May 10, 2019 Coats Museum News
The current calendar displays that it is May 10, 2019. However, in 1976, the calendar was showing December which was resulting in Christmas wishes being sent to the Daily Record for their delivery to old St. Nick. Rebecca Ferguson, a student in Mrs. Alice Lou Roberts’ class, had a wish list for a Pay-day tea set, a pocketbook, typewriter, shoes and clothes. Her classmate, Derek Tripp, had asked Santa for a bike, train, TV, and a racetrack. Marshall Gould had wanted a BB gun and Donnie K. Pollard, Jr. was asking for a tricycle, an airplane, a guitar and a Mickey Mouse.
Marsha Flowers’s letter requested a Boo-Who baby doll and a Bugs Bunny electric toothbrush. Debbie Upchurch wanted a Magic eight ball, numbers up, a Hush Li’ Baby and Holly Diary. Daniel Langdon wanted a new Thunder-Shift 500 and a police walkie talkie. Jatona Williams wanted games and clothes while Andy Williams gave his list for Santa to fill. A BB gun and a Thunder Shift-500 were a few of Andy’s wishes.
Apparently, the Thunder-Shift 500 was a popular toy for boys in 1976 because Mark Pope also wanted one along with a helmet with a logo of the Dallas Cowboys on it and needed a suit to go with it. He requested a radio to go on his Honda (Daily Record Dec 9-16, 1976).
Writing about letters being sent out from homes in the area, read about this one coming in. David Hayes had received a letter from Governor Jim Holshouser commending the four year-old boy for saving his three year-old sister’s life in a fire in their home (Daily Record Dec. 17, 1976).
Letters to Santa continued to flow into the Daily Record with requests from the young children in the Coats community. Jasper, Kenneth and Chasity Walden sent Santa a letter asking him to bring two Evil Kenievel sets and a Baby-That-Away (Daily Record Dec. 17, 1976).
Who remembers M.T. Strickland? He made the news in 1976 when Cliff Weil and Patrick McRae promoted M. T. Strickland, formerly of Dunn, to the position of Division Manager. He was to be in charge of sales in S.C., Western N.C., parts of VA. and West VA.. The company merchandised Timex watches, pipes, lighters, sunglasses and all brands of cigars (Daily Record December 28, 1976).
Question: how long was it before he came to Coats and opened the Carlie C IGA grocery store?
I do know that J.D. Norris, Jr. was to speak at the Coats United Methodist Church. His family would join him as speakers (Daily Record Dec. 29, 1976).
Cherie Byrd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stacy Byrd of Coats was in the news many times in 1976. The Dec. 30, 1976 printed that she had served as a page in the office of Gov. Holshouser. Cherie was a senior at Cape Fear Christian Academy where she was active in school activities.
It is interesting to note that she was granddaughter of Fred Byrd who operated the cotton gin which was formerly operated by his dad, John McKay Byrd. John McKay Byrd was a former sheriff of Harnett and represented the Coats area in the state legislature. Mr. Fred was a US Deputy Marshal and a veteran of WWI. Thus, it is understandable that Cherie would be a leader at her school and would represent the area well in the governor’s office.
Today in the obituaries of many older folks, it is often shared that the couple had been married for a long period of years. Depending upon the age of the couple, sometimes the pair may have been married as many as seventy or more years. Wonder how many years Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis Pleasant had been married when one of them died first. According to the Dec. 30, 1976 edition of the Daily Record, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Angier United Methodist Church. The couple‘s daughter Ann and her husband Donald Blalock joined the couple in the receiving line.
It was a new year-1977, the year that Elvis Presley had died at the age of forty-two. Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 39th president of the U.S. Carter was born on Oct. 1, 1924 and was the first president to be born in a hospital rather than at home. His name was James Earl Carter, Jr., but he preferred to be called Jimmy Carter. His family was poor when he was young. Their house had no electricity or running water. The Carters were peanut farmers and operated a small grocery store. Young Jimmy Carter became a businessman at the age of six. He sold peanuts at a nickel a bag on the streets of Plains, GA. By age nine, he had saved enough money to buy two bales of cotton. He sold them a few years later and tripled the price on them.
