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​                                                                                   November 15, 2019 Coats Museum News
A shroud of sadness hovered over many houses in the Coats area as news spread about the death of a young man who grew up in the Bailey’s Crossroads area. Michael Wade Godwin, 28, of Norfolk, VA., formerly of Coats, had died on Thursday as the result of a construction accident. His mother Lottie Stephenson Ennis and stepfather, Ray Ennis of Florida, and his father Shelton Godwin and stepmother Lois Godwin of Virginia Beach, VA.; his fiancée, Miss Joyce Clancy, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Godwin and Mrs. Izola Stephenson were survivors (Daily Record Nov. 17, 1980).
News of a different note was the celebration of the 35th wedding anniversary on Nov. 16th, of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dixon. The event celebrated at their home was hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Travis (Pam) Norris and Mr. and Mrs. Danny (Elaine) Hedgepeth. Bennett Clevenger, Jr., their grandson, also helped with the celebration. The yard and porch were beautifully decorated to welcome the guests. Mrs. Alice Dixon, Mrs. Ethel Poole, Mrs. Kim Coats, Mrs. Ophelia Roberts and Mrs. Lottie Lamm assisted in the reception for the couple. Mrs. Dixon had recently retired from the Coats Post Office and Mr. Dixon was a mechanic and former WWII veteran.
Other news in that same Nov.24, 1980 edition of the Daily Record reported that Tessa Danenburg, a second grader, won a talent contest sponsored by the Speech and Drama Class at Coats High under the direction of Diane Jones. Tessa Danenburg won a $15 check and trophy. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Danenburg and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Julian Danenburg and Mr. and Mrs. Billy R.  Barbour. J.D. Dorman, a third grader, won a $10 check and a second place trophy. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dorman were J.D.’s parents. An eighth grader, Sonjia Barbour, won a third place trophy and a $5 check. She was daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Barbour. Were you wondering what each had performed to win the check and trophy? Tessa had sung a sola; J.D. had danced and Sonjia had played the piano.
Two additional bits of news were printed about Coats folks. Little Kristy Williams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Williams, celebrated her first birthday. A crowd of relatives were present. Among them were Mr. and Mrs. Sherrill Byrd and Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Tart, grandparents of Kristy. Second news was that Hope Turlington had headed a bake sale sponsored by the Coats Woman’s Club. Do you recall why the women were cooking up all those cakes and desserts for the three bake sales?
A death announcement was for Melvin Grimes, 63, retired farmer of Route 1, Coats on Wednesday. His services were at the Rose Funeral Home and Devotional Gardens. Surviving him were his wife, Mrs. Veda Tart Grimes, four sons-Bennie, Randy, Jerry and Jackie Grimes, and one daughter Mrs. Cathy Gail Peede (Daily Record Nov. 28, 1980).
P.G. Tutor, contractor, completed the Carolina Bank building. The structure was modern and complete in every respect and had three drive-in windows (Daily Record Dec. 5, 1980).
Earl Wyatt Stewart, 78, of Route 1, Benson, had died on Friday. The funeral was held at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church with burial in the church cemetery. Mrs. Floy Stewart was his widow. Surviving him was one daughter, Mrs. Louise Smith. His siblings were Clarence Stewart, Mrs. Robert McCall and Mrs. Nell Paschall (Daily Record Dec. 8, 1980).
The death announcement of another Grimes man made the Daily Record on Dec. 8, 1980. Delma Grimes, 80, of Route 1, Coats, had died on Friday. He was the son of A.F. Grimes and Ida Hayes Grimes and was a native of Johnston County. Mr. Grimes was a charter member of the Coats Baptist Church, a member of the Coats Jr. Order, and the Neil Stewart Lodge of Erwin. He was survived by his widow, Mrs. Minnie Parrish Grimes; six sons-Paul, Clarence, Roy, Joe, Jesse and James Grimes, and three daughters-Mrs. Margie Westcott, Mrs. Christine Coats, and Mrs. Dorothy Odhom (?). Clyde Grimes and Mrs. Myrtle Godwin were his siblings.
Other than raising an outstanding family of children who served their country and town in honorable ways, how has history recorded the name of Delma Grimes? Several years ago when I talked history with my father-in-law, H. Lentis Sorrell, Sr., he shared that Delma Grimes was one of the finest builders in the region. He noted that Mr. Delma had built his father Willie T. Sorrell, Sr.’s house on Turlington Road which was built about 1919 and today remains an example of quality workmanship. Does anyone know of other houses built by Mr. Delma Grimes? I do know that there is a road leading out of Coats that bears his name-Delma Grimes Road. There are very few if any who remember that road was used as a means to get to Benson from Coats before the section of road between Ebenezer Church Road and the bridges near Kenneth Pollard was constructed. It is hard for those of us who mainly remember paved highways to realize that there were many roads in the late 1940’s and 50’s which were dirt and maintained by man, road plows and convict labor.
