May 24, 2019 Coats Museum News
The year was 1977 and Jacqueline Means was ordained the first woman Episcopal priest in the US. President Jimmy Carter announced that his administration’s foreign aid contributions would be guided by the recipients’ human rights records. The Food and Drug Administration proposed a ban on the artificial sweetener saccharin because laboratory tests suggested it may cause cancer.
In aviation’s worst disaster, 582 people were killed when a KLM Boeing 747 attempted to take off and crashed into a Pan Am 747 on a runway on the Canary Island of Tenerife. President Carter called for a national effort for energy conservation that was the “moral equivalent of war.”The Department of Health, Education and Welfare banned discrimination against the nation’s 35 million handicapped individuals. An obscure movie producer by the name of George Lucas released the movie “Star Wars.” Few had given hope of much success, but it became the second-highest –grossing movie in history up until that time and its name entered the language permanently.
Fads and trends for 1977 were many. Liquid protein diets were all the rage. Joggers seemed to be everywhere. Billy Beer, named for the president’s brother, was a novelty hit beverage. Anything blessed with the Star Wars logo seemed anointed for commercial success. Volkswagen discontinued the Beetle, which touched off an immediate wave of nostalgia for the last great, good cheap car. The television miniseries Roots was not only a hit but created a great interest in genealogy (Dickson, Paul. From Elvis to E-Mail. Federal Street Press, Massachusetts: pp. 227-228).
In the Coats news, the readers learned that Technical Sergeant Leslie B. Clarke, husband of the former Jean Godwin, daughter of Mrs. Cameron Godwin of Coats, had graduated from Air Force Logistics Command Non-commissioned Officer Academy at Robbins AFB, GA. (Daily Record Mar. 21, 1977).
Death had taken Mrs. Lina Langdon Gardner in Milledgeville, GA. She had one brother, Ralph Langdon of Fayetteville. She was formerly of Coats (Daily Record Mar. 22, 1977).
Weddings were on the minds of several former Coats students. Jo Ann Ammons, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ammons, was engaged to William Michael Cross of Erwin. Larry Vinson Barefoot, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Barefoot, of the Bethel Church area, was engaged to marry Joy Lane Byrd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Byrd. Mr. Barefoot had attended UNC Chapel Hill and Miss Byrd attended ECU and was a teacher of Special Education with the Department of Correction (Daily Record Mar. 24, 1977).
David Benton Ennis, 55, of Route One, Benson had died on Sunday. His services were at Cromartie-Pearsall Funeral Chapel in Dunn. Officiating were Rev. Billy Parker and Elder T. Allen Johnson. Burial was in the Ennis Family Cemetery on his farm. His widow was Wynona Godwin Ennis and children were three sons-Dwight, Daywood and Dennis. Becky Ennis Adams was his only daughter. His siblings were Preston, Howard, Vernie Creech, Alma Wood, Lena Coats and Lunette Coats (Daily Record March 28, 1977).
The Coats Woman’s Club honored the Coats School faculty with a coffee hour. Mrs. Sue Turlington was president of the club. Mrs. Judy Gregory, Mrs. Joyce Stewart and Mrs. Mary Langdon served the faculty for the club. Elsewhere there was reason for a young couple to be excited. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Ray Roberts announced the birth of Daryl Scott Roberts at the Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital. The mother was the former Nancy Jean Stout (Daily Record Mar. 29, 1977).
Vonda Faye Young, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Von Young, was engaged to Steve Doug Stevens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carlie Stevens. Vonda was a junior at Campbell College and Doug was a senior at the same school (Daily Record Mar. 30, 1977).
Barbara Ruth Wood planned her marriage to Willie Tony Beasley. The wedding was to be held at the home of Mrs. J.W. Sorrell, Jr. Barbara was employed at SLC Fashion Corp. in Coats and Tony worked at Titan Mobile Home (Daily Record Apr. 6, 1977).
Love continued to be in air as another couple pledged their vows on Easter Sunday. Miss Diane Reba Moore became the bride of Johnny Ray Pope, son of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Pope. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Moore were parents of the bride (Daily Record Apr. 11, 1977).
As I was writing about all those young people making another step into their tomorrow, I could not help but remember them as young teenagers in my classroom and be thankful that many of them I have been blessed to see their successes in that tomorrow.
The Coats Rescue Squad had held an open house at the Coats Grove Fire and Rescue Building (Daily Record Apr. 18, 1977).
