May 17, 2019 Coats Museum News
The date on the Daily Record continued to disclose that it was January of 1977. President Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter lived in the White House. Jimmy had begun his political career in 1962 when he had won a state senate seat for two terms. In his second try, he had defeated Lester Mattox to become governor of Georgia. His ideas were very successful for the state and he decided to run for president. People outside of the state did not know him since he was not connected to the Washington group. People liked him. He could talk to people who were different from him. Carter had strong beliefs. He wanted to cut taxes, to help minority groups and to have government better serve the people.
Carter had successes and failures as president. His biggest success was in foreign affairs. Egypt and Israel reached an historic peace agreement. The inflation grew in Carter’s term and big corporations had to lay off workers. Carter’s biggest problem was in the Middle Eastern country of Iran. Armed students in the American Embassy took hostages. The hostages were held for fourteen months. Reagan defeated Carter by a landslide in the next presidential election (Bumann, Joan and John Patterson 40 Presidents, Facts and Fun Willowisp, Inc.: 1981, pp. 150-153).
Death announcements were making the news in Coats. The death angel had taken Joseph A. Graham who had died on Sunday. Survivors were his widow, Mrs. Lillie M. Graham, and his five children who all lived in the New England states (Daily Record Jan. 24, 1977).
The folks who lived on the Johnston–Harnett County Line Road had lost a good neighbor on Monday. Vernon E. Parrish had died at age 61. His services were held at Bethel Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery and Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Benson. His widow was Ruby Parrish and daughters were Jeneal Denton (Wade) and Linda Godwin. Cecil was his only son. Mrs. Jim Clayton, Miss Ada Parrish, Eston, Leron and Celton Parrish were his siblings (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1977).
It is interesting but sad to note that on Friday, May 3, 2019, the last of the Parrish children had died at his home on the Benson Hardee Road. Leron’s wife, Louise Smith Parrish, had been a secretary at Coats School where she and Leron attended. He will be remembered for his love and dedication to the West Johnston Fire Department.
Happy news was shared that Cathy Gail Grimes was engaged to marry Michael Anthony Peede. Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Grimes and Mr. and Mrs. Fleming Peede were parents of the couple (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1977).
Gale Penny, coach of the Lafayette JV girls basketball team, went up against Tim Penny’s Coats JV girls. The 24 year-old couple both intended to win (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1977).
The Joe Johnson descendants of Bailey’s Crossroads area had lost a young member, Robert Edward Johnson of Durham, a few months back. Then in January, they had to deal with the death of their mother and grandmother, Mrs. Mamie Johnson, widow of Joseph M. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson’s services were held at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with burial in the church cemetery. Surviving her were three daughters –Ruby J. McLamb, Mrs. Mary Jo Mann, and Doris Samuels (Nolan). Herbert L. Johnson was her only surviving son. Her other son, Edison Johnson, had predeceased her in 1972. Her sisters were Mrs. James Henry, Mrs. Brant Cobb, and Mrs. Fred Johnson; one brother was Newborne Weeks (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1977).
Do you wonder how the contest between the Coats coaching couple came out? It resulted in both teams winning one game each. Tim Penny said, “I’m glad it’s now fifty-fifty” (Daily Record Feb. 1, 1977).
Elton West, 61, of Coats had died on Saturday. His services were held at Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Lula Stewart West and his son, Robert West. His siblings were Osbert, Felton, Mrs. Myrtle Tart, and Mrs. Omie Moore (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1977).
Mrs. Dallas A. Lee, 85, of Coats had died on Wednesday. Her services were held at Overby-Johnson Funeral Home in Coats with burial in the Coats Cemetery (Daily Record Feb. 17, 1977).
Questions: Did you realize that there was an Overby-Johnson Funeral Home in Coats in 1977? Second, Lee was and is a popular name in the Coats area so does anyone know this lady’s connection to any of them? The obituary did not list survivors.
