October 12, 2013 Coats Museum News
World War II had come to a close and some servicemen were being recognized. Thurman J. Dorman was awarded the expert infantryman badge in Florida. Joseph Sherrill Coats, Seaman 1st Class, returned to duty in Florida after visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Seth Coats of Route 3, Dunn (Harnett County News October 11, 1945).
On the social events calendar, Mrs. T.J. Barnes hosted the Coats Community HD Club meeting. Mrs. Barnes’s daughters, Laura and Wilma, helped with the meeting. On a less happy note, the readers of the news learned that Mrs. Ellen Lee Dorman, 69, had died at her home in Coats. Her funeral was at Prospect FWB Church. Her husband, J.E. Dorman, survived her. Her six daughters were Mrs. J.B. Bowden, Mrs. J.C. Kennedy, Mrs. W.E. Stewart, Mrs. J.F. Snipes and Mrs. F.L. Hunt. Who was the sixth daughter? Her two sons were H.E. and W.S. Dorman (Harnett County News October 18, 1945).
The Lillington paper reported that Pfc. Henry A. Turlington, Jr. of Dunn Route 3 received the Silver Star for carrying out his duty as company aid man with complete disregard for his own safety in the face of intense enemy small arms fire while in Salinas, Luzon on June 18, 1945. The same edition reported that Miss Hazel Ethel Denning, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James K. Denning, had married C. Otis Williford. The bride’s sister, Madeline Denning, played the piano. Her other sister, Selma Denning, was maid of honor (Harnett County News November 15, 1945).
Another death occurred in the Coats area in the fall of 1945. Mrs. Margaret Faircloth Dupree, 68, died at her home in Coats. The funeral was at Sandy Grove Church. Her survivors included her husband, Young Dupree and four brothers-M.M. , R.A. , J.C. and D.R. Fish. Was she married to a Faircloth prior to the Dupree marriage?
I do know that Miss Lois Jeanette Odum, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Odum, married Gordon Dameron of Star. The wedding was in the Coats Baptist Church. Her sister Christine Odum was maid of honor. Bland Fleming was miniature groom (Harnett County News November 22, 1945). Question-where was that Coats Baptist Church located? The first brick Coats Baptist Church was not built until the 1950’s-right?
I do know that Roy Baird, Fred Stewart, Horace Mixon, W.A. Williams, Mack Byrd, and Salmon J. Byrd had to report for January 7, 1946 jury duty(Harnett County News December 6, 1945).
The new calendar replaced the 1945 one and the first baby boomer was born on January 1, 1946. The year will be remembered as the year of housing shortages and the year the cold war got underway. The low slung, one level ranch style house was an immediate hit. Tide detergent ushered in the era of the soap good for clothes and dishes. Las Vegas came on the map with the construction of the garish Flamingo Hotel and Casino. The cost of a good meal in 1946 was $3.50. A new Crosby four-passenger sedan was $250.00. (Is that correct?) The Timex watch hit the market and could be had for $6.95. The Philco Palladium, which played records as well as radio, cost the buyer $83.75. With electric appliances now available in most houses, ice cream scored big. Twenty quarts of ice cream were produced for every man, woman and child in America (Dickson-10-13)
The people in Grove could now get tires without a certificate. Tire rationing had ended on December 31, 1945. Erwin Hospital built in 1927 by the Erwin Cotton Mills Company had been turned over to a public hospital association. Was this the hospital that replaced the one built by Dr. Holt? (Harnett County News January 3, 1946).
One thing for sure was that jurors were needed for every session. George W. Stephenson, James F. Parrish, R. Fred McLamb, T. Carl Parrish, Thurman Avery, C. Garner Fuquay, Herman Ennis, Melvin Daniel and G. Fred McLeod were summoned for the first session and for the second week were W.L. Stephenson, W.E. Nichols, Harvey M. Mann, and Ernest Wright were drawn.
Some of them may have felt the duty was an inconvenience and bad news but for the ladies in the area they received some good news. The nylon hose was on the comeback and the ladies in the Goodwill HD Club met at the home of Mrs. L.D. Jones. Mrs. W.E. Denning was president (Harnett County News January 10, 1946).
The William Norris family was informed that he had been killed in an automobile accident. His wife, Mrs. Myrtle Williams Norris, and a daughter, Patsy Ann Norris, survived him. Mrs. Sarah Norris was his mother (Harnett County News January 31, 1946).
