May 7, 2021 Coats Museum News
Does anyone remember Howdy Doody, the wooden puppet of “Buffalo” Bob? The April 28, 1987 Daily Record shared that the puppet was celebrating his 40th anniversary as an entertainer. Did you know that folks could actually purchase a replica of that puppet for children?
I also know that the Coats IGA celebrated the eighth anniversary with a “Beef Shootout.” Where was this shootout and exactly what was a beef shootout? We also read that Mrs. Dennis Aaron Pope announced the engagement of her daughter, Tonya Denise Pope, to Mark Kevin Stearley of Raleigh. The bride was the daughter of the late Dennis Pope and granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Benjamin Pope and the late Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Upchurch (Daily Record May 1, 1987).
Mr. Cecil Fuquay announced his plans for retirement to begin on June 30, 1987, after 32 years in education. He began teaching at Coats High School in 1948, spent two years in the Army Air Corps, and returned to teaching until 1967, when he was named Driver Education Coordinator for Harnett County Schools. He accepted the job as principal at Lafayette School in 1971 and stayed there 16 years, until he announced his retirement plans. Cecil was elected as a commissioner for the town of Coats in 1961 and served consecutive terms since that date (Daily Record May 6, 1987).
Who remembers the wife and children of Cecil? His wife was Shirley Dupree Fuquay and their two daughters were Lisa and Karen Fuquay. Shirley was a teacher’s assistant for many years and their daughters were brilliant high school and university students. Cecil was a 1939 graduate of Coats High School and later of Wake Forest University. Cecil’s dad was Dr. Garner Fuquay, the beloved Coats dentist, who was killed along with his wife Gladys, in a car accident. Gladys Stewart Fuquay was a talented pianist and an active member of many ladies organizations in Coats.
The fatal accident was not the first tragedy in the Fuquay family. The family home had burned earlier. I want to recall that the late Christine Stewart Akerman Parrish shared with me that the house was located on or near the site of the old Coats School teacherage (current Destiny Lodge). Did the Fuquay family rebuild before their deaths? How did the county get the property to build the teacherage and was the Coats Baptist Church built on Fuquay or Stewart land?
According to the “Social Notes from Coats” by Wanda Pollard, Mark Pope, son of Billy G. Pope, was a patient at Good Hope Hospital. Susan Taylor Gonzalez, formerly from Coats, gave birth to a daughter, Amanda Elizabeth Gonzalez, in Raleigh. Al Gonzales was the father. Lea Causey Barnes, formerly of Coats, was recuperating from back surgery. Edith J. McDonald and husband, Kevin McDonald, were anxiously awaiting a “bundle of joy.” Anniversary wishes were sent out to Mr. and Mrs. Jan McLamb and Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Carroll. Birthday wishes were sent out to Elaine Keene, Mrs. Mary Penny Coats, Donald Smith, Effie Turlington, Barney Williams, Turner Matthews, Joyce Rambeau , Mitchell L. Pope, Brad Maynor, Devon Page, Belle Williams, Blondell Barnes, Cecil W. Stephenson, Jeremy Tart, Peggy Lee, Corinthia Sue Johnson and Fannie Beasley (Daily Record May 7, 1987).
“Dave’s Den” was the CACC business honoree. David White, owner, received the honor from chamber members-Wade Stephenson and Ann Jones. The business was located in the old Stephens Hardware building and White was well known for his excellent furniture refinishing (Daily Record May 7, 1987).
Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Garriss of Route 3, Dunn, were the proud parents of a bride- Elizabeth Jean to groom, Mr. Craig Page (Daily Record May 8, 1987).
While crowds were enjoying the annual “Arts on the Grove” at Benson, another crowd had enjoyed the Class of 1957 band playing at Coats Village Square Shopping Center for the Coats IGA “Beef Shoot-out” event.
The Coats team won the Harnett County Soccer Tournament held in Dunn. The midget players were Stacy McLamb. Andy Glover, Emily Allen,, Kurt Stephenson, Chad Ennis, Jeff Allen, Josh Coats, Chris Johnson, Allison Langdon, Tiffany Farthing, Shawn Allen, David Pope, Jerome Ray, Shawn Heath, Missy Barnes, Brad Butler, Bradley Wilkie, Quinn Barbour, Brandon Norris, Jerrod Ray, Jason Faircloth, Robbie Pope, Melissa Peede, David Taylor, Natalie Stevens, and John Coats. The coaches were David Taylor and Ron Jenkins (Daily Record May 11, 1987). Were all these young people on one team?
