October 20, 2017 Coats Museum News
The year was 1966 and the war in Vietnam was touching the households across America. During WW II, young men had left the high school setting to join other students like themselves to fight the enemies on distant continents and now the sons and daughters of that generation were shipped to a land unlike anything they had ever experienced. Many of them had delayed or dropped out of college to answer the draft. The only authority most had ever known was a stern parent or teacher who paled in comparison to the new one they met wearing the uniform bearing an assortment of stars, bars and stripes indicating authority and their rigid commands were to be followed to a tee for the sake of their comrades.
Many of those young men from Coats were experiencing scenes in Vietnam that they continue to find difficult to talk about in 2017. Back in the USA, many of their parents had their fears, as well. That fear of receiving a dreaded telegram or visit to share the fate of a loved one in uniform. Surely this had happened to the family of Sgt. Donald Stewart, 29, of Coats who was the first victim from Harnett County in the Vietnam War. He was the son of Robert G. Stewart, Sr. of Coats and Mrs. Odell Hasty. His wife was the former Wanda Adams of Angier. Robert Stewart, Jr., Mrs. Ted Allred, and Mrs. Jim Nabors were his siblings. His daughter was born five months after Donald had arrived in Vietnam-a daughter who would never feel the warm embrace of her father.
The death angel took another loved one from the family of Clarence L. Upchurch of Route 1, Coats. Mr. Upchurch who was only 54 had died on Friday. His services were at Neill’s Creek Baptist Church. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Era Johnson Upchurch; one son, C.L., Jr.; three daughters, Mrs. Ralph Naylor, Mrs. Bessie Stephenson and Miss JoAnne Upchurch. Lonnie Upchurch, E.D. Upchurch, Frank Upchurch, Mayton Upchurch and Ben Upchurch were his brothers. Do you recognize those names?
There was some happy news in that January 17, 1966 Daily Record edition. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Weaver were parents of a son, Hunter Lee Weaver. The mother was the former Elizabeth King of rural Smithfield.
At Turlington’s Crossroads, Mr. H.A. Turlington, Sr., producer of champion Durocs, also was a producer of 130 bushels of corn per acre on a 22 acre plot of land. Turlington mixed his corn with other grains and protein to feed his purebred Duroc breed (Daily Record Jan. 18, 1966).
For those of you who lived in Coats in 1966, how many cafes and restaurants were in the area at that time? According to the health inspector who visited the local business, these were the ones he inspected for safety grades: Barefoot’s BBQ and Barefoot’s Café, Bill’s Drive-inn, Clyde’s Grill, Denning’s Grill, Mike’s Knotty Pine Grill, , Lucy’s Grocery and Market, Welton Week’s Grocery and Market, Ryals Grocery and Market, Earl’s Self Service, Lamm’s Market and Hayes Abattoir. Did you recognize the names? Was one of them on the site of the current Ma’s Grill? I do know that none of them made below B Grade (Daily Record Jan. 20, 1966).
Mr. and Mrs. James Harold Dorman of Coats had announced the birth of a son Jan. 19 in Good Hope Hospital. The new mom was the former Linda Gail Stewart (Daily Record Jan. 20, 1966).
The name Carson Gregory was well recognized in the Grove area in 1966. Hence when it was announced the Carson Gregory, Jr., the 25 year-old grandson of the state legislature had some improved after a major operation for cancer of the stomach, everyone was excited. He was married to the former Sue Holder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Holder of Coats. Carson and Sue had two children (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1966). Does anyone remember what a standout Sue was on the basketball court at Coats High? Wonder where Sue lives now?
It was January and that was snow time -right? The first real snow of the season blanketed the state and Harnett Schools were closed for several days in 1966. When we interviewed individuals who were students when there were no school buses, they shared about walking to school in rain, ice and snow. They recalled how excited they were to finally reach those country schools and to be able to stand around the old wood stove that the older boys had arrived early to fill up with wood to warm up the old wooden schools before the teacher and other students arrived. Yes, times have changed for the better but when one former student of a country school shared that his teacher had a unique way of having hot chocolate for all the students. Different students brought sugar, milk and chocolate for the teacher to heat up on the old wood stove.