Do you remember reading a few columns back that the old Coats School teacherage had been for sale? There had been a back and forth of bids between the town and Dr. Harold Dixon. Obviously, the town won the bid because it was printed that Coats had a new City Hall that had long been needed. It was purchased for $38,000. With the cost of renovation, it would total about $50,000 and would give the town a “first class city hall.” The building would also house the police department and a small library.
Other Coats news in that same April 22, 1977 Daily Record was that Miss Bonnie Lee was inducted into the Epsilon Pi Eta honor society. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee, Jr. Also printed was that Mrs. Hilda Ruth Dorman Blalock, 49, wife of Milton Blalock, had died at Rex on Friday. She was a supervisor for the Registration Division for the NC Automobile Dealers Association. Andy Edwin Blalock was her son; Mrs. Nola Pope and Mr. Willie Dorman were siblings.
Navy Interior Communications Electrician Third Class Billy G. McLamb, whose wife was the former Karen Gregory, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Gregory, had completed a specialized Interior Communications Electrician Course. McLamb had joined the Navy in August 1975 (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1977).
Mr. Z. Nassie Dorman was honored when the new City Hall was dedicated to his memory. Congressman Adam Whitley, Judge Gerald Arnold, Former Mayor Godfrey Beasley, and State Representative Carson Gregory gave eulogies during the dedication. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Currin gave a picture of Mr. Dorman to be put in the hall. Mr. Dorman served 15 years as a mayor, councilman, mayor pro-tem, clerk and treasurer.
Mr. Dorman was recalled as a man who inspired decency and morality. Dr. Anne Moore sang at the dedication (Daily Record May 2, 1977). Can someone verify what years Mr. Dorman served as the mayor?
I do know that it was predicted that gas would cost $2.50 by the year 2000. How did that pan out?
Suzanne Avery, the fourteen year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Max Avery, had died just before her birthday. She was the granddaughter of Mrs. Melvin (Inez Ennis) Avery (Daily Record May 11, 1977).
A theatrical agent ripped off the people in Coats by promising them an appearance of Jeanne Pruett. Peters said Jerry Lee Hall took “in excess of $1,000” for the show and then disappeared. Ticket holders were promised a refund.
As if that was not enough bad news for the town, even more bad news came to the Whittington family of Coats. Mrs. Rena Williams Whittington, 84, of Coats had died on Friday. Rev. Howard Beard conducted services at the Coats Baptist Church, with burial in the Erwin Memorial Cemetery. She had ten children. Garland, Stacy, Silas, Phillip, McKinley and Billy were sons and Mrs. Agatha McLamb, Mrs. Christine Matthews, and Mrs. Marie Honeycutt were her daughters. Who was the tenth child? Was there one named Vonsar?
A talkathon, gospel sing and auction were planned to raise $6,000 to aid the Coats Rescue Squad (Daily Record May 18, 1977).
Several Coats youths-Max Matthews, Jr., Kathy Williams, Joyce Johnson and Anita Matthews were involved in the Eastern 4-H Club headed by Mrs. Dorothy Matthews (Daily Record May 19, 1977).
Noteworthy exhibit items continue to come to the museum for the public to view. For years we have sought items from the Vietnam War era. Thank you goes to Connie Sorrell for bringing the Vietnam War uniform donated by Wayne Sorrell, a veteran of that war. We look forward to showcasing Wayne’s items along with those donated by other veterans of that war.
Family is so important to most in our small rural area of Harnett County. It is so obvious by the great number of family genealogies found on our shelves in our research library in the museum. Some families continue to carry on the tradition of meeting back at the home place on special days. One such family is the Pollard family outside of Coats. So many times during the year when one drives past Linda Pollard Cobb’s house and the yard is overrunning with vehicles, you can be assured that the family has returned home to honor their late parents, Paul and Alder Pollard. Linda has been a generous museum volunteer for years and her brother Wallace Pollard, year after year, continues to financially support the Coats Museum. Thank you both for your generosity of time and money.
Thank you goes to H.L. Sorrell for his memorial and honorarium donations to the Coats Museum Endowment for Becky Adams, Mrs. Lois Adams and Leron Parrish. The Coats Museum Endowment was set up by the Coats Museum with the help of the Kiwanis Club and Lions Club to ensure a solid foundation for the Coats Museum.
