November 9, 2018 Coats Museum News
John Adams, the second of the US presidents, was athletic and slim as a young boy. He loved any sport. Whether playing marbles, boating, swimming or wrestling, he played to win. His father and uncle took him hunting when he was a boy because he was so good. The hunting bounty was proof of his sharp eye and sure aim. Unbeknown to his father was that he had learned his hunting skills from Indians. John had visited an Indian family that lived near them even though his father had warned him not to even talk to the Indians.
As an adult, John Adams was 5’7” tall and weighed over 250 pounds. His unusual shape resulted in his being nicknamed “His Roundness” and “His Rotundity”. In fact, he hated the nicknames and after a newspaper printed a picture of the President with his nickname printed across his large middle, it is recorded that he threatened to challenge the next man who called him “His Roundness” to a duel. (You did recall that is how disagreements were settled in earlier times-right?)By the way, Adams never saw his nickname in print again (Bumann, Joan and John Patterson, 40 Presidents-Facts and Fun, Willowisp Press 1981, pp10-11).
Wonder if Howard L. “Skinny” Ennis hated his nickname. There has to be a story behind his nickname. I do know that the 53 year-old man of Dunn had died on Thursday. Wonder if he knew Alice Barefoot of Dunn who had married Dan Stewart, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Leverne Stewart, of Coats. The marriage had occurred on May 12 at Pope’s Chapel FWB Church.
In the same edition of the May 17, 1973 edition of the Daily Record, it was printed that Ernest Milburn Pleasant, 58, of Coats had died on Tuesday. His services were held on Thursday at the Cromartie-Pearsall Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Roy Phillips officiated and the burial was in the Devotional Gardens. His widow was Mary Fish Pleasant. His five brothers were Talton, Velton, Charlie, Clifford and Alvis Pleasant.
Does anyone know these folks? Did more than one of those brothers have twin children? This I do know. Keith Wayne Stone of Route 1, Coats was to graduate from Coats High School even though he had never attended school. He was crippled since birth and was confined to a wheelchair. Through the Homebound Program and support from his family and teachers, he was able to achieve his miracle, graduating from Coats High School (Daily Record May 17, 1973). Wonder what Keith Wayne did after he received his diploma.
Thurman Sorrell, well –known resident of Route 3, Dunn, had died at Wake Memorial Hospital on Monday night. He had suffered fatal injuries in an accident at Burlington Industries in Erwin. He fell from twenty feet and suffered severe head and other injuries. Thurman was fifty years old and was buried at Hodges Chapel Cemetery. Revs. Condary Ellis and Edward Johnson conducted his services. Sorrell, a machinist for the mill, was survived by his widow, Pauline Stephenson Sorrell; three daughters-Mrs. Brenda Jones, Mrs. Pam Parker and Mrs. Ruth Williams. His two sons were Wayne and Trent Sorrell (Daily Record May 29, 1973).
Some much better news was printed in that same copy of the Daily Record. Our current Coats Museum Board of Directors member, Rhonda Dale Denning, had married Randy Lee Stephenson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benny Stephenson. Rhonda was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lamas Denning. She was married in her home church, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, on May 27th.
Additional good news was that Danny Hedgepeth, son of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Hedgepeth, had joined Carolina Power and Light Company. Danny worked as a test and results technician at the Cape Fear generating plant in Moncure. Danny was a Coats High graduate and completed his chemical technology program at W.W. Holding in Wake County.
We have read about deaths, weddings, graduations and now shall we read about two births connected with the Coats area. Elder Derle and Carol McGee announced the arrival of a daughter on May 7 at Rex Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. William Henry McDougald ‘s new arrival was a son who was born at Wake Memorial Hospital in Raleigh. The mother was the former Lettie Mae Ferguson (Daily Record May 30, 1973).