Some of those unaware of the past roadways would be the several players on the 1980 Coats football team who had made the Carolina 1-A Conference Team. They were Edward McDuffie, Robert White, and Edwin Ennis. Two Coats players made honorable mention and they were Sandy Langdon and Derek Barnes. Coats High School also received the Carolina 1-A Sportsmanship Trophy (Daily Record Dec. 8, 1980).
The big day had finally arrived. The Carolina Bank of Coats had its ribbon-cutting. About 100 people had shown up for the big moment.  Mayor Ronald Coats was recognized for being instrumental in getting the CB to open in Coats (Daily Record Dec. 5, 1980).
Who remembers Thomas E. Meece, Jr.? He worked with county government for several years and married a popular Coats girl, Betty Ellen Dixon. He and Betty Ellen Dixon Meece announced the arrival of a son, Scott Wilson Meece, on November 29 at Wake Medical. Betty Ellen was the daughter of Carlos Dixon and Helen Ennis Dixon who never got to see her grandson (Daily Record Dec. 12, 1980).
The Coats Town Commissioners voted to up the water tap-on fees from $175 to $200 due to increased cost of materials. Mr. and Mrs. Connie Mack Tart of Coats also announced the birth of son, Jonathan Edward Tart, on Dec. 9th at the Cape Fear Valley Hospital. Mrs. Tart was the former Martha Gregory (Daily Record Dec. 12, 1980).
 While the Tart family was celebrating a birth, the Turlington family outside of Coats was mourning the death of one of the area’s beloved men. The family was planning the funeral of Albert Franklin Turlington. The 81-year-old man had died on Thursday and his funeral was at the Pleasant Memory Church. Surviving family members were Mrs. Hermie Turlington; a son, Wade Turlington and a daughter, Verna Rhiner.  Odis Lockany was a foster son while L.A. and Leslie Turlington were brothers (Daily Record Dec. 15, 1980).
It is obvious to you the reader that the Daily Record was filled with announcements of deaths and births in the late fall of 1980. Another death making the news was that of Mrs. Lula Williams Stone, 90, who had died on Tuesday. Her services were at the Community Chapel in Coats and burial was in the Williams Cemetery. Surviving her were her daughter, Mrs. Viannie (?) N. Benson, and sister, Mrs. Mina Williams (Daily Record Dec. 17, 1980).
As I write these columns and names are typed that I don’t recognize, I always wonder what were the lives of these people like? What did they do to survive wars and hard times of the Depression? In many cases, they lived to be almost a hundred years old and in 1980, that means they lived through a great deal of sad history in America. They knew about the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War and the Great Depression. They lived during the assassinations of two presidents. Then again, they experienced longer lives due to modern medicine and incompressible inventions that changed the way they worked and played. They traveled by transportation systems that their parents would not be able to fathom and witnessed children and grandchildren leave for universities that would afford them remarkable opportunities around the world.
Now we have an engagement. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph P. Pope of Dunn announced the engagement of their daughter, Bonnie Ann Pope, to Michael Glenn Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry G. Johnson of Coats. Michael was a graduate of Coats High School (Daily Record Dec. 18, 1980).
Pope is a good solid name. The first elected mayor of Coats was Pat F. Pope who was connected with the Brick Mill in the second decade of the 20th century plus he owned a saw mill and other prominent businesses in early Coats. His brothers settled in Dunn and proved to be prominent businessmen there. A second family with the Pope name is the ancestor of hundreds of Popes in the Coats and surrounding towns and his name was John Rufus Pope. Was Ralph P. Pope a descendant of one of these gentlemen?
I do know that Mr. Robert Milton Stewart, 93, of Coats had died in the Senior Citizens Rest Home in Dunn. He was the son of William Ira Stewart and Kizaby Williams Stewart. Services were held at the Rose Funeral Home Chapel with Elder J.M Mewborn and Elder T. Allen Johnson. Burial was in the Stewart Cemetery. His survivors were three sons-J.T., Walter and Charles Edwin, and one daughter, Mrs. Mavis Spivey Colville. His siblings were Hector Stewart and Mrs. Leo Turner (Daily Record Dec. 19, 1980). Was this the Mr. Stewart who rode a bicycle around town?
 Haywood Collier one of my students in 1972-73 dropped in for a visit. He was one of our first Eagle Scouts in Coats and we were glad to add additional information about his Eagle project. Marc Powell is working hard to get information on all our Eagle rank scouts and, believe it or not, we have about sixty earned since the late 1950’s. The museum volunteers need the address, program and project information from all our honored scouts so we can invite them to an open house when we recognize the scoutmasters and scouts.
Have you seen the beautiful barn quilt on our Cotton Museum?  Thank Sandy Kay Howard for painting it and Marc Powell for hanging it on the south end of the museum.