The year was 1977 and Jacqueline Means was ordained the first woman Episcopal priest in the US. President Jimmy Carter announced that his administration’s foreign aid contributions would be guided by the recipients’ human rights records. The Food and Drug Administration proposed a ban on the artificial sweetener saccharin because laboratory tests suggested it may cause cancer.
In aviation’s worst disaster, 582 people were killed when a KLM Boeing 747 attempted to take off and crashed into a Pan Am 747 on a runway on the Canary Island of Tenerife. President Carter called for a national effort for energy conservation that was the “moral equivalent of war.”The Department of Health, Education and Welfare banned discrimination against the nation’s 35 million handicapped individuals. An obscure movie producer by the name of George Lucas released the movie “Star Wars.” Few had given hope of much success, but it became the second-highest –grossing movie in history up until that time and its name entered the language permanently.
Fads and trends for 1977 were many. Liquid protein diets were all the rage. Joggers seemed to be everywhere. Billy Beer, named for the president’s brother, was a novelty hit beverage. Anything blessed with the Star Wars logo seemed anointed for commercial success. Volkswagen discontinued the Beetle, which touched off an immediate wave of nostalgia for the last great, good cheap car. The television miniseries Roots was not only a hit but created a great interest in genealogy (Dickson, Paul. From Elvis to E-Mail. Federal Street Press, Massachusetts: pp. 227-228).
In the Coats news, the readers learned that Technical Sergeant Leslie B. Clarke, husband of the former Jean Godwin, daughter of Mrs. Cameron Godwin of Coats, had graduated from Air Force Logistics Command Non-commissioned Officer Academy at Robbins AFB, GA. (Daily Record Mar. 21, 1977).
Death had taken Mrs. Lina Langdon Gardner in Milledgeville, GA. She had one brother, Ralph Langdon of Fayetteville. She was formerly of Coats (Daily Record Mar. 22, 1977).
Weddings were on the minds of several former Coats students. Jo Ann Ammons, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ammons, was engaged to William Michael Cross of Erwin. Larry Vinson Barefoot, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Barefoot, of the Bethel Church area, was engaged to marry Joy Lane Byrd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Byrd. Mr. Barefoot had attended UNC Chapel Hill and Miss Byrd attended ECU and was a teacher of Special Education with the Department of Correction (Daily Record Mar. 24, 1977).
David Benton Ennis, 55, of Route One, Benson had died on Sunday. His services were at Cromartie-Pearsall Funeral Chapel in Dunn. Officiating were Rev. Billy Parker and Elder T. Allen Johnson. Burial was in the Ennis Family Cemetery on his farm. His widow was Wynona Godwin Ennis and children were three sons-Dwight, Daywood and Dennis. Becky Ennis Adams was his only daughter. His siblings were Preston, Howard, Vernie Creech, Alma Wood, Lena Coats and Lunette Coats (Daily Record March 28, 1977).
The Coats Woman’s Club honored the Coats School faculty with a coffee hour. Mrs. Sue Turlington was president of the club. Mrs. Judy Gregory, Mrs. Joyce Stewart and Mrs. Mary Langdon served the faculty for the club. Elsewhere there was reason for a young couple to be excited. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Ray Roberts announced the birth of Daryl Scott Roberts at the Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital. The mother was the former Nancy Jean Stout (Daily Record Mar. 29, 1977).
Vonda Faye Young, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Von Young, was engaged to Steve Doug Stevens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carlie Stevens. Vonda was a junior at Campbell College and Doug was a senior at the same school (Daily Record Mar. 30, 1977).
Barbara Ruth Wood planned her marriage to Willie Tony Beasley. The wedding was to be held at the home of Mrs. J.W. Sorrell, Jr. Barbara was employed at SLC Fashion Corp. in Coats and Tony worked at Titan Mobile Home (Daily Record Apr. 6, 1977).
Love continued to be in air as another couple pledged their vows on Easter Sunday. Miss Diane Reba Moore became the bride of Johnny Ray Pope, son of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Pope. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Moore were parents of the bride (Daily Record Apr. 11, 1977).
As I was writing about all those young people making another step into their tomorrow, I could not help but remember them as young teenagers in my classroom and be thankful that many of them I have been blessed to see their successes in that tomorrow.
The Coats Rescue Squad had held an open house at the Coats Grove Fire and Rescue Building (Daily Record Apr. 18, 1977).
