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  • February 24, 2023
                                                                                        May 4, 2018 Coats Museum News
The year was 1970-the year the federal authorities put the number of American marijuana users at over 8 million. The year the male long hair seemed to be at its longest and many schools were forced to change their school dress codes to accommodate the fashion. President Nixon referred to student protesters as “these bums” who burn books and “blow up buildings.” The size of the federal workforce was 441,410. The Japanese automakers had produced 3.2 million cars in 1970, up from 79,000 in 1958 and 110 in 1947. The population of the United States was 203,211,926 (Paul Dickson, From Elvis to E-Mail, Springfield, MA: Federal Street Press, 1999, pp. 180-185).
Edward S. Turlington was named to the Harnett County Board of Education to fill out the term of Haywood Roberts who had recently died (Daily Record June 25, 1970).
Regina Ann Jackson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Jackson, of Coats, had received her diploma at the 70th annual commencement of King’s College in Charlotte. The diploma was awarded upon her completion of studies in the one-year general business secretarial course (Daily Record June19, 1970).
The late T.J. (Jeff) Turlington, Sr., a leader in the Democratic Party for many years and brother of Henry A. Turlington, was paid high praise in a resolution at the Harnett County biennial convention. Haywood Roberts was also paid a high tribute for his services as a member of the Harnett County Board of Education. Mr. Roberts was the son of the “famous Dr. Harry Roberts who was a pioneer pilot in the early years of aviation in North Carolina” (Daily Record June 30, 1970).
Mabel Byrd was a patient at Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital (Daily Record July 10, 1970) and Ernest McLaughlin and Minnie Godwin were patients at GHH in Erwin (Daily Record July 22, 1970).
The population of Coats had gained a 40 % increase from 1960 to 1970. In 1960, there were 1,000 compared to 1400 in 1970 (Daily Record July 23, 1970).
Elsewhere, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Cook of Goldsboro had won trips to Nashville, TN and Myrtle Beach, SC for selling the largest amount of insurance in a three month period. Mr. Cook had graduated from Coats High School in 1964 and was employed with Life and Casualty Insurance of Nashville. Mrs. Cook was a 1964 graduate of Dunn High School and was employed with the Southern Bell in Goldsboro. She was the former Sue Moore (Daily Record July 24, 1970).
Back in the area, Delma Capps’s sister, Mrs. Ida Capps Moore, 80, of Benson had died (Daily Record July 25, 1970). J. Marvin Earp was a juror for the Harnett County District Court (Daily Record July 30, 1970).
August was displayed on the 1970 calendar when Mrs. Bessie Stone was a patient at Good Hope Hospital and Kenneth Wade Norris was at BJMH in Dunn.
Mrs. Craig Johnson of Route One, Coats had lost a brother, Rosel B. Norris, 49, of Smithfield who had died on August 1. Mrs. Sheba Wiggins Williams, 82, had died on August 1st. Her survivors were her husband, Charlie Williams, and her children- Thomas Williams, Earl Williams, Mrs. Hilda Pope, Mrs. Garth Bowling, and Mrs. F.D. Cade (Daily Record Aug. 3, 1970).
Wonder if anyone is alive who remembers walking to Mrs. Sheba’s little store to buy a “Blue Horse” notebook, Mary Jane’s and BB Bats?
I do know that Jerry Peede and Ruth Ann Croom were married in Garner on August 2nd. Joy Denton of Coats was a patient at BJMH. Happier news was that Miriam Beard of Coats was a bride-elect on August 29, but first she had been honored with a shower at the Coats Baptist Church (Daily Record Aug. 3, 1970).
The two area hospitals were treating a considerable number of Coats residents in 1970. Mrs. Molly Norris and Harold Wayne Williams were patients at GHH (Daily Record Aug. 3, 1970).Dicie Leake Charles was ill at BJMH and Mrs. Margaret Stone and Mrs. Charles Ivey were in GHH on Aug. 14th.
The death angel had taken Mrs. Flossie Robinson Dennis, 71, mother of Hubert Dennis. She had died at GHH. Mrs. Dennis was from Route One, Dunn. Good Hope had three more patients from Coats -Mr. James Wood, Mr. Richard Wood and Mrs. Louise Pollard (Daily Record Aug. 18, 1970).
Mrs. Edna Earl McLamb of Benson announced the engagement of her daughter, Sylvia Jean Pleasant, to Douglas Wade Weeks, son of Mrs. Mary Sills of Dunn, and the late Vernon Wade Weeks. Another engagement was in the Aug. 13th edition of the Daily Record. Miss Pamela Ann Sorrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Sorrell of Route 3, Dunn, had her engagement to Captain Larry Parker announced by her parents.
Mrs. Ray Evans, Mr. John M. Weaver, and Mr. Joe Odom were at GHH. Glenn Frankie Lee, 44, farmer of Route 3, Dunn, was killed instantly on a Thursday as he was leaving Dr. Richard Sorrell’s Veterinary Hospital on the old Coats Road. Question---where was the old Coats Road?
Do papers list those individuals who are in the hospitals in 2018? I do know that those who were hospitalized were recorded in history in 1970 when it was printed that additional Coats folks had required health care. Mr. Willie Allen and Mrs. Rena Whittington were in GHH on the Aug. 24th. Rickey Washington of Coats was a patient in GHH while Mrs. Rena Whittington had been listed then as being in BJMH.
How many Jerry Williams are there from Coats? Mr. and Mrs. Jerry R. Williams of Coats had announced the birth of a son on August 24th at Rex Hospital. The mother was the former Sue Stephens (Daily Record Aug. 26, 1970).
Ronald Coats, a young Democratic leader from Coats, had announced a Democratic dinner. The 25 year-old man was a Coats Town Commissioner. David Henderson, U.S. Congressman from his district had accepted an invitation to the event. Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Sorrell, III of Dunn announced the birth of a son, Chad Thomas Sorrell (Daily Record Aug. 27, 1970).
Read to see what the readers of the Aug. 28th edition of the Daily Record learned from that particular copy. Mrs. Addie Parrish was a patient at BJMH. (You do know who she was –right?) Michael Ennis was a College Board Student at Campbell. What does that mean? Mr. Everett Barnes, 70, a retired farmer, of Highway 55 near Coats, had died on August 27th. He was survived by his wife Minnie Fish Barnes; three sons-Jimmie, Neal and Larry Barnes and two sisters- Etta Moran and Alice Bolton. Jack and Edward Barnes were brothers. Mrs.Vada Poole of Coats was in GHH. Sam Stephenson, Angier Attorney, attended a Republican supper at Luke’s Restaurant in Coats. He was opposing Bill Staton for State Senator.
 My mom use to have an old saying that she repeated often to her ten children. She would say “A good name is better than great riches.” I wonder if Stacy and Judy Williams had their parents share that it was important to have a good name because their business Stacy Williams Upholstery is known all over the country for excellent work. When a group of the Coats Museum volunteers traveled to Liberty Hall in Kenansville several years ago, we were admiring the antique furniture in the parlor and were told by the docent that it had been upholstered by a company in Coats by the name of Stacy Williams Upholstery. We proudly shared that we were from Coats and knew the Williams family well. Their work is also found in the Governor’s Mansion and in the Coats Museum. Judy, Stacy, Andy and Allen have been strong supporters of community and church. Thank you to them again for their support to the Coats Museum as they have given memorials to honor Hazel Tart, Willa Dean Powell and Lib Guy.