March 29, 2024 Coats Museum News
The date on the Daily Record showed that it was May 19, 1994 and the news was that Darrell Smith handled other people’s money at the First Citizens Bank daily but on this day he was at Triton High School where he was handed a check for $1,000 and this one he could keep because he had the lucky ticket drawn.
The Dunn-Erwin Rotary Club named Heather Ennis, daughter of Dale and Deborah Ennis of Coats, the Student of the Week. Heather was an exceptional student at Triton where she was a member of the Marching Band and Symphonic Band. She had won the Economic Legal and Political Award, and the U.S. History Award. She was a Legislative page and a member of the Alpha and Beta Club honor societies. Heather was the Business Manager of the school’s yearbook. She attended the Coasts Baptist Church where she devoted much time.
Most of the volunteers at the Coats Museum are former educators. These volunteers sometimes go back into the school to assist with testing and other areas where a volunteer is needed. One thing that these former educators note is that it is in a very short span of time that they are not recognized and are asked if they needed help in finding someplace.
I wonder if former principal Phil Ferrell ever goes back into the schools and county office, and if so, is he recognized. I do know that most of the students that we taught remember us volunteers. Hardly ever did a month go by that my late husband H.L. and I were out and about or even at the museum that we were approached by former students as far back as forty years that they would come up and speak to us and share their memories of us. They made statements such as you taught me to type or to drive forty years ago and I still use that skill everyday or I have never had a wreck or received a ticket. One actually reminded him of the time when a fellow student driver pulled out in front of a big truck when he told the student to turn right and the student driver turned left in front of the oncoming truck. H.L. later laughed as he recalled that he told another teacher to make sure the students knew the difference in right and left.
Phil Ferrell of Coats reported that the most people ever attended the fundraiser at Triton. The Coats PTO sponsored the supper. Other news coming out of the school was that Miss Irene Baldwin always gave some sort of thank you gift to the volunteer who proctored for her during testing days. This particular year she gave pink carnations to Rosa Lee Moore to show her thanks. Do any of you remember these two ladies-both were a joy to be around so I bet Rosa Lee made the students feel comfortable while she proctored the testing.
Belle in her Notes from Coats was so faithful in sharing with her readers about those who were sick and those whose families needed sympathy. On May 26th, she reminded her readers of the Daily Record column that Garner Rose Ennis was improved and that Clarence Heath, Edith Maynor, Juanita Ferguson, Dorothy Pope, Tommy Stone, Mary McNeill, and Lucille Matthews were hospital patients. Sympathy was expressed for the families of Katie Lee Pope and John D. McGill.
It was reunion time at the home of Graham and Effie Turlington. The thirty-six descendants of Lee A. and Lida Lassiter enjoyed a bounteous meal. Here is some information I bet some of you don’t know. Most of you recognize the name Howard Penny – the Senior and Junior. The mother of the senior Howard Penny and the mother of Graham Turlington were sisters-Lida Lassiter Turlington and Louella Lassiter Penny. Not only were they sisters but they were neighbors after they married. They were connected to the Lassiters who lived on Elevation Road in Johnston County and connected to the Lassiter family of the Smithfield Herald. Does anyone know which sister married first and came to the area first? Do you wonder how our ancestors met and married folks so many miles away before there were automobiles and world wars?
This I do know. Mr. Clyde McLeod had celebrated his 77th birthday and had had a joint party with his granddaughter Lanette Riddle who was sixteen. They all enjoyed a 10-layer chocolate cake baked by his daughter Sue Ivey.
Lots of people who are over sixty years old come from large families. Having nine or ten siblings was not uncommon in the days past. Can you ponder reasons why families were large? Note I said reasons. When the siblings leave home and go separate ways, many return home only for special occasions to enjoy and appreciate the fellowship of their siblings.
Take for example Agatha Whittington McLamb family. Their brother Fonzer Whittington lived in California and he returned to Coats for a visit of nine days. While he was home, Fonzer’s brothers and sisters met at the home of Christine Matthews for dinner together.
Do you wonder who the ones who attended the meal and fellowship were? They were Jewel and Garland Whittington, Louise Whittington, Agatha McLamb, Preston Whittington, Phillip Whittington, Margie W. Honeycutt and McKinley and Margaret Whittington. Can you tell from reading the names which were siblings? Of course Fonzer and Christine were there.