Jimmy attended Plains High School where his principal had a big influence on him. She made him listen to classical music and made sure he was familiar with all the names of the best artists, musicians, and composers. The principal exposed him to books to read such as War and Peace. From age five, Jimmy wanted to be in the Navy. He wrote to the U.S. Naval Academy when he was six and asked for an application. They wrote back and told him to apply after he had graduated from high school. He did so and entered the Naval Academy in 1943. He worked as an electronics instructor and as an engineering officer aboard atomic-powered submarines. In 1953, Carter’s father died and Jimmy gave up his commission in the Navy and returned home to Plains to run the family’s peanut business (Bumann, Joan and John Patterson. 40 Presidents-Facts and Fun. Willowisp Press: 1981 pp. 150-153).
In the Coats area, the family of Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Sorrell was saddened by the tragic death of their 18 year-old son, Willie Kenneth Sorrell, who had died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident (Daily Record Jan. 3. 1977).
Jeanine Ennis Klutz was home from Greece and had sung at the Dutch Inn in Benson for a New Year’s party (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1977). Who knows what sits on the location of that once very popular motel?
Max Matthews had attended a 4-H workshop on how to keep long-time record books (Daily Record Jan. 10, 1977).
Dr. Anne Moore met Jody Powell, press secretary of President Carter, at a Democratic Gala in Raleigh (Daily Record Jan. 11, 1977).
Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Turner’s children honored their parents on their 73rd wedding anniversary at the Benson American Legion Building. The Turners continued to maintain their home and yard at Turlington’s Crossroads even though Mrs. Turner was 92 and Mr. Turner was 94. Mrs. Turner was the former Nolia Williams.
The Daily Record recently had a front page story on Kermit Turner who was celebrating his 100th birthday. He, too, lives in the Turlington Crossroads area. Was Kermit a relative of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Turner? I do know that Cherie Byrd was once again in the news when it was shared that she had been elected Homecoming Queen at Cape Fear Christian Academy (Daily Record Jan. 13, 1977).
Lewis Norris, of Coats, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Norris, was an aspiring cartoonist. He busied himself while serving in the Navy from 1964-68 when he was out at sea for weeks (Daily Record Jan. 14, 1977).
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Nassie Dorman honored their parents on their 43rd wedding anniversary at their home in Coats. Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Dorman, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Dorman and Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis Alphin were their children. Four days later, the death announcement of Mr. Nassie Dorman was printed in the paper. The sixty-four-year-old town clerk and community leader died while being transported to Good Hope Hospital in Erwin. He was the son of the late Paul and Bertha Matthews Dorman of Wake County. He was survived by his wife, Katie Stephenson Dorman; sons-Donnie and Lonnie and daughter Mrs. Jarvis Alphin. Mrs. Leon Pope was his sister (Daily Record Jan. 18, 1977).
Mr. Nassie Dorman was a highly respected businessman in Coats for many years. Another businessman who was loved by all was Graymon Powell. His son Marc and daughter-in-law Jean came by the museum a few days ago bringing a CD of many vintage pictures for our digital library. Loved hearing Marc talk about Coats and how busy it was when he was a youngster growing up there.
His wife Jean, Peggy Robinson, Lynda Butler, Becky Adams and I grew up in the rural areas of Coats so we love hearing his sharing stories about the booming town. Jean and Marc just returned from Georgia where they attended the memorial services of Jean’s brother Donald Johnson. Donald was in the Coats High Class of 1962 plus he was military veteran. Thank you goes to Marc and Jean for giving a memorial for Donald to the museum.
Stewart Akerman is often sharing little mementoes from the past with the museum and we appreciate his donating some more of the little name cards placed in the graduating invitations for seniors at Coats. From those given by Stewart and the Daywood Langdon family, we have a very big collection. Thanks-Stewart. You should drop into the museum and peruse the book Stewart shared with the museum containing the names of all the people who traded or purchased cars in 1939 at the Guy Stewart dealership.