I do know that Larry V. Williams was a very popular 1961 Coats High graduate. Obviously he continued that trait with him after he graduated from college. The Daily Record, Feb. 23, 1977 paper shared that Larry V. Williams, of Kingsport, TN and son of Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie V. Williams, was elected Potentate of the Jericho Shrine Temple, the newest Shrine Temple in North America. Larry was instrumental in helping form the new temple. Mr. Williams served as Controller with Sears, Roebuck and Company in Kingsport. His wife, Ida Sue Neighbors Williams, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Neighbors of Dunn. Who remembers his pretty sister Phyllis?
Have you ever wondered why family names are spelled differently? In my husband’s maternal lines of the Coats and Penny families, some spell the name Coates and Penney. In my paternal side of the Johnson family, three generations back was spelled Johnston. In the Feb. 25, 1977 edition of the Daily Record, James Thurman Whittenton (Jim), 70, of Route 3, Dunn had died on Thursday. He had one daughter, Mrs. Edna Mae Tart of Coats, and one son, Percy Whittenton, of the Dunn area.
Question again: Why did Jim spell his name with an en and Green Whittington spell his with an ing? Was it the way the names were entered by the census takers or did the family deliberately change the spelling?
This I do know. Luke’s Restaurant’s owner, Sadie Barefoot, and The Kitchen’s owner, Sue Stewart, gave all proceeds for one day from coffee sales to the Heart Fund of Harnett County (Daily Record Mar. 3, 1977).
Debra Nye Honeycutt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Honeycutt, was engaged to Kent Turlington, son of Mr. and Mrs. Graham Turlington (Daily Record Mar. 4, 1977). Wonder how many lives that couple would later impact.
Donnie Keith Pollard, Jr. son of Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Pollard of Route One, Coats, celebrated his second birthday with hotdogs, hamburgers and Mickey Mouse cake (Daily Record Mar. 7, 1977).
Two practice teachers from Campbell College were to student teach in Dunn. Tommy Coats was under Mr. William Johnson in the chemistry area at Dunn High and Miss Debra (Debbie) Honeycutt was to teach at Magnolia Avenue in the second grade. A death was also in that Mar. 8, 1977 edition of the Daily Record. A. Carl Haney, Sr., 54, of Wilmington had died on Friday. He was brother of Ennis Haney of Coats.
Military news was not so much in the news in 1977 but we did learn that Marine Private First Class Richard Ennis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Ennis of Route One Coats, had been promoted to his present rank while serving with 3rd Force Service Support Group, on Okinawa. He had joined the Marine Corps in May of 1976.
Mrs. Stella Sorrell Ennis was making her home at Adams-Kinton Nursing Home near Buies Creek. Mrs. Ennis was the mother of thirteen children, seven of whom were living when she celebrated her 95th birthday. Her children who assembled for the occasion were Mr. Robert O. Ennis, Mr. E.C. Ennis, Mrs. Lillian Williamson, Mr. Hunter Ennis, Mr. R.A. Ennis, Mrs. H.E. Creech and Mrs. F.G. Moffitt (Daily Record Mar. 11, 1977).
Some of you may have recognized the names of Stella’s offspring. Stella was the daughter of William Richard Sorrell, who had a house full of children with his wife Mary Eliza Hodges, daughter of James Hodges, Jr. William Richard’s father was John Calvin Sorrell who owned about 1600 acres of land on what is now Red Hill Church Road and Turlington Road. John C. was married to Nancy J. Ryals, whose grandfather was Richard Ryals. From the union of those ancestors, some Sorrell descendants with recognizable names are Stella Sorrell Ennis, J. W. (Walt) Sorrell, Will T. Sorrell, Lula Sorrell Alphin, Maggie Sorrell Ennis and John L. Sorrell, Sr. It is interesting that they had longevity genes living into their 80’s and 90’s when the life span was in the 60’s. The Harnett County Heritage Book and the Heritage of Coats, NC have the family genealogy of John C. and Nancy J. Ryals Sorrell and many of their descendants. You would be surprised that many of you reading this column have your family genealogy in those two heritage books.
