May 22, 2015 Coats
Museum News
Some of you may recall going to Coats High School with Ann Reaves who was the stepdaughter of Bernice Wood? She married Paul William Schulz. The couple was married in the main post chapel at Fort Bragg with her stepfather giving her in marriage. Mrs. Adrian Norman Wiggins and Mrs. Richard Norris attended the bride who wore a ballerina length dress of blush pink Chantilly lace over satin. Mrs. Schulz was a graduate of Coats High and Brewster Business College in Tampa, Florida (Daily Record July 11, 1952).
Does anyone remember whom the GOP picked to be the running mate for General Dwight Eisenhower in 1952? It was Richard Nixon, a 39 year-old California legislator. When did Nixon become the President of the U.S.? I do know that Miss Sue Evelyn Turlington, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stonewall Turlington, had married Melton Everette Hamilton at the candlelight ceremony at Pleasant Memory Church. Another event recorded in the paper was that Mrs. Vonnie Anna Avery Williams became the mother of a son on July 3rd. Mr. and Mrs. William B. McLamb of Angier Route 2 had a son on July1st. The mother was the former Dorothy Lee Tew. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Bryant Allen Norris, Jr. announced the birth of a son also on July 1st. Mrs. Norris was the former Miss Mattie Byrd (Dunn Dispatch July 14, 1952).
Carson Gregory, Jr. of Coats joined other 4-H members at State College. He was past president of the Coats Jr. 4-H Club. Jean Creech of the Sr. 4-H Club of Coats was also at the congress that was a weeklong event (Dunn Dispatch July 21, 1952).
A wedding of “simple grace and beauty” was that of Miss Eleanor Stewart, daughter of Mrs. Esther Turlington Stewart Dixon and the late Zeb Stewart. Eleanor had married Sgt. Charles Ray Stephenson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Stephenson (Dunn Dispatch July 22, 1952).
The heat wave reached 104 degrees and the boll weevils infestation was as high as 90 percent in some areas. Did you ever sucker or prime tobacco in 104 degrees temperature? William S. Grimes, 62, husband of Mrs. Eula S. Grimes of Angier Route 1, died in the Veteran’s Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. Surviving were his daughter-Mrs. Pack King; five sons-Carson, Roy, Nathan, Max, and Lexie Grimes. He had two brothers-Oscar and Ransom Grimes of Coats and two sisters-Mrs. R.N. Stephenson and Miss Alma Grimes of Angier Route 1 (Dunn Dispatch July 23, 1952). Are those names correct?
County farm agent Ammons said that Harnett County tobacco losses would be as high as $1,225,000 due to heat in 1952. Wonder what the value of the tobacco was that year? Elsewhere it was recorded that the value of the Harnett School property in 1951-52 was $3,102,418 of which $2,560,940 was for 24 white schools and $541,478 for 18 Negro schools (Dunn Dispatch July 30, 1952).
The family of Mrs. Casandra “Sis” Stewart had another worry on their plate. The Coats, Route One, seventy-nine year old woman had died at Rex Hospital after a short illness. Her services were at Gift PBC and burial was in the Williams Cemetery. Mrs. Stewart was survived by seven sons-Ross, Carlie, James, Lawrence, Elbert, and John. What was the name of the seventh son? Her two daughters were Mrs. Osa Stephenson and Mrs. Hubert Williams. Zeb Williams and Mrs. Carves Barber were her siblings (Dunn Dispatch July 30, 1952).
Do you recognize any of those names? The name “Zeb” is on a marker on a road that leads into the former Cortez Williams house which is now owned by Billy and Margaret Coats. Was this Zeb a Williams and possibly the brother of Casandra?
Mrs. Arthur Capps and Mrs. Junior Norris hosted the Oakdale HD Club meeting and the family picnic was planned to be at the W.T. Howard pond. At another site, Dr. Donald Moore spoke at a basket supper where Dr. Bruce Blackman was honored. Mary Jo Johnson of Coats, president of the ECC Future Teachers of America Association, went to Ypsilanti, Michigan (Dunn Dispatch July 30, 1952).
Temperatures continued to soar as high as 107 degrees. There were earthquakes in California and boll weevils in Texas but Harnett County should have good cotton crop prices. In Dunn at the hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Sorrell announced the birth of their first daughter, Gennie Loraine. Mrs. Sorrell was the former Genevieve Thornton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Thornton of Benson. Lentis and Maude Penny Sorrell were the paternal grandparents (Dunn Dispatch August 1, 1952). Wonder if Jim Thornton announced to his Saturday night television audience about the birth of his first granddaughter.
Rear Admiral Bertram J. Grossbreck, Jr., USN, presented Master Sgt. Silas F. Whittington, son of N.T. Whittington of Coats, the Korean ribbon. Whittington attended Coats School and had entered service on December 2, 1940 (Dunn Dispatch August 4, 1952).
