May 19, 2023 Coats Museum News
It was October of 1992 and football season was a big topic at the Coats Middle School. The Coats football team had blanked the Western Middle School with a 20-0 win. Jerode Ray, Shawtee Baker, Billy Lenzina, Gary Walden, and Adam Ennis’s plays made the news (Daily Record Oct. 16, 1992).
Death visited the Stancil household and took a beloved member-Maylon Stancil, 82, of near Dunn. His wife Mary Lucille Stancil survived him. Also surviving him were his sons and daughter- Waylon, Larry, Arnold and Betty Lou Stancil (Daily Record Oct. 19, 1992).
Competing for the attention and audience in October of 1992 was the Miss Coats Beauty pageant. The pageant had six contestants. High school senior, LaBreesha Dawn Tripp, daughter of Rev. Jimmy and Renee Tripp; Crystal Kay Cutts also a Triton High Senior and daughter of Billy and Nell Cutts; Triton High senior Amanda Helen Dixon, daughter of Dr. Harold and Dana Dixon; Amy Elizabeth Ryals-Triton Junior and daughter of Clarence and Beth Ryals. The two final contestants were Rebecca Lee Hamilton who was a senior at South Johnston High School. She was the daughter of William and Janet Hamilton. Angela Faith Warren was the daughter of Harry and Glenda Denton and Angela was also the daughter of Larry Warren and she was a senior at Cape Fear Christian Academy (Daily Record Oct. 22, 1992).
Does anyone recall who crowned one of these beauties? I do know that Bill Ray Wet, 57, had died in the emergency room at BJM. The Johnston County native was the son of the late Osbert West. Billy Ray was a retired convenience store operator in Coats. His funeral service was in the Rose and Graham Funeral Chapel and burial in the Banner Chapel Church Cemetery near Benson. Surviving him was one son, Tony Ray West and a daughter Charlene West. Surviving him also was his mother, Ellie West and two siblings-Ruth Pleasant and Wayne West (Daily Record Oct. 1992).
The winner of the Miss Coats pageant was announced and she was Amanda Dixon, a senior at Triton High School. Teen Miss Coats was Nicole Lee, and Junior Miss Coats was Elizabeth Herring.
Does anyone know what became of these beauties? Did Amanda not follow in the footprints of her dad and become a dentist?
I do know some happy wedding news was shared in Coats. Kelly Lee Ward, daughter of Helen Lockamy and Andy Lee, had married Donald Curry, Jr. of Johnson City, TN. Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Lockamy were Kelly’s grandparents from Coats (Daily Record Oct. 26, 1992).
Belles “Notes” disclosed other winners of the Coats pageants. In the Wee Miss Coats contest, Ashley Brook Jernigan was winner; Mellissa Ann Allen was first place runner-up and Morgan Lynn Langdon was second runner-up. In the Tiny Miss Coats contest, the winner was Randice Leanne Raynor and Katie Elizabeth Coats was first runner-up while Tamera Marie Parrish was second runner-up. Little Miss Coats was Erica Nicole Willis with Amber Nicole Norris being first runner-up and joined by Rita Kathryn Walker as second runner-up.
Junior Miss Coats was Elizabeth Herring ad Melissa Matthews was first runner-up followed by Merritt Leigh Marlee in second runner-up place. In the Miss Teen Coats, Armanda Lee was crowned with Mandi Messer coming in second and Misty Faye Tart place in as second runner-up (Daily Record Oct. 29, 1992).
That contest was 31 years ago. Do you wonder where these beauties are today and what paths they took in life? I do know that Judy Michelle Register was to marry Patrick McGill of Raleigh. He was the son of Clarence McGill and Sue Noles McGill of Coats. Patrick was a 1980 graduate of Coats high School. Was he president of the senior class there?
The Coats Middle School Homecoming Queen was Nicole Turlington who was escorted by her father Jeffrey Turlington. The Maid of Honor was Jennifer Shorter who was a seventh grader and she was also escorted by her father, Dennis Shorter (Daily Record Nov. 2, 1992).
The headlines read the “Harnett Demos win Big”. Elected were H.L. Sorrell, Jr., Joe Bowden and Dan Andrews to commission seats.
The Coats Area Chamber of Commerce selected the Coats Medical Clinic as the Business Focus of the Week. Dr. Donald Moore had designed and built a clinic. Moore came to Coats in 1949 to assist ailing Dr. Fleming who had passed away a year later. In 1961, the Coats Medical Clinic was opened for business. His daughter, Dr. Linda Robinson, joined the clinic in 1979. The clinic operated just off NC 55 at 401 Washington Street (Daily Record Nov. 5, 1992).