The news carried an article about the death of James E. Weaver. James had died on Monday and his services were at Rose and Graham Funeral Home and Devotional Gardens. He was survived by his wife, Mildred Jernigan Weaver and children- Mrs. Linda Matthews, Mrs. Helen Johnson, Mrs. Elaine Lee, Mrs. Becky Norris, David, James E. Jr., and William Mack Weaver (Daily Record Mar. 15, 1977).
Wonder if Mildred was connected to the Jernigan family who owned the Jernigan Pond that we all loved going to for school events. I do know that a neighbor of the Weaver family was planning a wedding. Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Johnson had announced the engagement of Teresa Jane to Ricky B. Jernigan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Jernigan of Route One, Benson.
It is always exciting to have folks drop by the museum who grew up in Coats. Margie Holder Herring and her husband A.T. and daughter Sharon Cox were a delight to give tours of the exhibits and to watch as they looked through our yearbooks from Coats High. Margie and A.T. retired to the Tampa Bay area of FL and their Sharon comes from Pennsylvania.
Since I did not grow up in the town of Coats, help is often needed to keep me straight on some of the early history of houses, streets and businesses in town. Ralph Denning has a storehouse of memories of Coats during the late 50 and 60’s. He dropped by last week for a visit. We talked about who lived in which houses and when the curve was removed from Railroad Street. Thank you Ralph for all the different ways you support the museum.
Patsy and Stacy Avery, thank you for dropping by to present a memorial donation from the Kiwanis Club for Jerry Williams, brother of Betty Manning. The Kiwanis Club of Coats is amazing in supporting the museum, town and schools. Thank you, Peggy Robinson for remembering Sue Johnson Richey with a memorial and to Paul Parker for keeping our lights burning.
The date on the Daily Record continued to disclose that it was January of 1977. President Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter lived in the White House. Jimmy had begun his political career in 1962 when he had won a state senate seat for two terms. In his second try, he had defeated Lester Mattox to become governor of Georgia. His ideas were very successful for the state and he decided to run for president. People outside of the state did not know him since he was not connected to the Washington group. People liked him. He could talk to people who were different from him. Carter had strong beliefs. He wanted to cut taxes, to help minority groups and to have government better serve the people.
Carter had successes and failures as president. His biggest success was in foreign affairs. Egypt and Israel reached an historic peace agreement. The inflation grew in Carter’s term and big corporations had to lay off workers. Carter’s biggest problem was in the Middle Eastern country of Iran. Armed students in the American Embassy took hostages. The hostages were held for fourteen months. Reagan defeated Carter by a landslide in the next presidential election (Bumann, Joan and John Patterson 40 Presidents, Facts and Fun Willowisp, Inc.: 1981, pp. 150-153).
Death announcements were making the news in Coats. The death angel had taken Joseph A. Graham who had died on Sunday. Survivors were his widow, Mrs. Lillie M. Graham, and his five children who all lived in the New England states (Daily Record Jan. 24, 1977).
The folks who lived on the Johnston–Harnett County Line Road had lost a good neighbor on Monday. Vernon E. Parrish had died at age 61. His services were held at Bethel Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery and Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Benson. His widow was Ruby Parrish and daughters were Jeneal Denton (Wade) and Linda Godwin. Cecil was his only son. Mrs. Jim Clayton, Miss Ada Parrish, Eston, Leron and Celton Parrish were his siblings (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1977).
It is interesting but sad to note that on Friday, May 3, 2019, the last of the Parrish children had died at his home on the Benson Hardee Road. Leron’s wife, Louise Smith Parrish, had been a secretary at Coats School where she and Leron attended. He will be remembered for his love and dedication to the West Johnston Fire Department.