Did the lists of jurors ever end? Robert Poole, Joel Ennis, T.J. Barnes, Walter Ennis, W.A. Ferrell, Ernest Ferguson, Rex Avery, and S. Vellie Spivey were called (Harnett County News February 7, 1946). Did you recognize the name Ernest Ferguson? Was he not the first man drafted from Harnett County and the third in the US?
Citizens were advised to retain War Ration Book 4. The four-month old strike at Erwin Mills was settled. The average salary of a NC teacher was $790.00 a year while the New York teachers received $2726.00. NC ranked 41 among the teachers (Harnett County News February 28, 1946).
Coats lost another Norris to death. This time it was Mrs. Randall Norris, 75, who died at her home in Coats. She was a member of the Red Hill FWB Church (Harnett County News March 28, 1936).
Lt. Col. Edison H. Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson, received his discharge from the US Army (Harnett County News April 4, 1946). Wonder if his siblings, Herbert, Ruby, Mary Jo and Doris Johnson gave him a big welcome home party.
From the continued memorials we are receiving for the late Christine Akerman Parrish, it is obvious that others loved her as much as the museum volunteers did. Her nephew Don and his wife Teresa Stewart have given to honor Christine. Kenneth Wayne McGee, father to Sharon Johnson (Brian), recently died and he has been remembered by Robie and Lynda Butler, the Coats Kiwanis Club and H.L. Sorrell. Sharon is principal at Buies Creek and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Coats. Kenneth is also brother-in-law of our Wayne Parrish. Thank you also goes to Lynda and Robie for remembering Tony Weaver, a classmate of Lynda’s. Cornelia Johnson, a lady who loved history and shared many stories from her 94 years on this earth with this writer, was also remembered with a memorial. These generous memorials enable the museum to have insurance, air and heat, security, technology and other operating costs to keep it open three days a week. Thank you to all of these donors.
How is our challenge going at the museum to raise $50,000? We have had one person to come forth and three others who are talking to their families with hopes to add some pebbles into the container to help fill it up to meet our challenge to match a donor’s $50,000 gift.
World War II had come to a close and some servicemen were being recognized. Thurman J. Dorman was awarded the expert infantryman badge in Florida. Joseph Sherrill Coats, Seaman 1st Class, returned to duty in Florida after visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Seth Coats of Route 3, Dunn (Harnett County News October 11, 1945).
On the social events calendar, Mrs. T.J. Barnes hosted the Coats Community HD Club meeting. Mrs. Barnes’s daughters, Laura and Wilma, helped with the meeting. On a less happy note, the readers of the news learned that Mrs. Ellen Lee Dorman, 69, had died at her home in Coats. Her funeral was at Prospect FWB Church. Her husband, J.E. Dorman, survived her. Her six daughters were Mrs. J.B. Bowden, Mrs. J.C. Kennedy, Mrs. W.E. Stewart, Mrs. J.F. Snipes and Mrs. F.L. Hunt. Who was the sixth daughter? Her two sons were H.E. and W.S. Dorman (Harnett County News October 18, 1945).
The Lillington paper reported that Pfc. Henry A. Turlington, Jr. of Dunn Route 3 received the Silver Star for carrying out his duty as company aid man with complete disregard for his own safety in the face of intense enemy small arms fire while in Salinas, Luzon on June 18, 1945. The same edition reported that Miss Hazel Ethel Denning, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James K. Denning, had married C. Otis Williford. The bride’s sister, Madeline Denning, played the piano. Her other sister, Selma Denning, was maid of honor (Harnett County News November 15, 1945).
Another death occurred in the Coats area in the fall of 1945. Mrs. Margaret Faircloth Dupree, 68, died at her home in Coats. The funeral was at Sandy Grove Church. Her survivors included her husband, Young Dupree and four brothers-M.M. , R.A. , J.C. and D.R. Fish. Was she married to a Faircloth prior to the Dupree marriage?
I do know that Miss Lois Jeanette Odum, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Odum, married Gordon Dameron of Star. The wedding was in the Coats Baptist Church. Her sister Christine Odum was maid of honor. Bland Fleming was miniature groom (Harnett County News November 22, 1945). Question-where was that Coats Baptist Church located? The first brick Coats Baptist Church was not built until the 1950’s-right?