I do know that Sybil Pope and Margaret Johnson were the hostesses for the Coats Woman’s Club meeting in May. Mary Jo Mann had the devotion. Mr. John A. Willoughby, Jr., was announced as being engaged to Ismae Clarice Lennon of Wilmington. He was the son of the former Dunn principal John Willoughby, Sr. and Hilda Sorrell Willoughby. Mrs. John L. Sorrell, Sr. was the grandmother. Is Clarice related to our late US Congressman Alton Lennon? I do know that years later John, Jr. would own Sunny’s Cleaners in Dunn and clean without charge our military uniforms given to the Coats Museum by veterans.
A candlelight ceremony united Teresa Wood Barbee of Dunn to Charles Edward Byrd, Jr. of Route 2, Coats, NC( Daily Record May 12, 1987). Two questions---was Teresa a descendant of the CC Barbee family of Barclaysville and second-was there a Route 2, Coats in 1987?
Wanda Pollard extended congratulations in “Notes” to Sherri Whittington who graduated from NCSU., to Tim Brown who was elected as Vice-President of Coats First Citizens Bank and to Mr. and Mrs. Mark Parrish for the birth of a son. Support Every School Kid (SEEK) held a Donkey Ballgame as a fundraiser for Coats School. Hope Warren and Carolyn Barnes were cheerleaders and Rita Pollard and Sharon Langdon were among the teachers trying to ride the donkeys.
Wanda also reported that Mrs. Mary Penny Coats’s birthday was an opportunity to have the Penny Reunion to celebrate. Her daughter Louise Coats Jackson greeted the 45 members including Mrs. Coats’s great-grandson, Gene (Trey) Howell, III. Mrs. Ellie Byrd, widow of Mr. Maylon Byrd, hosted a family reunion at her home on Mother’s day. Mrs. Gertrude Cooke had a Mother’s Day gift as a visit from her son, Larry Cooke and his son, Seth Cooke.
Does anyone remember Howdy Doody, the wooden puppet of “Buffalo” Bob? The April 28, 1987 Daily Record shared that the puppet was celebrating his 40th anniversary as an entertainer. Did you know that folks could actually purchase a replica of that puppet for children?
I also know that the Coats IGA celebrated the eighth anniversary with a “Beef Shootout.” Where was this shootout and exactly what was a beef shootout? We also read that Mrs. Dennis Aaron Pope announced the engagement of her daughter, Tonya Denise Pope, to Mark Kevin Stearley of Raleigh. The bride was the daughter of the late Dennis Pope and granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Benjamin Pope and the late Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Upchurch (Daily Record May 1, 1987).
Mr. Cecil Fuquay announced his plans for retirement to begin on June 30, 1987, after 32 years in education. He began teaching at Coats High School in 1948, spent two years in the Army Air Corps, and returned to teaching until 1967, when he was named Driver Education Coordinator for Harnett County Schools. He accepted the job as principal at Lafayette School in 1971 and stayed there 16 years, until he announced his retirement plans. Cecil was elected as a commissioner for the town of Coats in 1961 and served consecutive terms since that date (Daily Record May 6, 1987).
Who remembers the wife and children of Cecil? His wife was Shirley Dupree Fuquay and their two daughters were Lisa and Karen Fuquay. Shirley was a teacher’s assistant for many years and their daughters were brilliant high school and university students. Cecil was a 1939 graduate of Coats High School and later of Wake Forest University. Cecil’s dad was Dr. Garner Fuquay, the beloved Coats dentist, who was killed along with his wife Gladys, in a car accident. Gladys Stewart Fuquay was a talented pianist and an active member of many ladies organizations in Coats.
The fatal accident was not the first tragedy in the Fuquay family. The family home had burned earlier. I want to recall that the late Christine Stewart Akerman Parrish shared with me that the house was located on or near the site of the old Coats School teacherage (current Destiny Lodge). Did the Fuquay family rebuild before their deaths? How did the county get the property to build the teacherage and was the Coats Baptist Church built on Fuquay or Stewart land?