Happy news was shared that Cathy Gail Grimes was engaged to marry Michael Anthony Peede. Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Grimes and Mr. and Mrs. Fleming Peede were parents of the couple (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1977).
Gale Penny, coach of the Lafayette JV girls basketball team, went up against Tim Penny’s Coats JV girls. The 24 year-old couple both intended to win (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1977).
The Joe Johnson descendants of Bailey’s Crossroads area had lost a young member, Robert Edward Johnson of Durham, a few months back. Then in January, they had to deal with the death of their mother and grandmother, Mrs. Mamie Johnson, widow of Joseph M. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson’s services were held at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with burial in the church cemetery. Surviving her were three daughters –Ruby J. McLamb, Mrs. Mary Jo Mann, and Doris Samuels (Nolan). Herbert L. Johnson was her only surviving son. Her other son, Edison Johnson, had predeceased her in 1972. Her sisters were Mrs. James Henry, Mrs. Brant Cobb, and Mrs. Fred Johnson; one brother was Newborne Weeks (Daily Record Jan. 31, 1977).
Do you wonder how the contest between the Coats coaching couple came out? It resulted in both teams winning one game each. Tim Penny said, “I’m glad it’s now fifty-fifty” (Daily Record Feb. 1, 1977).
Elton West, 61, of Coats had died on Saturday. His services were held at Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church with burial in the Coats City Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Lula Stewart West and his son, Robert West. His siblings were Osbert, Felton, Mrs. Myrtle Tart, and Mrs. Omie Moore (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1977).
Mrs. Dallas A. Lee, 85, of Coats had died on Wednesday. Her services were held at Overby-Johnson Funeral Home in Coats with burial in the Coats Cemetery (Daily Record Feb. 17, 1977).
Questions: Did you realize that there was an Overby-Johnson Funeral Home in Coats in 1977? Second, Lee was and is a popular name in the Coats area so does anyone know this lady’s connection to any of them? The obituary did not list survivors.
I do know that Larry V. Williams was a very popular 1961 Coats High graduate. Obviously he continued that trait with him after he graduated from college. The Daily Record, Feb. 23, 1977 paper shared that Larry V. Williams, of Kingsport, TN and son of Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie V. Williams, was elected Potentate of the Jericho Shrine Temple, the newest Shrine Temple in North America. Larry was instrumental in helping form the new temple. Mr. Williams served as Controller with Sears, Roebuck and Company in Kingsport. His wife, Ida Sue Neighbors Williams, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Neighbors of Dunn. Who remembers his pretty sister Phyllis?
Have you ever wondered why family names are spelled differently? In my husband’s maternal lines of the Coats and Penny families, some spell the name Coates and Penney. In my paternal side of the Johnson family, three generations back was spelled Johnston. In the Feb. 25, 1977 edition of the Daily Record, James Thurman Whittenton (Jim), 70, of Route 3, Dunn had died on Thursday. He had one daughter, Mrs. Edna Mae Tart of Coats, and one son, Percy Whittenton, of the Dunn area.
Question again: Why did Jim spell his name with an en and Green Whittington spell his with an ing? Was it the way the names were entered by the census takers or did the family deliberately change the spelling?
This I do know. Luke’s Restaurant’s owner, Sadie Barefoot, and The Kitchen’s owner, Sue Stewart, gave all proceeds for one day from coffee sales to the Heart Fund of Harnett County (Daily Record Mar. 3, 1977).
Debra Nye Honeycutt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Honeycutt, was engaged to Kent Turlington, son of Mr. and Mrs. Graham Turlington (Daily Record Mar. 4, 1977). Wonder how many lives that couple would later impact.
Donnie Keith Pollard, Jr. son of Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Pollard of Route One, Coats, celebrated his second birthday with hotdogs, hamburgers and Mickey Mouse cake (Daily Record Mar. 7, 1977).