I do know that Roy Baird, Fred Stewart, Horace Mixon, W.A. Williams, Mack Byrd, and Salmon J. Byrd had to report for January 7, 1946 jury duty(Harnett County News December 6, 1945).
The new calendar replaced the 1945 one and the first baby boomer was born on January 1, 1946. The year will be remembered as the year of housing shortages and the year the cold war got underway. The low slung, one level ranch style house was an immediate hit. Tide detergent ushered in the era of the soap good for clothes and dishes. Las Vegas came on the map with the construction of the garish Flamingo Hotel and Casino. The cost of a good meal in 1946 was $3.50. A new Crosby four-passenger sedan was $250.00. (Is that correct?) The Timex watch hit the market and could be had for $6.95. The Philco Palladium, which played records as well as radio, cost the buyer $83.75. With electric appliances now available in most houses, ice cream scored big. Twenty quarts of ice cream were produced for every man, woman and child in America (Dickson-10-13)
The people in Grove could now get tires without a certificate. Tire rationing had ended on December 31, 1945. Erwin Hospital built in 1927 by the Erwin Cotton Mills Company had been turned over to a public hospital association. Was this the hospital that replaced the one built by Dr. Holt? (Harnett County News January 3, 1946).
One thing for sure was that jurors were needed for every session. George W. Stephenson, James F. Parrish, R. Fred McLamb, T. Carl Parrish, Thurman Avery, C. Garner Fuquay, Herman Ennis, Melvin Daniel and G. Fred McLeod were summoned for the first session and for the second week were W.L. Stephenson, W.E. Nichols, Harvey M. Mann, and Ernest Wright were drawn.
Some of them may have felt the duty was an inconvenience and bad news but for the ladies in the area they received some good news. The nylon hose was on the comeback and the ladies in the Goodwill HD Club met at the home of Mrs. L.D. Jones. Mrs. W.E. Denning was president (Harnett County News January 10, 1946).
The William Norris family was informed that he had been killed in an automobile accident. His wife, Mrs. Myrtle Williams Norris, and a daughter, Patsy Ann Norris, survived him. Mrs. Sarah Norris was his mother (Harnett County News January 31, 1946).
Did the lists of jurors ever end? Robert Poole, Joel Ennis, T.J. Barnes, Walter Ennis, W.A. Ferrell, Ernest Ferguson, Rex Avery, and S. Vellie Spivey were called (Harnett County News February 7, 1946). Did you recognize the name Ernest Ferguson? Was he not the first man drafted from Harnett County and the third in the US?
Citizens were advised to retain War Ration Book 4. The four-month old strike at Erwin Mills was settled. The average salary of a NC teacher was $790.00 a year while the New York teachers received $2726.00. NC ranked 41 among the teachers (Harnett County News February 28, 1946).
Coats lost another Norris to death. This time it was Mrs. Randall Norris, 75, who died at her home in Coats. She was a member of the Red Hill FWB Church (Harnett County News March 28, 1936).
Lt. Col. Edison H. Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson, received his discharge from the US Army (Harnett County News April 4, 1946). Wonder if his siblings, Herbert, Ruby, Mary Jo and Doris Johnson gave him a big welcome home party.
From the continued memorials we are receiving for the late Christine Akerman Parrish, it is obvious that others loved her as much as the museum volunteers did. Her nephew Don and his wife Teresa Stewart have given to honor Christine. Kenneth Wayne McGee, father to Sharon Johnson (Brian), recently died and he has been remembered by Robie and Lynda Butler, the Coats Kiwanis Club and H.L. Sorrell. Sharon is principal at Buies Creek and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Coats. Kenneth is also brother-in-law of our Wayne Parrish. Thank you also goes to Lynda and Robie for remembering Tony Weaver, a classmate of Lynda’s. Cornelia Johnson, a lady who loved history and shared many stories from her 94 years on this earth with this writer, was also remembered with a memorial. These generous memorials enable the museum to have insurance, air and heat, security, technology and other operating costs to keep it open three days a week. Thank you to all of these donors.
How is our challenge going at the museum to raise $50,000? We have had one person to come forth and three others who are talking to their families with hopes to add some pebbles into the container to help fill it up to meet our challenge to match a donor’s $50,000 gift.