The current calendar displays that it is May 10, 2019. However, in 1976, the calendar was showing December which was resulting in Christmas wishes being sent to the Daily Record for their delivery to old St. Nick. Rebecca Ferguson, a student in Mrs. Alice Lou Roberts’ class, had a wish list for a Pay-day tea set, a pocketbook, typewriter, shoes and clothes. Her classmate, Derek Tripp, had asked Santa for a bike, train, TV, and a racetrack. Marshall Gould had wanted a BB gun and Donnie K. Pollard, Jr. was asking for a tricycle, an airplane, a guitar and a Mickey Mouse.
Marsha Flowers’s letter requested a Boo-Who baby doll and a Bugs Bunny electric toothbrush. Debbie Upchurch wanted a Magic eight ball, numbers up, a Hush Li’ Baby and Holly Diary. Daniel Langdon wanted a new Thunder-Shift 500 and a police walkie talkie. Jatona Williams wanted games and clothes while Andy Williams gave his list for Santa to fill. A BB gun and a Thunder Shift-500 were a few of Andy’s wishes.
Apparently, the Thunder-Shift 500 was a popular toy for boys in 1976 because Mark Pope also wanted one along with a helmet with a logo of the Dallas Cowboys on it and needed a suit to go with it. He requested a radio to go on his Honda (Daily Record Dec 9-16, 1976).
Writing about letters being sent out from homes in the area, read about this one coming in. David Hayes had received a letter from Governor Jim Holshouser commending the four year-old boy for saving his three year-old sister’s life in a fire in their home (Daily Record Dec. 17, 1976).
Letters to Santa continued to flow into the Daily Record with requests from the young children in the Coats community. Jasper, Kenneth and Chasity Walden sent Santa a letter asking him to bring two Evil Kenievel sets and a Baby-That-Away (Daily Record Dec. 17, 1976).
Who remembers M.T. Strickland? He made the news in 1976 when Cliff Weil and Patrick McRae promoted M. T. Strickland, formerly of Dunn, to the position of Division Manager. He was to be in charge of sales in S.C., Western N.C., parts of VA. and West VA.. The company merchandised Timex watches, pipes, lighters, sunglasses and all brands of cigars (Daily Record December 28, 1976).
Question: how long was it before he came to Coats and opened the Carlie C IGA grocery store?
I do know that J.D. Norris, Jr. was to speak at the Coats United Methodist Church. His family would join him as speakers (Daily Record Dec. 29, 1976).
Cherie Byrd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stacy Byrd of Coats was in the news many times in 1976. The Dec. 30, 1976 printed that she had served as a page in the office of Gov. Holshouser. Cherie was a senior at Cape Fear Christian Academy where she was active in school activities.
It is interesting to note that she was granddaughter of Fred Byrd who operated the cotton gin which was formerly operated by his dad, John McKay Byrd. John McKay Byrd was a former sheriff of Harnett and represented the Coats area in the state legislature. Mr. Fred was a US Deputy Marshal and a veteran of WWI. Thus, it is understandable that Cherie would be a leader at her school and would represent the area well in the governor’s office.
Today in the obituaries of many older folks, it is often shared that the couple had been married for a long period of years. Depending upon the age of the couple, sometimes the pair may have been married as many as seventy or more years. Wonder how many years Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis Pleasant had been married when one of them died first. According to the Dec. 30, 1976 edition of the Daily Record, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Angier United Methodist Church. The couple‘s daughter Ann and her husband Donald Blalock joined the couple in the receiving line.
It was a new year-1977, the year that Elvis Presley had died at the age of forty-two. Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 39th president of the U.S. Carter was born on Oct. 1, 1924 and was the first president to be born in a hospital rather than at home. His name was James Earl Carter, Jr., but he preferred to be called Jimmy Carter. His family was poor when he was young. Their house had no electricity or running water. The Carters were peanut farmers and operated a small grocery store. Young Jimmy Carter became a businessman at the age of six. He sold peanuts at a nickel a bag on the streets of Plains, GA. By age nine, he had saved enough money to buy two bales of cotton. He sold them a few years later and tripled the price on them.