It is now time to attend a 50th wedding anniversary. The children of Mr. and Mrs. W. Paul Stephenson had honored their parents for their golden anniversary. They had been married at the Clement Primitive Baptist Church in Johnston County by Elder Leonard Stephenson (Daily Record May 31, 1973).Don’t you wish that they had shared more information such as who the children were?
I do know that sad news was given to the Earp family of Route One, Coats. Their son, Richard Hoyt Earp, 18, was killed in an automobile accident in Cumberland County. The Carson Gregory family was likely proud that their son, Joe Gregory, had been promoted to director of Agricultural Development for CPL. He was assigned to the Raleigh office. Joe had joined CPL in 1967 (Daily Record June 1, 1973).
After several phone conversations with Brett Cullen of Rock Hill, SC, the museum volunteers were delighted to have him spend several hours with us at the museum last Thursday. For many years Brett has been researching the “Black River Tigers” who were mainly young men from the Harnett County Black River region and surrounding eastern counties. He has spent several years visiting sites where this battalion camped during the Civil War. The end product will be a book of pictures, letters, and records about his research.
Who remembers Don Ennis who graduated from Coats in 1961? He is a talented musician who is amazing on his saxophone. He was actually playing in a band in his high school days. Hopefully, Don will share some of his experiences with us in a few weeks. Believe it or not, names that will appear in his experiences will be Clyde Stone and Gerald Young and his sister, the former Jeanine Ennis.
A big thank you goes to Robie Butler, the museum’s treasurer, for the hard work and good job he did on updating the signs and putting a fresh coat of paint on all the lampposts and gate on the Heritage Square. Robie does his work so quietly that he sometimes is not recognized for all he does to make Coats a better place to live.
Thank you to the many folks who have purchased a copy of our veterans book-Defenders of the RED, WHITE and BLUE. We have only five copies remaining so if you want a copy you must drop by the museum on a Thursday (9-3pm) or Sunday (2-5pm) to purchase your copy. Remember to go to our website-coatsmuseum.com to read “Coats Museum News” from earlier issues of the Daily Record and while there, visit the records on our site to discover if your ancestors appear in some of those documents.
John Adams, the second of the US presidents, was athletic and slim as a young boy. He loved any sport. Whether playing marbles, boating, swimming or wrestling, he played to win. His father and uncle took him hunting when he was a boy because he was so good. The hunting bounty was proof of his sharp eye and sure aim. Unbeknown to his father was that he had learned his hunting skills from Indians. John had visited an Indian family that lived near them even though his father had warned him not to even talk to the Indians.
As an adult, John Adams was 5’7” tall and weighed over 250 pounds. His unusual shape resulted in his being nicknamed “His Roundness” and “His Rotundity”. In fact, he hated the nicknames and after a newspaper printed a picture of the President with his nickname printed across his large middle, it is recorded that he threatened to challenge the next man who called him “His Roundness” to a duel. (You did recall that is how disagreements were settled in earlier times-right?)By the way, Adams never saw his nickname in print again (Bumann, Joan and John Patterson, 40 Presidents-Facts and Fun, Willowisp Press 1981, pp10-11).
Wonder if Howard L. “Skinny” Ennis hated his nickname. There has to be a story behind his nickname. I do know that the 53 year-old man of Dunn had died on Thursday. Wonder if he knew Alice Barefoot of Dunn who had married Dan Stewart, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Leverne Stewart, of Coats. The marriage had occurred on May 12 at Pope’s Chapel FWB Church.
In the same edition of the May 17, 1973 edition of the Daily Record, it was printed that Ernest Milburn Pleasant, 58, of Coats had died on Tuesday. His services were held on Thursday at the Cromartie-Pearsall Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Roy Phillips officiated and the burial was in the Devotional Gardens. His widow was Mary Fish Pleasant. His five brothers were Talton, Velton, Charlie, Clifford and Alvis Pleasant.