I bet some excitement was experienced at another place connected with Coats when Greg Fischel came from WRAL Channel 5 came to the Boy Scouts Troop 779 meeting to teach for the weather badge. Dr. Linda Robinson shared with Belle that Mr. Fischel spent two hours with the young scouts and was very entertaining.
Lots of visiting had occurred during the spring of 1994. Virginia and Bill Bruner had returned home after visiting Lib Guy. Vellie and Ora McGee had been residents of Coats for a long time. In fact, the story was told that there was a boxing ring in their yard where their son Hurly McGee staged boxing matches. The young McGee had taken the Charles Atlas training and was quiet a fighter according to Garland Whittington (Interview 2003) who lived in the area that McGee had lived. Garland shared with me that the fights occurred on Saturday nights and sometimes as many as 100 people came to watch the two-round matches.
Eugene Stewart (Interview 2005) recalled fighting a boy from Anderson Creek in a two-round match. Eugene also recalled how strong Hurly had been. After all those years, many of the Coats residents were so excited that the McGee’s daughter, Peggy McGee Hollingsworth and her husband were moving back to Coats from Morehead City.
The Coats Museum folks are so fortunate to have the support from so many different people from so many different places who have Coats connections. It is worth a trip to the museum just to see some of the items that Jimmie Byrd from Ebenezer Presbyterian Church has donated to the Coats Museum. His collection of doorknobs was amazing. Jimmie’s assortment of electric power line insulators and the railroad lanterns add much interest to our exhibits.
The Coats Museum Endowment continues to grow in the N.C. Community Foundation. The growth of the endowment will ensure that funds will be available if needed to meet some of the financial expenses to operate the Coats Museums.
A big thank you goes to Hilda Pope for remembering her friends with memorials . This time it was Dovie Beasley. Randy and Dana Coats Byrd are two of our most faithful contributors to the Coats Museum. I am honored to add their names to the NCCF Coats Museum Endowment to recognize their 38th Wedding Anniversary. Also a donation has been sent to the same endowment fund in memory of Mark Newell of Chesapeake, VA.
The date on the Daily Record showed that it was May 19, 1994 and the news was that Darrell Smith handled other people’s money at the First Citizens Bank daily but on this day he was at Triton High School where he was handed a check for $1,000 and this one he could keep because he had the lucky ticket drawn.
The Dunn-Erwin Rotary Club named Heather Ennis, daughter of Dale and Deborah Ennis of Coats, the Student of the Week. Heather was an exceptional student at Triton where she was a member of the Marching Band and Symphonic Band. She had won the Economic Legal and Political Award, and the U.S. History Award. She was a Legislative page and a member of the Alpha and Beta Club honor societies. Heather was the Business Manager of the school’s yearbook. She attended the Coasts Baptist Church where she devoted much time.
Most of the volunteers at the Coats Museum are former educators. These volunteers sometimes go back into the school to assist with testing and other areas where a volunteer is needed. One thing that these former educators note is that it is in a very short span of time that they are not recognized and are asked if they needed help in finding someplace.
I wonder if former principal Phil Ferrell ever goes back into the schools and county office, and if so, is he recognized. I do know that most of the students that we taught remember us volunteers. Hardly ever did a month go by that my late husband H.L. and I were out and about or even at the museum that we were approached by former students as far back as forty years that they would come up and speak to us and share their memories of us. They made statements such as you taught me to type or to drive forty years ago and I still use that skill everyday or I have never had a wreck or received a ticket. One actually reminded him of the time when a fellow student driver pulled out in front of a big truck when he told the student to turn right and the student driver turned left in front of the oncoming truck. H.L. later laughed as he recalled that he told another teacher to make sure the students knew the difference in right and left.
Phil Ferrell of Coats reported that the most people ever attended the fundraiser at Triton. The Coats PTO sponsored the supper. Other news coming out of the school was that Miss Irene Baldwin always gave some sort of thank you gift to the volunteer who proctored for her during testing days. This particular year she gave pink carnations to Rosa Lee Moore to show her thanks. Do any of you remember these two ladies-both were a joy to be around so I bet Rosa Lee made the students feel comfortable while she proctored the testing.