Jimmy attended Plains High School where his principal had a big influence on him. She made him listen to classical music and made sure he was familiar with all the names of the best artists, musicians, and composers. The principal exposed him to books to read such as War and Peace. From age five, Jimmy wanted to be in the Navy. He wrote to the U.S. Naval Academy when he was six and asked for an application. They wrote back and told him to apply after he had graduated from high school. He did so and entered the Naval Academy in 1943. He worked as an electronics instructor and as an engineering officer aboard atomic-powered submarines. In 1953, Carter’s father died and Jimmy gave up his commission in the Navy and returned home to Plains to run the family’s peanut business (Bumann, Joan and John Patterson. 40 Presidents-Facts and Fun. Willowisp Press: 1981 pp. 150-153).
In the Coats area, the family of Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Sorrell was saddened by the tragic death of their 18 year-old son, Willie Kenneth Sorrell, who had died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident (Daily Record Jan. 3. 1977).
Jeanine Ennis Klutz was home from Greece and had sung at the Dutch Inn in Benson for a New Year’s party (Daily Record Jan. 4, 1977). Who knows what sits on the location of that once very popular motel?
Max Matthews had attended a 4-H workshop on how to keep long-time record books (Daily Record Jan. 10, 1977).
Dr. Anne Moore met Jody Powell, press secretary of President Carter, at a Democratic Gala in Raleigh (Daily Record Jan. 11, 1977).
Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Turner’s children honored their parents on their 73rd wedding anniversary at the Benson American Legion Building. The Turners continued to maintain their home and yard at Turlington’s Crossroads even though Mrs. Turner was 92 and Mr. Turner was 94. Mrs. Turner was the former Nolia Williams.
The Daily Record recently had a front page story on Kermit Turner who was celebrating his 100th birthday. He, too, lives in the Turlington Crossroads area. Was Kermit a relative of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Turner? I do know that Cherie Byrd was once again in the news when it was shared that she had been elected Homecoming Queen at Cape Fear Christian Academy (Daily Record Jan. 13, 1977).
Lewis Norris, of Coats, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Norris, was an aspiring cartoonist. He busied himself while serving in the Navy from 1964-68 when he was out at sea for weeks (Daily Record Jan. 14, 1977).
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Nassie Dorman honored their parents on their 43rd wedding anniversary at their home in Coats. Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Dorman, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Dorman and Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis Alphin were their children. Four days later, the death announcement of Mr. Nassie Dorman was printed in the paper. The sixty-four-year-old town clerk and community leader died while being transported to Good Hope Hospital in Erwin. He was the son of the late Paul and Bertha Matthews Dorman of Wake County. He was survived by his wife, Katie Stephenson Dorman; sons-Donnie and Lonnie and daughter Mrs. Jarvis Alphin. Mrs. Leon Pope was his sister (Daily Record Jan. 18, 1977).
Mr. Nassie Dorman was a highly respected businessman in Coats for many years. Another businessman who was loved by all was Graymon Powell. His son Marc and daughter-in-law Jean came by the museum a few days ago bringing a CD of many vintage pictures for our digital library. Loved hearing Marc talk about Coats and how busy it was when he was a youngster growing up there.
His wife Jean, Peggy Robinson, Lynda Butler, Becky Adams and I grew up in the rural areas of Coats so we love hearing his sharing stories about the booming town. Jean and Marc just returned from Georgia where they attended the memorial services of Jean’s brother Donald Johnson. Donald was in the Coats High Class of 1962 plus he was military veteran. Thank you goes to Marc and Jean for giving a memorial for Donald to the museum.
Stewart Akerman is often sharing little mementoes from the past with the museum and we appreciate his donating some more of the little name cards placed in the graduating invitations for seniors at Coats. From those given by Stewart and the Daywood Langdon family, we have a very big collection. Thanks-Stewart. You should drop into the museum and peruse the book Stewart shared with the museum containing the names of all the people who traded or purchased cars in 1939 at the Guy Stewart dealership.