Does anyone know these folks? Did more than one of those brothers have twin children? This I do know. Keith Wayne Stone of Route 1, Coats was to graduate from Coats High School even though he had never attended school. He was crippled since birth and was confined to a wheelchair. Through the Homebound Program and support from his family and teachers, he was able to achieve his miracle, graduating from Coats High School (Daily Record May 17, 1973). Wonder what Keith Wayne did after he received his diploma.
Thurman Sorrell, well –known resident of Route 3, Dunn, had died at Wake Memorial Hospital on Monday night. He had suffered fatal injuries in an accident at Burlington Industries in Erwin. He fell from twenty feet and suffered severe head and other injuries. Thurman was fifty years old and was buried at Hodges Chapel Cemetery. Revs. Condary Ellis and Edward Johnson conducted his services. Sorrell, a machinist for the mill, was survived by his widow, Pauline Stephenson Sorrell; three daughters-Mrs. Brenda Jones, Mrs. Pam Parker and Mrs. Ruth Williams. His two sons were Wayne and Trent Sorrell (Daily Record May 29, 1973).
Some much better news was printed in that same copy of the Daily Record. Our current Coats Museum Board of Directors member, Rhonda Dale Denning, had married Randy Lee Stephenson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benny Stephenson. Rhonda was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lamas Denning. She was married in her home church, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, on May 27th.
Additional good news was that Danny Hedgepeth, son of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Hedgepeth, had joined Carolina Power and Light Company. Danny worked as a test and results technician at the Cape Fear generating plant in Moncure. Danny was a Coats High graduate and completed his chemical technology program at W.W. Holding in Wake County.
We have read about deaths, weddings, graduations and now shall we read about two births connected with the Coats area. Elder Derle and Carol McGee announced the arrival of a daughter on May 7 at Rex Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. William Henry McDougald ‘s new arrival was a son who was born at Wake Memorial Hospital in Raleigh. The mother was the former Lettie Mae Ferguson (Daily Record May 30, 1973).
It is now time to attend a 50th wedding anniversary. The children of Mr. and Mrs. W. Paul Stephenson had honored their parents for their golden anniversary. They had been married at the Clement Primitive Baptist Church in Johnston County by Elder Leonard Stephenson (Daily Record May 31, 1973).Don’t you wish that they had shared more information such as who the children were?
I do know that sad news was given to the Earp family of Route One, Coats. Their son, Richard Hoyt Earp, 18, was killed in an automobile accident in Cumberland County. The Carson Gregory family was likely proud that their son, Joe Gregory, had been promoted to director of Agricultural Development for CPL. He was assigned to the Raleigh office. Joe had joined CPL in 1967 (Daily Record June 1, 1973).
After several phone conversations with Brett Cullen of Rock Hill, SC, the museum volunteers were delighted to have him spend several hours with us at the museum last Thursday. For many years Brett has been researching the “Black River Tigers” who were mainly young men from the Harnett County Black River region and surrounding eastern counties. He has spent several years visiting sites where this battalion camped during the Civil War. The end product will be a book of pictures, letters, and records about his research.
Who remembers Don Ennis who graduated from Coats in 1961? He is a talented musician who is amazing on his saxophone. He was actually playing in a band in his high school days. Hopefully, Don will share some of his experiences with us in a few weeks. Believe it or not, names that will appear in his experiences will be Clyde Stone and Gerald Young and his sister, the former Jeanine Ennis.
A big thank you goes to Robie Butler, the museum’s treasurer, for the hard work and good job he did on updating the signs and putting a fresh coat of paint on all the lampposts and gate on the Heritage Square. Robie does his work so quietly that he sometimes is not recognized for all he does to make Coats a better place to live.
Thank you to the many folks who have purchased a copy of our veterans book-Defenders of the RED, WHITE and BLUE. We have only five copies remaining so if you want a copy you must drop by the museum on a Thursday (9-3pm) or Sunday (2-5pm) to purchase your copy. Remember to go to our website-coatsmuseum.com to read “Coats Museum News” from earlier issues of the Daily Record and while there, visit the records on our site to discover if your ancestors appear in some of those documents.