Rev. Alonzo F. Coats of Baltimore, MD had died. He was the son of the late Alonzo Rufus Coats and Mary Louise Godwin Coats. Sherrill Coats and William Coats were his brothers (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1992).
Does anyone recall when the original Hodges Chapel wooden church burned? Did we have access to county water to save country dwellings in 1992? Was it built from fat lightwood which burns hot and fast? The paper did share that the Hodges Chapel was planning to have an auction and supper to raise funds to rebuild the Hodges Chapel Church (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1992).
Have you ever been in the church that replaced the original one? H.L. and I always attended any fundraiser that was held for the church because that was the church that most of the Sorrell ancestors attended and some current cousins attend today. As the aunts and uncles married, many attended churches that their spouses attended or one nearer to their new homes. Every year, for many years, the Walt Sorrell family had a reunion and it was at that event that the younger off spring of John C. Sorrell and William Richardson Sorrell discovered new cousins.
A walk through the Hodges Chapel Cemetery discloses the graves of so many of our ancestors who left their mark on history. Wonder why it is called the Hodges Chapel Church and why is both a chapel and church in its name?
I do know that most of you know Judson Keith and Patsy J. Parrish who announced the engagement of their daughter Amy to Anthony Paul Beasley, the son of Tony Paul Beasley and Sandra Beasley. The bride-elect was a 1988 graduate of Triton and a 1992 graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. The prospective bridegroom planned to attend Southeastern Bible College (Daily Record Nov. 8. 1992).
Coats has so many talented individuals. Some are natives while others have found their way to our small town. Myrtle and Howard Bridges have lived here for several years and they have contributed so many of their talents to promote the Coats Methodist Church and the Coats Museum. Myrtle’s glass collections are beyond belief. Her cobalt blue glassware exhibit is show stopper in the Coats Museum’s exhibit hall. This week Myrtle gave a very generous donation to the building fund as she and other museum board members are exploring the possibility to add another exhibit hall to the Coats Heritage Square to house the many stored artifacts and those that continue to come into the museum. Thank you so much Myrtle for your generosity.
It was October of 1992 and football season was a big topic at the Coats Middle School. The Coats football team had blanked the Western Middle School with a 20-0 win. Jerode Ray, Shawtee Baker, Billy Lenzina, Gary Walden, and Adam Ennis’s plays made the news (Daily Record Oct. 16, 1992).
Death visited the Stancil household and took a beloved member-Maylon Stancil, 82, of near Dunn. His wife Mary Lucille Stancil survived him. Also surviving him were his sons and daughter- Waylon, Larry, Arnold and Betty Lou Stancil (Daily Record Oct. 19, 1992).
Competing for the attention and audience in October of 1992 was the Miss Coats Beauty pageant. The pageant had six contestants. High school senior, LaBreesha Dawn Tripp, daughter of Rev. Jimmy and Renee Tripp; Crystal Kay Cutts also a Triton High Senior and daughter of Billy and Nell Cutts; Triton High senior Amanda Helen Dixon, daughter of Dr. Harold and Dana Dixon; Amy Elizabeth Ryals-Triton Junior and daughter of Clarence and Beth Ryals. The two final contestants were Rebecca Lee Hamilton who was a senior at South Johnston High School. She was the daughter of William and Janet Hamilton. Angela Faith Warren was the daughter of Harry and Glenda Denton and Angela was also the daughter of Larry Warren and she was a senior at Cape Fear Christian Academy (Daily Record Oct. 22, 1992).
Does anyone recall who crowned one of these beauties? I do know that Bill Ray Wet, 57, had died in the emergency room at BJM. The Johnston County native was the son of the late Osbert West. Billy Ray was a retired convenience store operator in Coats. His funeral service was in the Rose and Graham Funeral Chapel and burial in the Banner Chapel Church Cemetery near Benson. Surviving him was one son, Tony Ray West and a daughter Charlene West. Surviving him also was his mother, Ellie West and two siblings-Ruth Pleasant and Wayne West (Daily Record Oct. 1992).
The winner of the Miss Coats pageant was announced and she was Amanda Dixon, a senior at Triton High School. Teen Miss Coats was Nicole Lee, and Junior Miss Coats was Elizabeth Herring.
Does anyone know what became of these beauties? Did Amanda not follow in the footprints of her dad and become a dentist?