Wonder if there was snow on the ground when Charles R. Stewart, 95, of Coats, had died on Saturday. Services were held at Overby Funeral Home with burial in the Buies Creek Cemetery. Surviving him were two daughters, Mrs. Mary Ross Hough and Mrs. Lucille Barker. His sons were B.A., Robert, James, Johnny and Emory Stewart. Where was this Overby Funeral Home that could accommodate a funeral with that many children?
I do know that U.S. Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn was in the Coats area. He was to be the guest speaker at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Raleigh. Congressman Dorn was husband of Millie Johnson who graduated from Coats High School and after graduating from University of Chapel Hill became the US Capitol reporter for US News (Daily Record Feb. 4, 1966).
Stewart and Ennis are two of the most popular names in the Coats Benson area and the families have lost a member from each in the early days of January 1966. This time it was an Ennis when John Alvis Ennis of Route 1, Coats had died on Sunday. His services were held at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church where he was a very active member. Burial was in the church cemetery. Surviving him was his wife Mrs. Louise Baker Ennis. His two sons were John Alvis, Jr. and Joseph and a daughter was Linda Kimbrough. His other survivors were his mother, Mrs. Rena Ennis; his siblings-Preston, Hubert, David, Howard, Mrs. Garland Coats, Mrs. Maynard Coats, Mrs. Hubert Creech, and Mrs. Carol Wood.
The paper continued to share information about those who served in military service. Army Pvt. Bruce Faircloth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonah Faircloth, was assigned to the 6th Artillery Group at Fort Bliss, Texas. Bruce had entered the army in September 1965. He was a 1963 graduate of Coats High School (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1966).
Linda Charlotte Barefoot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Barefoot, was planning a wedding on April 14th. She was to marry Joseph R. Odom, Jr. of Erwin.
Linda Ruth Sorrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Sorrell, was a contestant in the Miss Erwin Beauty Pageant. She was the current Miss Coats and had been very active in school activities (Daily Record Feb. 10, 1966).The Goodwill HD Club had about 30 members present to hear Mrs. Merchant Langdon present a program on “Pressing for Tailoring”, explaining the difference in ironing and pressing (Daily Record Feb. 15, 1966). Did you know there was difference?
Miss Teresa Bailey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenard Bailey of Linden, was married to Edward Jeffrey Gilchrist, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Stewart Gilchrist. Teresa attended UNC Greensboro and Mr. Gilchrist was a student of Western Carolina College. She was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Waylon Bailey of Bailey’s Crossroads (Daily Record Feb. 16, 1966).
The family owned Lake Teresa near Linden. Do you suppose they named the popular place for their daughter? I do know that the column today began the announcement of a Harnett soldier being killed in Vietnam. It is sad that the column will end with yet another with the announcement of the death of a young married soldier. Staff Sgt. William P. Parnell, 27, was the latest Harnett casualty in Vietnam. He was survived by his wife Mary Madeline W. Parnell, his parents Mr. and Mrs. William Leslie Parnell, three brothers-Bobby, Charles and Dale and three sisters -Mrs. Helen Suggs, Mrs. Linda Ennis, and Joanne Parnell.
A special thank you to Teresa Honeycutt for all the work she did in trimming back the shrubbery on the Heritage Square. It is a hot, sweaty job to keep the grounds in the immaculate shape done by Teresa. It does not go unnoticed.
We enjoyed a couple of visits from W.A. Surles who donated a clay pitcher and meat grinder to go in our small “Making Sausage” display. W.A. and David’s parents operated several popular businesses in Coats a few years back-I personally think “jovial couple” when I hear their name. A thank you also goes to Joey Hawley, son of the late Joe Hawley who was principal at Coats from 1959 to 1991. Joey gave the museum a ticket to attend the baseball and basketball games in 1958-59. Thanks Joey and W.A.
Myrtle Bridges and her grandson, Joshua Arnold, continue to add valuable items to the museum. Joshua loaned a large pair of sheep shears used to cut wool. This is one farm tool that has not changed any from hundreds of years ago. Myrtle donated four more of her transcriptions of documents from Richmond County, NC. One volume Final Words contains transcribed original wills from 1779-1915 and three volumes contain transcribed Estate Records from 1772-1933. One can only imagine the hours Myrtle spent reading and transcribing the handwriting of those years.
