November 2, 2018 Coats Museum News
Who remembers when the Rose Funeral Home broke ground for their business in Coats? Even more difficult-who can name another funeral home that served the folks in the Coats area for many generations? According to the May 1, 1973 edition of the Daily Record, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the construction of Rose Funeral Home to be built in Coats. Did you notice that the name Graham was missing from that business name? When was that name added?
Many, many visitors share warm comments about Dr. Donald Moore when they view our medical exhibit. Dr. and Mrs. Donald Moore were a busy couple in 1973 evidenced by the fact that they were among those attending the 13th annual N.C. Symphony Ball at the Carolina Country Club at Pinehurst according to the Daily Record May 2, 1973 paper.
A young lady from Coats had wedding bells on her schedule. Vickie Diane Stephenson of Route 3, Dunn was engaged to Danny W. Faircloth, Jr. of Erwin. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Stephenson. Another Coats connected individual was in a wedding. Ricky Earl Barnes of Benson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Barnes, had married Jean Dean Hayes on April 28th at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Garner. Do you recognize any of these names?
Vickie was a jewel of a student and Jean is the niece of Mike Tocci from Sparks, Nevada who visits the Coats Museum twice a year when he is in the area to visit his late Uncle Max Dean of Garner and aunts, Margaret Johnson and Joanne Phillips. Mike often visits with the above mentioned Jean and Ricky Barnes in Benson when in the area. When touring the museum, ask the volunteers to show you the many artifacts that Mike and Claudia Tocci have donated to the museum.
Coats has two more former Coats High graduates who have made parents and teachers proud. Elaine Dixon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dixon, Jr., was inducted into the Epsilon Pi Eta Society at Campbell College. Ronnie Wayne Faulkner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Silas Faulkner, was also inducted into the same honorary society for meeting the high standards required (Daily Record May 9, 1973).
Elaine retired from the Harnett County School System and she and her husband, Danny Thomas, have two sons. One is enrolled in the Campbell University Medical School and another son is involved with high security operations for the US government. Ronnie Faulkner went ahead to earn his PHD and has taught in several universities as well as being the Director of Library Services and Associate Professor of History at Campbell. In 2005, he worked so diligently with the Coats Heritage Book Committee for the 2005 Coats Centennial Project. Ronnie has returned to Coats after retiring.
While Elaine and Ronnie were hitting the books in 1973, many in Coats were making tracks at the Coats Junior Order Fairgrounds for the annual Blue Grass Festival (Daily Record May 11, 1973).
Mrs. Ann Page Elliott, daughter of Mrs. Bessie Page and wife of Frank Taylor Elliott, was scheduled to graduate as number one in her class at Pembroke College. Ann had graduated from Coats High School in 1955. Ann was the recipient of a civic club scholarship that had enabled her to attend college. She was mother of Steve Elliott and Pamela Elliott (Daily Record May 14, 1973).
Did the name Taylor Elliott ring a bell for you? Taylor was the young paratrooper who made headlines a few years earlier when he was recognized for saving the life of another paratrooper whose parachute had failed to open. Taylor was able to grab the young man in flight and bring him safely to the ground.
How exciting it was to have the Coats Elementary Third Graders visit our museum last week. They were full of questions and information. The school is doing a fantastic job in teaching them about the Coats Community and we were excited to add more info into their little inquisitive brains.
We love meeting new people and seeing old friends who drop by the museum to donate items or to look at exhibits that have new artifacts. Helen Sears Pope Norris grew up in Coats and is remembered for her days on the basketball court at Coats High and for being mother to Randy, Karen and Shelia Pope. At the museum, we will remember Helen for bringing by an original copy of a 1911 picture of students in front of the old five-room Coats School. Her dad, Roy Sears, had bought the Grimes house in the 1940’s and while recently doing some reconstruction work, the picture fell out of the wall. Thank you, Helen, for sharing this magnificent find.
Clyde and Betty Gaster from Raleigh are welcomed visitors. Last Thursday, we enjoyed their visit and are excited to add some additional pictures and artifacts of other descendants of Andrew Coats who was the first postmaster and train depot agent in Coats and was Clyde’s granddaddy.