Dr. John A. McKay spoke at the Dr. Blackman supper. Dr. McKay of Fayetteville contrasted the life of a country doctor when his father practiced in the Buies Creek area to his own practice in 1952. Hot water was impossible to obtain and kerosene lamps were not sufficient to lift the gloom in the sick room. The senior McKay often rode 2 or 3 hours to make a visit for which he was paid $1.50 (Dunn Dispatch August 4, 1952).
We have a document from the Denning Family genealogy in the Research Library that shows that a doctor was paid with corn shucks. We have read that doctors were paid with live chickens, eggs, side meat and other produce. The Dr. Fleming family has on loan to the museum his medical tools which really catch the eyes of our young visitors as they look in awe at the huge needle that was used to give shots. I can only imagine the looks on old Dr. Joe McKay and Dr. Fleming’s faces if they could walk into a hospital today and observe how medicine is practiced.
Does anyone ever recall hearing whether there was a fire on the old Coats High School campus? According to the August paper, the fire department was called to the Coats School where they found a smoldering piece of floor that could have proven to be bad if it had not been discovered before it made headway. The fire was believed to have started when a janitor threw a cigarette on the floor while cleaning. Who remembers those oiled floors in the schools?
I do know that rain finally came again to Harnett County, but a 10 percent shortage in tobacco crop was projected due to the drought. Lonnie Moore of Coats was in as accident but was recuperating at his home. Marriage licenses were issued to Earl Lewis Dennis and Edna Mae Avery of Coats and to M.C. Upchurch of Coats and Corrine Stanton of Angier. Rev. G. Van Stephens solemnized the marriage of Mrs. Mae Slaughter of Angier to C.C. Upchurch in the Baptist parsonage (Dunn Dispatch August 4, 1952).The August 4, 1952 edition of the Dunn Dispatch reported that several weeks earlier someone had found water on the main floor in the new gymnasium at Coats School. It looked like the wood floor was full of waves. The floor had not been sanded and water from the open pipes seeped under the floor. Superintendent Proffit said the plumber had not put caps on the open pipes and when the water was cut on in the building, the water came out of the pipes onto the floor. Cost estimate to repair the floor was $3700 while repair from the fire in the elementary building was to be about $300.
Becky Adams and I really enjoyed giving a tour to the Coats High School Class of 1967. Some came from as far as Maryland for their reunion. Thank you goes to Shirley Allen for setting up the tour. Gary Denning, president of the CHS Class of 1965, is a faithful supporter of the museum. Thank you, Gary, for your generous memorial for Pauline Daniel.
Some of you may recall going to Coats High School with Ann Reaves who was the stepdaughter of Bernice Wood? She married Paul William Schulz. The couple was married in the main post chapel at Fort Bragg with her stepfather giving her in marriage. Mrs. Adrian Norman Wiggins and Mrs. Richard Norris attended the bride who wore a ballerina length dress of blush pink Chantilly lace over satin. Mrs. Schulz was a graduate of Coats High and Brewster Business College in Tampa, Florida (Daily Record July 11, 1952).
Does anyone remember whom the GOP picked to be the running mate for General Dwight Eisenhower in 1952? It was Richard Nixon, a 39 year-old California legislator. When did Nixon become the President of the U.S.? I do know that Miss Sue Evelyn Turlington, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stonewall Turlington, had married Melton Everette Hamilton at the candlelight ceremony at Pleasant Memory Church. Another event recorded in the paper was that Mrs. Vonnie Anna Avery Williams became the mother of a son on July 3rd. Mr. and Mrs. William B. McLamb of Angier Route 2 had a son on July1st. The mother was the former Dorothy Lee Tew. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Bryant Allen Norris, Jr. announced the birth of a son also on July 1st. Mrs. Norris was the former Miss Mattie Byrd (Dunn Dispatch July 14, 1952).
Carson Gregory, Jr. of Coats joined other 4-H members at State College. He was past president of the Coats Jr. 4-H Club. Jean Creech of the Sr. 4-H Club of Coats was also at the congress that was a weeklong event (Dunn Dispatch July 21, 1952).
A wedding of “simple grace and beauty” was that of Miss Eleanor Stewart, daughter of Mrs. Esther Turlington Stewart Dixon and the late Zeb Stewart. Eleanor had married Sgt. Charles Ray Stephenson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Stephenson (Dunn Dispatch July 22, 1952).
The heat wave reached 104 degrees and the boll weevils infestation was as high as 90 percent in some areas. Did you ever sucker or prime tobacco in 104 degrees temperature? William S. Grimes, 62, husband of Mrs. Eula S. Grimes of Angier Route 1, died in the Veteran’s Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. Surviving were his daughter-Mrs. Pack King; five sons-Carson, Roy, Nathan, Max, and Lexie Grimes. He had two brothers-Oscar and Ransom Grimes of Coats and two sisters-Mrs. R.N. Stephenson and Miss Alma Grimes of Angier Route 1 (Dunn Dispatch July 23, 1952). Are those names correct?