I
The year was 1966 and the war in Vietnam was touching the households across America. During WW II, young men had left the high school setting to join other students like themselves to fight the enemies on distant continents and now the sons and daughters of that generation were shipped to a land unlike anything they had ever experienced. Many of them had delayed or dropped out of college to answer the draft. The only authority most had ever known was a stern parent or teacher who paled in comparison to the new one they met wearing the uniform bearing an assortment of stars, bars and stripes indicating authority and their rigid commands were to be followed to a tee for the sake of their comrades.
Many of those young men from Coats were experiencing scenes in Vietnam that they continue to find difficult to talk about in 2017. Back in the USA, many of their parents had their fears, as well. That fear of receiving a dreaded telegram or visit to share the fate of a loved one in uniform. Surely this had happened to the family of Sgt. Donald Stewart, 29, of Coats who was the first victim from Harnett County in the Vietnam War. He was the son of Robert G. Stewart, Sr. of Coats and Mrs. Odell Hasty. His wife was the former Wanda Adams of Angier. Robert Stewart, Jr., Mrs. Ted Allred, and Mrs. Jim Nabors were his siblings. His daughter was born five months after Donald had arrived in Vietnam-a daughter who would never feel the warm embrace of her father.
The death angel took another loved one from the family of Clarence L. Upchurch of Route 1, Coats. Mr. Upchurch who was only 54 had died on Friday. His services were at Neill’s Creek Baptist Church. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Era Johnson Upchurch; one son, C.L., Jr.; three daughters, Mrs. Ralph Naylor, Mrs. Bessie Stephenson and Miss JoAnne Upchurch. Lonnie Upchurch, E.D. Upchurch, Frank Upchurch, Mayton Upchurch and Ben Upchurch were his brothers. Do you recognize those names?
There was some happy news in that January 17, 1966 Daily Record edition. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Weaver were parents of a son, Hunter Lee Weaver. The mother was the former Elizabeth King of rural Smithfield.
At Turlington’s Crossroads, Mr. H.A. Turlington, Sr., producer of champion Durocs, also was a producer of 130 bushels of corn per acre on a 22 acre plot of land. Turlington mixed his corn with other grains and protein to feed his purebred Duroc breed (Daily Record Jan. 18, 1966).
For those of you who lived in Coats in 1966, how many cafes and restaurants were in the area at that time? According to the health inspector who visited the local business, these were the ones he inspected for safety grades: Barefoot’s BBQ and Barefoot’s Café, Bill’s Drive-inn, Clyde’s Grill, Denning’s Grill, Mike’s Knotty Pine Grill, , Lucy’s Grocery and Market, Welton Week’s Grocery and Market, Ryals Grocery and Market, Earl’s Self Service, Lamm’s Market and Hayes Abattoir. Did you recognize the names? Was one of them on the site of the current Ma’s Grill? I do know that none of them made below B Grade (Daily Record Jan. 20, 1966).
Mr. and Mrs. James Harold Dorman of Coats had announced the birth of a son Jan. 19 in Good Hope Hospital. The new mom was the former Linda Gail Stewart (Daily Record Jan. 20, 1966).
The name Carson Gregory was well recognized in the Grove area in 1966. Hence when it was announced the Carson Gregory, Jr., the 25 year-old grandson of the state legislature had some improved after a major operation for cancer of the stomach, everyone was excited. He was married to the former Sue Holder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Holder of Coats. Carson and Sue had two children (Daily Record Jan. 25, 1966). Does anyone remember what a standout Sue was on the basketball court at Coats High? Wonder where Sue lives now?
It was January and that was snow time -right? The first real snow of the season blanketed the state and Harnett Schools were closed for several days in 1966. When we interviewed individuals who were students when there were no school buses, they shared about walking to school in rain, ice and snow. They recalled how excited they were to finally reach those country schools and to be able to stand around the old wood stove that the older boys had arrived early to fill up with wood to warm up the old wooden schools before the teacher and other students arrived. Yes, times have changed for the better but when one former student of a country school shared that his teacher had a unique way of having hot chocolate for all the students. Different students brought sugar, milk and chocolate for the teacher to heat up on the old wood stove.