Who remembers when the Rose Funeral Home broke ground for their business in Coats? Even more difficult-who can name another funeral home that served the folks in the Coats area for many generations? According to the May 1, 1973 edition of the Daily Record, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the construction of Rose Funeral Home to be built in Coats. Did you notice that the name Graham was missing from that business name? When was that name added?
Many, many visitors share warm comments about Dr. Donald Moore when they view our medical exhibit. Dr. and Mrs. Donald Moore were a busy couple in 1973 evidenced by the fact that they were among those attending the 13th annual N.C. Symphony Ball at the Carolina Country Club at Pinehurst according to the Daily Record May 2, 1973 paper.
A young lady from Coats had wedding bells on her schedule. Vickie Diane Stephenson of Route 3, Dunn was engaged to Danny W. Faircloth, Jr. of Erwin. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Stephenson. Another Coats connected individual was in a wedding. Ricky Earl Barnes of Benson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Barnes, had married Jean Dean Hayes on April 28th at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Garner. Do you recognize any of these names?
Vickie was a jewel of a student and Jean is the niece of Mike Tocci from Sparks, Nevada who visits the Coats Museum twice a year when he is in the area to visit his late Uncle Max Dean of Garner and aunts, Margaret Johnson and Joanne Phillips. Mike often visits with the above mentioned Jean and Ricky Barnes in Benson when in the area. When touring the museum, ask the volunteers to show you the many artifacts that Mike and Claudia Tocci have donated to the museum.
Coats has two more former Coats High graduates who have made parents and teachers proud. Elaine Dixon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dixon, Jr., was inducted into the Epsilon Pi Eta Society at Campbell College. Ronnie Wayne Faulkner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Silas Faulkner, was also inducted into the same honorary society for meeting the high standards required (Daily Record May 9, 1973).
Elaine retired from the Harnett County School System and she and her husband, Danny Thomas, have two sons. One is enrolled in the Campbell University Medical School and another son is involved with high security operations for the US government. Ronnie Faulkner went ahead to earn his PHD and has taught in several universities as well as being the Director of Library Services and Associate Professor of History at Campbell. In 2005, he worked so diligently with the Coats Heritage Book Committee for the 2005 Coats Centennial Project. Ronnie has returned to Coats after retiring.
While Elaine and Ronnie were hitting the books in 1973, many in Coats were making tracks at the Coats Junior Order Fairgrounds for the annual Blue Grass Festival (Daily Record May 11, 1973).
Mrs. Ann Page Elliott, daughter of Mrs. Bessie Page and wife of Frank Taylor Elliott, was scheduled to graduate as number one in her class at Pembroke College. Ann had graduated from Coats High School in 1955. Ann was the recipient of a civic club scholarship that had enabled her to attend college. She was mother of Steve Elliott and Pamela Elliott (Daily Record May 14, 1973).
Did the name Taylor Elliott ring a bell for you? Taylor was the young paratrooper who made headlines a few years earlier when he was recognized for saving the life of another paratrooper whose parachute had failed to open. Taylor was able to grab the young man in flight and bring him safely to the ground.
How exciting it was to have the Coats Elementary Third Graders visit our museum last week. They were full of questions and information. The school is doing a fantastic job in teaching them about the Coats Community and we were excited to add more info into their little inquisitive brains.
We love meeting new people and seeing old friends who drop by the museum to donate items or to look at exhibits that have new artifacts. Helen Sears Pope Norris grew up in Coats and is remembered for her days on the basketball court at Coats High and for being mother to Randy, Karen and Shelia Pope. At the museum, we will remember Helen for bringing by an original copy of a 1911 picture of students in front of the old five-room Coats School. Her dad, Roy Sears, had bought the Grimes house in the 1940’s and while recently doing some reconstruction work, the picture fell out of the wall. Thank you, Helen, for sharing this magnificent find.
Clyde and Betty Gaster from Raleigh are welcomed visitors. Last Thursday, we enjoyed their visit and are excited to add some additional pictures and artifacts of other descendants of Andrew Coats who was the first postmaster and train depot agent in Coats and was Clyde’s granddaddy.