County farm agent Ammons said that Harnett County tobacco losses would be as high as $1,225,000 due to heat in 1952. Wonder what the value of the tobacco was that year? Elsewhere it was recorded that the value of the Harnett School property in 1951-52 was $3,102,418 of which $2,560,940 was for 24 white schools and $541,478 for 18 Negro schools (Dunn Dispatch July 30, 1952).
The family of Mrs. Casandra “Sis” Stewart had another worry on their plate. The Coats, Route One, seventy-nine year old woman had died at Rex Hospital after a short illness. Her services were at Gift PBC and burial was in the Williams Cemetery. Mrs. Stewart was survived by seven sons-Ross, Carlie, James, Lawrence, Elbert, and John. What was the name of the seventh son? Her two daughters were Mrs. Osa Stephenson and Mrs. Hubert Williams. Zeb Williams and Mrs. Carves Barber were her siblings (Dunn Dispatch July 30, 1952).
Do you recognize any of those names? The name “Zeb” is on a marker on a road that leads into the former Cortez Williams house which is now owned by Billy and Margaret Coats. Was this Zeb a Williams and possibly the brother of Casandra?
Mrs. Arthur Capps and Mrs. Junior Norris hosted the Oakdale HD Club meeting and the family picnic was planned to be at the W.T. Howard pond. At another site, Dr. Donald Moore spoke at a basket supper where Dr. Bruce Blackman was honored. Mary Jo Johnson of Coats, president of the ECC Future Teachers of America Association, went to Ypsilanti, Michigan (Dunn Dispatch July 30, 1952).
Temperatures continued to soar as high as 107 degrees. There were earthquakes in California and boll weevils in Texas but Harnett County should have good cotton crop prices. In Dunn at the hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Sorrell announced the birth of their first daughter, Gennie Loraine. Mrs. Sorrell was the former Genevieve Thornton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Thornton of Benson. Lentis and Maude Penny Sorrell were the paternal grandparents (Dunn Dispatch August 1, 1952). Wonder if Jim Thornton announced to his Saturday night television audience about the birth of his first granddaughter.
Rear Admiral Bertram J. Grossbreck, Jr., USN, presented Master Sgt. Silas F. Whittington, son of N.T. Whittington of Coats, the Korean ribbon. Whittington attended Coats School and had entered service on December 2, 1940 (Dunn Dispatch August 4, 1952).
Dr. John A. McKay spoke at the Dr. Blackman supper. Dr. McKay of Fayetteville contrasted the life of a country doctor when his father practiced in the Buies Creek area to his own practice in 1952. Hot water was impossible to obtain and kerosene lamps were not sufficient to lift the gloom in the sick room. The senior McKay often rode 2 or 3 hours to make a visit for which he was paid $1.50 (Dunn Dispatch August 4, 1952).
We have a document from the Denning Family genealogy in the Research Library that shows that a doctor was paid with corn shucks. We have read that doctors were paid with live chickens, eggs, side meat and other produce. The Dr. Fleming family has on loan to the museum his medical tools which really catch the eyes of our young visitors as they look in awe at the huge needle that was used to give shots. I can only imagine the looks on old Dr. Joe McKay and Dr. Fleming’s faces if they could walk into a hospital today and observe how medicine is practiced.
Does anyone ever recall hearing whether there was a fire on the old Coats High School campus? According to the August paper, the fire department was called to the Coats School where they found a smoldering piece of floor that could have proven to be bad if it had not been discovered before it made headway. The fire was believed to have started when a janitor threw a cigarette on the floor while cleaning. Who remembers those oiled floors in the schools?
I do know that rain finally came again to Harnett County, but a 10 percent shortage in tobacco crop was projected due to the drought. Lonnie Moore of Coats was in as accident but was recuperating at his home. Marriage licenses were issued to Earl Lewis Dennis and Edna Mae Avery of Coats and to M.C. Upchurch of Coats and Corrine Stanton of Angier. Rev. G. Van Stephens solemnized the marriage of Mrs. Mae Slaughter of Angier to C.C. Upchurch in the Baptist parsonage (Dunn Dispatch August 4, 1952).The August 4, 1952 edition of the Dunn Dispatch reported that several weeks earlier someone had found water on the main floor in the new gymnasium at Coats School. It looked like the wood floor was full of waves. The floor had not been sanded and water from the open pipes seeped under the floor. Superintendent Proffit said the plumber had not put caps on the open pipes and when the water was cut on in the building, the water came out of the pipes onto the floor. Cost estimate to repair the floor was $3700 while repair from the fire in the elementary building was to be about $300.
Becky Adams and I really enjoyed giving a tour to the Coats High School Class of 1967. Some came from as far as Maryland for their reunion. Thank you goes to Shirley Allen for setting up the tour. Gary Denning, president of the CHS Class of 1965, is a faithful supporter of the museum. Thank you, Gary, for your generous memorial for Pauline Daniel.