Do you remember reading a few columns back that the old Coats School teacherage had been for sale? There had been a back and forth of bids between the town and Dr. Harold Dixon. Obviously, the town won the bid because it was printed that Coats had a new City Hall that had long been needed. It was purchased for $38,000. With the cost of renovation, it would total about $50,000 and would give the town a “first class city hall.” The building would also house the police department and a small library.
Other Coats news in that same April 22, 1977 Daily Record was that Miss Bonnie Lee was inducted into the Epsilon Pi Eta honor society. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee, Jr. Also printed was that Mrs. Hilda Ruth Dorman Blalock, 49, wife of Milton Blalock, had died at Rex on Friday. She was a supervisor for the Registration Division for the NC Automobile Dealers Association. Andy Edwin Blalock was her son; Mrs. Nola Pope and Mr. Willie Dorman were siblings.
Navy Interior Communications Electrician Third Class Billy G. McLamb, whose wife was the former Karen Gregory, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Gregory, had completed a specialized Interior Communications Electrician Course. McLamb had joined the Navy in August 1975 (Daily Record Apr. 28, 1977).
Mr. Z. Nassie Dorman was honored when the new City Hall was dedicated to his memory. Congressman Adam Whitley, Judge Gerald Arnold, Former Mayor Godfrey Beasley, and State Representative Carson Gregory gave eulogies during the dedication. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Currin gave a picture of Mr. Dorman to be put in the hall. Mr. Dorman served 15 years as a mayor, councilman, mayor pro-tem, clerk and treasurer.
Mr. Dorman was recalled as a man who inspired decency and morality. Dr. Anne Moore sang at the dedication (Daily Record May 2, 1977). Can someone verify what years Mr. Dorman served as the mayor?
I do know that it was predicted that gas would cost $2.50 by the year 2000. How did that pan out?
Suzanne Avery, the fourteen year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Max Avery, had died just before her birthday. She was the granddaughter of Mrs. Melvin (Inez Ennis) Avery (Daily Record May 11, 1977).
A theatrical agent ripped off the people in Coats by promising them an appearance of Jeanne Pruett. Peters said Jerry Lee Hall took “in excess of $1,000” for the show and then disappeared. Ticket holders were promised a refund.
As if that was not enough bad news for the town, even more bad news came to the Whittington family of Coats. Mrs. Rena Williams Whittington, 84, of Coats had died on Friday. Rev. Howard Beard conducted services at the Coats Baptist Church, with burial in the Erwin Memorial Cemetery. She had ten children. Garland, Stacy, Silas, Phillip, McKinley and Billy were sons and Mrs. Agatha McLamb, Mrs. Christine Matthews, and Mrs. Marie Honeycutt were her daughters. Who was the tenth child? Was there one named Vonsar?
A talkathon, gospel sing and auction were planned to raise $6,000 to aid the Coats Rescue Squad (Daily Record May 18, 1977).
Several Coats youths-Max Matthews, Jr., Kathy Williams, Joyce Johnson and Anita Matthews were involved in the Eastern 4-H Club headed by Mrs. Dorothy Matthews (Daily Record May 19, 1977).
Noteworthy exhibit items continue to come to the museum for the public to view. For years we have sought items from the Vietnam War era. Thank you goes to Connie Sorrell for bringing the Vietnam War uniform donated by Wayne Sorrell, a veteran of that war. We look forward to showcasing Wayne’s items along with those donated by other veterans of that war.
Family is so important to most in our small rural area of Harnett County. It is so obvious by the great number of family genealogies found on our shelves in our research library in the museum. Some families continue to carry on the tradition of meeting back at the home place on special days. One such family is the Pollard family outside of Coats. So many times during the year when one drives past Linda Pollard Cobb’s house and the yard is overrunning with vehicles, you can be assured that the family has returned home to honor their late parents, Paul and Alder Pollard. Linda has been a generous museum volunteer for years and her brother Wallace Pollard, year after year, continues to financially support the Coats Museum. Thank you both for your generosity of time and money.
Thank you goes to H.L. Sorrell for his memorial and honorarium donations to the Coats Museum Endowment for Becky Adams, Mrs. Lois Adams and Leron Parrish. The Coats Museum Endowment was set up by the Coats Museum with the help of the Kiwanis Club and Lions Club to ensure a solid foundation for the Coats Museum.