats. Wonder if he knew that the Eugene Stewart family was moving into their new home on the Coats-Buies Creek Road. Mrs. Nell Williams’ students were unhappy to learn that she was sick but were all smiles when they had learned that Mrs. Donald Moore was the substitute. The class had been studying China and Mrs. Moore had been a missionary in that country (Daily Record Feb. 29, 1952).
Many of the roads in Grove Township were not paved in 1952 and people were really attempting to get more hard surfaced or all weather ones. Road petitions were heard for several in our area. One was to hard surface the road from Highway 40 to Bailey’s Crossroads. This is known as the Ebenezer Church Road in 2015. Another petition for a hard surface was also from Highway 40 near the Joe Penny Store for half a mile to R.L. Turlington thence one and one half miles to Coats. Which Joe Penny was this- Jr. or Sr.? Did Mr. Penny own or operate the store?
Grove jurors for March were Florence Neighbors, C.R. Joyner and J.H. Ivey. Ruth Denning continued to write the news from the Coats School for the Daily Record. She wrote that “Sue Langdon, a 5’10” brown eyed and brown haired, neat and attractive girl and one of Coats’ best guards, had won selection on the “All County Basketball” team. She continued that Rudolph Miller, a 6’2’’ tall, four- year player had also won a place on the “All County Team”. Ruth also wrote that Dennis Pope, president of FFA, participated in a radio program at WCKB. It was reported that the seniors had completed the yearbook, “The Echo” which was sold for $1.50 (Daily Record March 4, 1952).
Due to the consolidation of 5 schools into the Erwin Negro School, the outmoded and abandoned Negro schools would be sold. The sale at Mt. Pisgah was set for April 7, 1952 and the Coats Negro School on the same date (Daily Record Mar. 5, 1952).
Coats Jr. 4-H member, Carson Gregory, Jr., and Sr. 4-H member, Jo Anne Ennis, were recognized as outstanding members. Mrs. Addie Pope Shepherd, a slender brunette bank worker, filed for Harnett County Register of Deeds. Oscar (O.S) Young filed for Judge of Recorder’s Court. D. Vic Lee of Coats filed for a county commissioner seat.
The Coats Woman’s Club had held its regular monthly meeting. The members for 1952 were Mrs. Billie Keene, Mrs. Guy Stewart, Mrs. Carlos Stewart, Mrs. Ora Parrish, Mrs. J. Ben Eller, Mrs. Mildred Creech, Mrs. L. Marvin Johnson, Mrs. Clyde Grimes, Mrs. Owen Odum, Mrs. Gladys Phillips, Mrs. Dewey Yarley, Mrs. Nan Williams, Mrs. Fred Fleming, Mrs. Carl Hough, Mrs. Luther Barefoot, and Mrs. W. E. Nichols. Elsewhere, a number of locals would attend the funeral of Mrs. Paul Fish, a sister of Henry and Guy Stewart (Daily Record Mar. 7, 1952).
Jesse Martin Gregory of Angier, Route 2, died at 10:00 PM at the home of his grandson, Rep. Carson Gregory. He was born in Harnett County on May 23, 1865, the son of the late Matthew and Polly Woodell Gregory. Harnett County was only 10 years old when he was born; he most definitely had seen some major changes in those 87 years. Gregory had served as local road overseer and had also been on the old Gregory School Board in Grove Township (Daily Record Mar. 11, 1952).
Elder J.T. Lewis and Shepherd Stephenson had held Mr. Gregory’s rites at Little Flock PBC. Burial was in the church cemetery. He was survived by one daughter, Florence Ammons of Alexandria, VA and two brothers, Alex Gregory and George W. Gregory of New Bern. His five grandsons were Carson, Jesse, Jack, Sherwood, Barbour, and Richard (Is that not six?),and the five granddaughters were Mrs. Hassell Lewis, Mrs. Rachel Weaver, Mrs. Paul Revels, Judy Gregory, Marie Gregory and Shirley Gregory. (Is that also not six?) Can a Gregory descendant help us explain those numbers? Was he buried at Little Flock? I would have thought that he would have buried in Bethel since Mr. Carson Gregory was so involved with Bethel and that is where the last Gregory School was located.
Mr. and Mrs. David Pope and daughters, Janice and Diane, had spent Sunday in Benson. Mrs. Fred Fleming and sons, Bland and Nesbit, had visited the Roycrofts, formerly of Roycroft Drug Store in Coats. Where did they live in 1952? I do know that Mr. Paul Merritt of Jacksonville, Florida was the overnight guest of the T.J. Turlington family. Mr. Merritt was headed to Baltimore where he was to attend the Air Force School. Does that mean we now have an Air Force and not the Army Air Corps? Mr. Merritt was brother-in-law of Mrs. Turlington.
Mrs. E.T. Malone and Teddy had attended the funeral of Captain Clyde Welch at Arlington Cemetery. Staff Sergeant Billy Stewart, son of Irwin Stewart, had spent 30 days furlough with his parents. He had just completed three and one half years in Frankfort, Germany. He had left Coats to report to duty with the Air Force in the Oscoda, Michigan. Elsewhere in Coats, Mrs. J.A. Malone, Mrs. A.E. Wilbourne and Mrs. Laverne Stewart had attended the funeral of Mrs. Winstead’s brother, Mr. George Winstead of Wilson, N.C. (Daily Record, Mar.11, 1952).
Do any of our readers know where the Coats United Methodist Church met before they moved to the old Coats Baptist Church which was across the street from the current Gray-Flex industry?
Ed Lauder, thank you for loaning a piece of wall board from the old Gregory School where Mary Ellen’s dad, Herbert Johnson, attended. They also loaned a 1970’s typewriter that she used as a student at UNC Chapel Hill. Thanks. John Freitas, thank you for the WWII bayonet. We found a place for it in our WWII exhibit cabinet.
The volunteers thank C.T. and Elsa Clayton for their memorial donation to honor Aubrey Wood and also Rhonda and Randy Stephenson for their memorial for Mary Stevens. Hilda Pope, Stacy and Patsy Avery, Jeanette Johnson, Mack and Juanita Hudson, Charles and Betty Manning, Dudley Langdon, Randy and Rhonda Stephenson, and Robie and Lynda Butler gave memorials for Dennis Adams, the husband of our faithful Museum Board Secretary Becky Adams while Peggy Robinson and H.L. Sorrell gave to the Museum Endowment to honor Dennis. Patsy and Stacy also donated a memorial to the Coats Museum for Daisy Williams, wife of Wade Williams and H.L. has remembered Ken Johnson and Cecil Parrish in the endowment.
One of the museum’s faithful supporters is a veteran of the Vietnam War and a 1965 graduate of Coats High School. Wallace Pollard, the volunteers at the museum thank you for your continuing generosity. Wallace, you and the other donors are the reason that individuals from out of town say that the Coats Museum is one of the nicest museums they have ever attended.