Belle in her Notes from Coats was so faithful in sharing with her readers about those who were sick and those whose families needed sympathy. On May 26th, she reminded her readers of the Daily Record column that Garner Rose Ennis was improved and that Clarence Heath, Edith Maynor, Juanita Ferguson, Dorothy Pope, Tommy Stone, Mary McNeill, and Lucille Matthews were hospital patients. Sympathy was expressed for the families of Katie Lee Pope and John D. McGill.
It was reunion time at the home of Graham and Effie Turlington. The thirty-six descendants of Lee A. and Lida Lassiter enjoyed a bounteous meal. Here is some information I bet some of you don’t know. Most of you recognize the name Howard Penny – the Senior and Junior. The mother of the senior Howard Penny and the mother of Graham Turlington were sisters-Lida Lassiter Turlington and Louella Lassiter Penny. Not only were they sisters but they were neighbors after they married. They were connected to the Lassiters who lived on Elevation Road in Johnston County and connected to the Lassiter family of the Smithfield Herald. Does anyone know which sister married first and came to the area first? Do you wonder how our ancestors met and married folks so many miles away before there were automobiles and world wars?
This I do know. Mr. Clyde McLeod had celebrated his 77th birthday and had had a joint party with his granddaughter Lanette Riddle who was sixteen. They all enjoyed a 10-layer chocolate cake baked by his daughter Sue Ivey.
Lots of people who are over sixty years old come from large families. Having nine or ten siblings was not uncommon in the days past. Can you ponder reasons why families were large? Note I said reasons. When the siblings leave home and go separate ways, many return home only for special occasions to enjoy and appreciate the fellowship of their siblings.
Take for example Agatha Whittington McLamb family. Their brother Fonzer Whittington lived in California and he returned to Coats for a visit of nine days. While he was home, Fonzer’s brothers and sisters met at the home of Christine Matthews for dinner together.
Do you wonder who the ones who attended the meal and fellowship were? They were Jewel and Garland Whittington, Louise Whittington, Agatha McLamb, Preston Whittington, Phillip Whittington, Margie W. Honeycutt and McKinley and Margaret Whittington. Can you tell from reading the names which were siblings? Of course Fonzer and Christine were there.
I bet some excitement was experienced at another place connected with Coats when Greg Fischel came from WRAL Channel 5 came to the Boy Scouts Troop 779 meeting to teach for the weather badge. Dr. Linda Robinson shared with Belle that Mr. Fischel spent two hours with the young scouts and was very entertaining.
Lots of visiting had occurred during the spring of 1994. Virginia and Bill Bruner had returned home after visiting Lib Guy. Vellie and Ora McGee had been residents of Coats for a long time. In fact, the story was told that there was a boxing ring in their yard where their son Hurly McGee staged boxing matches. The young McGee had taken the Charles Atlas training and was quiet a fighter according to Garland Whittington (Interview 2003) who lived in the area that McGee had lived. Garland shared with me that the fights occurred on Saturday nights and sometimes as many as 100 people came to watch the two-round matches.
Eugene Stewart (Interview 2005) recalled fighting a boy from Anderson Creek in a two-round match. Eugene also recalled how strong Hurly had been. After all those years, many of the Coats residents were so excited that the McGee’s daughter, Peggy McGee Hollingsworth and her husband were moving back to Coats from Morehead City.
The Coats Museum folks are so fortunate to have the support from so many different people from so many different places who have Coats connections. It is worth a trip to the museum just to see some of the items that Jimmie Byrd from Ebenezer Presbyterian Church has donated to the Coats Museum. His collection of doorknobs was amazing. Jimmie’s assortment of electric power line insulators and the railroad lanterns add much interest to our exhibits.
The Coats Museum Endowment continues to grow in the N.C. Community Foundation. The growth of the endowment will ensure that funds will be available if needed to meet some of the financial expenses to operate the Coats Museums.
A big thank you goes to Hilda Pope for remembering her friends with memorials . This time it was Dovie Beasley. Randy and Dana Coats Byrd are two of our most faithful contributors to the Coats Museum. I am honored to add their names to the NCCF Coats Museum Endowment to recognize their 38th Wedding Anniversary. Also a donation has been sent to the same endowment fund in memory of Mark Newell of Chesapeake, VA.