Two practice teachers from Campbell College were to student teach in Dunn. Tommy Coats was under Mr. William Johnson in the chemistry area at Dunn High and Miss Debra (Debbie) Honeycutt was to teach at Magnolia Avenue in the second grade. A death was also in that Mar. 8, 1977 edition of the Daily Record. A. Carl Haney, Sr., 54, of Wilmington had died on Friday. He was brother of Ennis Haney of Coats.
Military news was not so much in the news in 1977 but we did learn that Marine Private First Class Richard Ennis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Ennis of Route One Coats, had been promoted to his present rank while serving with 3rd Force Service Support Group, on Okinawa. He had joined the Marine Corps in May of 1976.
Mrs. Stella Sorrell Ennis was making her home at Adams-Kinton Nursing Home near Buies Creek. Mrs. Ennis was the mother of thirteen children, seven of whom were living when she celebrated her 95th birthday. Her children who assembled for the occasion were Mr. Robert O. Ennis, Mr. E.C. Ennis, Mrs. Lillian Williamson, Mr. Hunter Ennis, Mr. R.A. Ennis, Mrs. H.E. Creech and Mrs. F.G. Moffitt (Daily Record Mar. 11, 1977).
Some of you may have recognized the names of Stella’s offspring. Stella was the daughter of William Richard Sorrell, who had a house full of children with his wife Mary Eliza Hodges, daughter of James Hodges, Jr. William Richard’s father was John Calvin Sorrell who owned about 1600 acres of land on what is now Red Hill Church Road and Turlington Road. John C. was married to Nancy J. Ryals, whose grandfather was Richard Ryals. From the union of those ancestors, some Sorrell descendants with recognizable names are Stella Sorrell Ennis, J. W. (Walt) Sorrell, Will T. Sorrell, Lula Sorrell Alphin, Maggie Sorrell Ennis and John L. Sorrell, Sr. It is interesting that they had longevity genes living into their 80’s and 90’s when the life span was in the 60’s. The Harnett County Heritage Book and the Heritage of Coats, NC have the family genealogy of John C. and Nancy J. Ryals Sorrell and many of their descendants. You would be surprised that many of you reading this column have your family genealogy in those two heritage books.
The news carried an article about the death of James E. Weaver. James had died on Monday and his services were at Rose and Graham Funeral Home and Devotional Gardens. He was survived by his wife, Mildred Jernigan Weaver and children- Mrs. Linda Matthews, Mrs. Helen Johnson, Mrs. Elaine Lee, Mrs. Becky Norris, David, James E. Jr., and William Mack Weaver (Daily Record Mar. 15, 1977).
Wonder if Mildred was connected to the Jernigan family who owned the Jernigan Pond that we all loved going to for school events. I do know that a neighbor of the Weaver family was planning a wedding. Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Johnson had announced the engagement of Teresa Jane to Ricky B. Jernigan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Jernigan of Route One, Benson.
It is always exciting to have folks drop by the museum who grew up in Coats. Margie Holder Herring and her husband A.T. and daughter Sharon Cox were a delight to give tours of the exhibits and to watch as they looked through our yearbooks from Coats High. Margie and A.T. retired to the Tampa Bay area of FL and their Sharon comes from Pennsylvania.
Since I did not grow up in the town of Coats, help is often needed to keep me straight on some of the early history of houses, streets and businesses in town. Ralph Denning has a storehouse of memories of Coats during the late 50 and 60’s. He dropped by last week for a visit. We talked about who lived in which houses and when the curve was removed from Railroad Street. Thank you Ralph for all the different ways you support the museum.
Patsy and Stacy Avery, thank you for dropping by to present a memorial donation from the Kiwanis Club for Jerry Williams, brother of Betty Manning. The Kiwanis Club of Coats is amazing in supporting the museum, town and schools. Thank you, Peggy Robinson for remembering Sue Johnson Richey with a memorial and to Paul Parker for keeping our lights burning.