According to the “Social Notes from Coats” by Wanda Pollard, Mark Pope, son of Billy G. Pope, was a patient at Good Hope Hospital. Susan Taylor Gonzalez, formerly from Coats, gave birth to a daughter, Amanda Elizabeth Gonzalez, in Raleigh. Al Gonzales was the father. Lea Causey Barnes, formerly of Coats, was recuperating from back surgery. Edith J. McDonald and husband, Kevin McDonald, were anxiously awaiting a “bundle of joy.” Anniversary wishes were sent out to Mr. and Mrs. Jan McLamb and Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Carroll. Birthday wishes were sent out to Elaine Keene, Mrs. Mary Penny Coats, Donald Smith, Effie Turlington, Barney Williams, Turner Matthews, Joyce Rambeau , Mitchell L. Pope, Brad Maynor, Devon Page, Belle Williams, Blondell Barnes, Cecil W. Stephenson, Jeremy Tart, Peggy Lee, Corinthia Sue Johnson and Fannie Beasley (Daily Record May 7, 1987).
“Dave’s Den” was the CACC business honoree. David White, owner, received the honor from chamber members-Wade Stephenson and Ann Jones. The business was located in the old Stephens Hardware building and White was well known for his excellent furniture refinishing (Daily Record May 7, 1987).
Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Garriss of Route 3, Dunn, were the proud parents of a bride- Elizabeth Jean to groom, Mr. Craig Page (Daily Record May 8, 1987).
While crowds were enjoying the annual “Arts on the Grove” at Benson, another crowd had enjoyed the Class of 1957 band playing at Coats Village Square Shopping Center for the Coats IGA “Beef Shoot-out” event.
The Coats team won the Harnett County Soccer Tournament held in Dunn. The midget players were Stacy McLamb. Andy Glover, Emily Allen,, Kurt Stephenson, Chad Ennis, Jeff Allen, Josh Coats, Chris Johnson, Allison Langdon, Tiffany Farthing, Shawn Allen, David Pope, Jerome Ray, Shawn Heath, Missy Barnes, Brad Butler, Bradley Wilkie, Quinn Barbour, Brandon Norris, Jerrod Ray, Jason Faircloth, Robbie Pope, Melissa Peede, David Taylor, Natalie Stevens, and John Coats. The coaches were David Taylor and Ron Jenkins (Daily Record May 11, 1987). Were all these young people on one team?
I do know that Sybil Pope and Margaret Johnson were the hostesses for the Coats Woman’s Club meeting in May. Mary Jo Mann had the devotion. Mr. John A. Willoughby, Jr., was announced as being engaged to Ismae Clarice Lennon of Wilmington. He was the son of the former Dunn principal John Willoughby, Sr. and Hilda Sorrell Willoughby. Mrs. John L. Sorrell, Sr. was the grandmother. Is Clarice related to our late US Congressman Alton Lennon? I do know that years later John, Jr. would own Sunny’s Cleaners in Dunn and clean without charge our military uniforms given to the Coats Museum by veterans.
A candlelight ceremony united Teresa Wood Barbee of Dunn to Charles Edward Byrd, Jr. of Route 2, Coats, NC( Daily Record May 12, 1987). Two questions---was Teresa a descendant of the CC Barbee family of Barclaysville and second-was there a Route 2, Coats in 1987?
Wanda Pollard extended congratulations in “Notes” to Sherri Whittington who graduated from NCSU., to Tim Brown who was elected as Vice-President of Coats First Citizens Bank and to Mr. and Mrs. Mark Parrish for the birth of a son. Support Every School Kid (SEEK) held a Donkey Ballgame as a fundraiser for Coats School. Hope Warren and Carolyn Barnes were cheerleaders and Rita Pollard and Sharon Langdon were among the teachers trying to ride the donkeys.
Wanda also reported that Mrs. Mary Penny Coats’s birthday was an opportunity to have the Penny Reunion to celebrate. Her daughter Louise Coats Jackson greeted the 45 members including Mrs. Coats’s great-grandson, Gene (Trey) Howell, III. Mrs. Ellie Byrd, widow of Mr. Maylon Byrd, hosted a family reunion at her home on Mother’s day. Mrs. Gertrude Cooke had a Mother’s Day gift as a visit from her son, Larry Cooke and his son, Seth Cooke.