I do know some happy wedding news was shared in Coats. Kelly Lee Ward, daughter of Helen Lockamy and Andy Lee, had married Donald Curry, Jr. of Johnson City, TN. Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Lockamy were Kelly’s grandparents from Coats (Daily Record Oct. 26, 1992).
Belles “Notes” disclosed other winners of the Coats pageants. In the Wee Miss Coats contest, Ashley Brook Jernigan was winner; Mellissa Ann Allen was first place runner-up and Morgan Lynn Langdon was second runner-up. In the Tiny Miss Coats contest, the winner was Randice Leanne Raynor and Katie Elizabeth Coats was first runner-up while Tamera Marie Parrish was second runner-up. Little Miss Coats was Erica Nicole Willis with Amber Nicole Norris being first runner-up and joined by Rita Kathryn Walker as second runner-up.
Junior Miss Coats was Elizabeth Herring ad Melissa Matthews was first runner-up followed by Merritt Leigh Marlee in second runner-up place. In the Miss Teen Coats, Armanda Lee was crowned with Mandi Messer coming in second and Misty Faye Tart place in as second runner-up (Daily Record Oct. 29, 1992).
That contest was 31 years ago. Do you wonder where these beauties are today and what paths they took in life? I do know that Judy Michelle Register was to marry Patrick McGill of Raleigh. He was the son of Clarence McGill and Sue Noles McGill of Coats. Patrick was a 1980 graduate of Coats high School. Was he president of the senior class there?
The Coats Middle School Homecoming Queen was Nicole Turlington who was escorted by her father Jeffrey Turlington. The Maid of Honor was Jennifer Shorter who was a seventh grader and she was also escorted by her father, Dennis Shorter (Daily Record Nov. 2, 1992).
The headlines read the “Harnett Demos win Big”. Elected were H.L. Sorrell, Jr., Joe Bowden and Dan Andrews to commission seats.
The Coats Area Chamber of Commerce selected the Coats Medical Clinic as the Business Focus of the Week. Dr. Donald Moore had designed and built a clinic. Moore came to Coats in 1949 to assist ailing Dr. Fleming who had passed away a year later. In 1961, the Coats Medical Clinic was opened for business. His daughter, Dr. Linda Robinson, joined the clinic in 1979. The clinic operated just off NC 55 at 401 Washington Street (Daily Record Nov. 5, 1992).
Rev. Alonzo F. Coats of Baltimore, MD had died. He was the son of the late Alonzo Rufus Coats and Mary Louise Godwin Coats. Sherrill Coats and William Coats were his brothers (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1992).
Does anyone recall when the original Hodges Chapel wooden church burned? Did we have access to county water to save country dwellings in 1992? Was it built from fat lightwood which burns hot and fast? The paper did share that the Hodges Chapel was planning to have an auction and supper to raise funds to rebuild the Hodges Chapel Church (Daily Record Nov. 6, 1992).
Have you ever been in the church that replaced the original one? H.L. and I always attended any fundraiser that was held for the church because that was the church that most of the Sorrell ancestors attended and some current cousins attend today. As the aunts and uncles married, many attended churches that their spouses attended or one nearer to their new homes. Every year, for many years, the Walt Sorrell family had a reunion and it was at that event that the younger off spring of John C. Sorrell and William Richardson Sorrell discovered new cousins.
A walk through the Hodges Chapel Cemetery discloses the graves of so many of our ancestors who left their mark on history. Wonder why it is called the Hodges Chapel Church and why is both a chapel and church in its name?
I do know that most of you know Judson Keith and Patsy J. Parrish who announced the engagement of their daughter Amy to Anthony Paul Beasley, the son of Tony Paul Beasley and Sandra Beasley. The bride-elect was a 1988 graduate of Triton and a 1992 graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. The prospective bridegroom planned to attend Southeastern Bible College (Daily Record Nov. 8. 1992).
Coats has so many talented individuals. Some are natives while others have found their way to our small town. Myrtle and Howard Bridges have lived here for several years and they have contributed so many of their talents to promote the Coats Methodist Church and the Coats Museum. Myrtle’s glass collections are beyond belief. Her cobalt blue glassware exhibit is show stopper in the Coats Museum’s exhibit hall. This week Myrtle gave a very generous donation to the building fund as she and other museum board members are exploring the possibility to add another exhibit hall to the Coats Heritage Square to house the many stored artifacts and those that continue to come into the museum. Thank you so much Myrtle for your generosity.