Wonder if there was snow on the ground when Charles R. Stewart, 95, of Coats, had died on Saturday. Services were held at Overby Funeral Home with burial in the Buies Creek Cemetery. Surviving him were two daughters, Mrs. Mary Ross Hough and Mrs. Lucille Barker. His sons were B.A., Robert, James, Johnny and Emory Stewart. Where was this Overby Funeral Home that could accommodate a funeral with that many children?
I do know that U.S. Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn was in the Coats area. He was to be the guest speaker at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Raleigh. Congressman Dorn was husband of Millie Johnson who graduated from Coats High School and after graduating from University of Chapel Hill became the US Capitol reporter for US News (Daily Record Feb. 4, 1966).
Stewart and Ennis are two of the most popular names in the Coats Benson area and the families have lost a member from each in the early days of January 1966. This time it was an Ennis when John Alvis Ennis of Route 1, Coats had died on Sunday. His services were held at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church where he was a very active member. Burial was in the church cemetery. Surviving him was his wife Mrs. Louise Baker Ennis. His two sons were John Alvis, Jr. and Joseph and a daughter was Linda Kimbrough. His other survivors were his mother, Mrs. Rena Ennis; his siblings-Preston, Hubert, David, Howard, Mrs. Garland Coats, Mrs. Maynard Coats, Mrs. Hubert Creech, and Mrs. Carol Wood.
The paper continued to share information about those who served in military service. Army Pvt. Bruce Faircloth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonah Faircloth, was assigned to the 6th Artillery Group at Fort Bliss, Texas. Bruce had entered the army in September 1965. He was a 1963 graduate of Coats High School (Daily Record Feb. 7, 1966).
Linda Charlotte Barefoot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Barefoot, was planning a wedding on April 14th. She was to marry Joseph R. Odom, Jr. of Erwin.
Linda Ruth Sorrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Sorrell, was a contestant in the Miss Erwin Beauty Pageant. She was the current Miss Coats and had been very active in school activities (Daily Record Feb. 10, 1966).The Goodwill HD Club had about 30 members present to hear Mrs. Merchant Langdon present a program on “Pressing for Tailoring”, explaining the difference in ironing and pressing (Daily Record Feb. 15, 1966). Did you know there was difference?
Miss Teresa Bailey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenard Bailey of Linden, was married to Edward Jeffrey Gilchrist, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Stewart Gilchrist. Teresa attended UNC Greensboro and Mr. Gilchrist was a student of Western Carolina College. She was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Waylon Bailey of Bailey’s Crossroads (Daily Record Feb. 16, 1966).
The family owned Lake Teresa near Linden. Do you suppose they named the popular place for their daughter? I do know that the column today began the announcement of a Harnett soldier being killed in Vietnam. It is sad that the column will end with yet another with the announcement of the death of a young married soldier. Staff Sgt. William P. Parnell, 27, was the latest Harnett casualty in Vietnam. He was survived by his wife Mary Madeline W. Parnell, his parents Mr. and Mrs. William Leslie Parnell, three brothers-Bobby, Charles and Dale and three sisters -Mrs. Helen Suggs, Mrs. Linda Ennis, and Joanne Parnell.
A special thank you to Teresa Honeycutt for all the work she did in trimming back the shrubbery on the Heritage Square. It is a hot, sweaty job to keep the grounds in the immaculate shape done by Teresa. It does not go unnoticed.
We enjoyed a couple of visits from W.A. Surles who donated a clay pitcher and meat grinder to go in our small “Making Sausage” display. W.A. and David’s parents operated several popular businesses in Coats a few years back-I personally think “jovial couple” when I hear their name. A thank you also goes to Joey Hawley, son of the late Joe Hawley who was principal at Coats from 1959 to 1991. Joey gave the museum a ticket to attend the baseball and basketball games in 1958-59. Thanks Joey and W.A.
Myrtle Bridges and her grandson, Joshua Arnold, continue to add valuable items to the museum. Joshua loaned a large pair of sheep shears used to cut wool. This is one farm tool that has not changed any from hundreds of years ago. Myrtle donated four more of her transcriptions of documents from Richmond County, NC. One volume Final Words contains transcribed original wills from 1779-1915 and three volumes contain transcribed Estate Records from 1772-1933. One can only imagine the hours Myrtle spent reading and transcribing the handwriting of those years.
I