October 29, 2021 Coats Museum News
How many times in your past have you heard someone say “There are two things for certain in life and they are –taxes and death.” I don’t know that I written much about taxes in the Coats Museum News column, but I do know that I have written weekly about the death of someone if the obituary was printed in the newspaper. This column about 1988 news is no different because it was published that Mrs. Vada Tulington Whittington had died in the Mayview Convalescent Center in Raleigh. Mrs. Vada was a native of Coats and was the daughter of the late Leonidas L. (L.L.-Lon) and Laura Frances Sorrell Turlington. She was the wife of the late Millard Whittington. Vada was a life-long member of the Coats Baptist Church and a member of the Turlington Home Demonstration Club. Her services were held at the Coats Baptist Church and Devotional Gardens. Frances Fanning, Rebecca Splawn and Rosalie W. Fouts were surviving daughters and Darwin and Hartwell Whittington were her sons (Daily Record June 2, 1988).
My husband has so many times reminded my co-volunteer Lynda Butler that nobody is going to care or know much about you after two generations. For sure, mobilization and globalization of jobs have made it even more difficult to stay personally connected to our relatives. It is sad to note so many individuals who visit our museum have little knowledge of their ancestors beyond grandparents and some are surprised to learn more about them through our records than they knew.
Do teachers get remembered beyond two generations? How about Teresa Honeycutt? In 1988, Teresa Honeycutt’s softball team ended the season with a 14-2 record. Carmen Barnes, Marsha Flowers, Dawn Champion, Paige Stephenson, Jatana Byrd, Marsha Johnson, Crystal Spears, Kelly Smith, Genelle Brandenburg, and Anita Pleasant were the champions for Honeycutt (Daily Record June 3, 1988).
According to Tom Meece, Harnett County Economic Developer, a new industry would locate in the building owned by THM. The Modern Machine Manufacturing would eventually employ 30 people-most machinists. The payroll promised to boost the Coats community. The DOT continued to ponder the alternate route for State Highway 27.Two alternatives were to return the route of NC27 back through Buies Creek or to upgrade Old Stage Road to meet the DOT’s state secondary road specifications that would cost between $160,000 and $170,000. Secretary Harrington and Deputy Assistant Transportation Secretary Alexander were to meet with the Coats group in the Senior Center (Daily Record June 6, 1988).
How pleased Billy and Peggie Denning Pope must have been to earn honors in the “Best of Harnett County” for their Pope’s Barn. The restaurant won first in “Best Free Entertainment”, second in “Best Seafood”, third in “Best Country Cooking” and third in “Best hushpuppies”. Denise Matthews had some news also. Denise had won a GE Portable Radio-Cassette valued at $59.88 from Pope’s Family Center (Daily Record June 14, 1988).
The Double “L” Stables and Tack Shop was the CACC Business Focus of the Week. The shop was owned by Leroy and Lynda Byrd and was located one mile north of Coats on NC 55. The shop was on a spacious farm estate that sprawled over some 55 acres of rolling hills. The couple started the business in 1980 on the old Gilbert Farm and in 1984 they made an expansion (Daily Record June 15, 1988).
State Transportation Secretary James Harrington told more than 100 Coats area residents that he would make no decision on the route of NC27 until he had all the facts. Coats residents were upset with the comments made by the Law School Dean and by the absence of any Campbell officials at the meeting.
Cole Penny celebrated his first birthday. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Vance Penny and grandson of Sue and Ted Penny of Coats. Possibly while Sue and Ted were eating birthday cake, newlyweds Amy Lisa Byrd and David McQueen Fitchett, both of Greensboro, were eating wedding cake after their marriage at the First Baptist Church in Dunn. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Byrd of Coats were the bride’s parents.
Joan, Pete, and Lee Patterson sent their love and appreciation to the Triton faculty and friends of their son, Curtis Patterson, who lost his life in an automobile accident (Daily Record June17, 1988).
Pleasant Union Christian Church was the setting of the marriage of Marilyn Denise Coats and Edgar Vance Starnes. Marilyn was a Coats graduate and a 1978 graduate o f Liberty University and was formerly with the Congressman Bill Colby staff and had worked with the Jesse Helms Campaign at the National Congressional Club (Daily Record June 20, 1988).
Many of you remember Danny, Dana and Marilyn Coats as the children of Wade and Mary Holmes Coats. Wade was the son of Otis and Myrtle Nordan and grandchild of Bill Coats-son of Preacher Tom Coats. Dana loves Coats and is so supportive of its museum and is an often visitor who brings joy to the research library with her infectious enthusiasm.
Ma’s Grill was the CACC Focus of the Week. Virginia and Albert Slaughter operated the grill that was started by Red McLeod after WWII. McLeod later sold it to the Taylors and the name was changed to Ma’s Grill. She sold the business to the Slaughters who kept the name. The business was located about one mile north of Coats on Highway 55 (Daily Record June 22, 1988).
Question-have you noticed that Coats had many businesses located on Highway 55, north of Coats? They were Pope’s Barn, Tony’s Body Shop, Double “L” Stables and Tack Shop, McRay’s Trailer Park and now the Ma’s Grill. Can you add some new ones in 2021?
The temperature registered 103 degrees in Dunn, but it did not prevent the beauty pageants from going on as scheduled at Coats. . Phyllis McLaurin, Coats High teacher, emceed. Brian Davis, Laura Malone and Casey Coats entertained during the program. Miss Lori Stewart, daughter of Don and Teresa Stewart, won Little Miss Coats. Miss Laine Coats, daughter of Ronald and Joy Coats, won Junior Miss Coats. The winner of Miss Coats was Miss April Fowler, daughter of Charlie and Lera Fowler (Daily Record June 28, 1988).
How many of you recognized that Dr. Harold Dixon and Dr. Charles Langdon’s names were missing last week from a list of Coats School students who earned doctors degrees. Harold and Charles are dentists. Dr. Richard Daniel and Dr. Kristen Bennett Bowen also earned their PH.D. Are there others who have made Coats look great!
We had lots of visitors at the museum on Thursday. We really enjoyed helping several people find additional family information. Monnie Weeks, who has close ties to many in the Coats area, enjoyed gathering facts about her Weeks and Thornton heritage. Her Uncle Bill Weeks ‘Foundations supported the museum by placing a plaque containing all his siblings’ names in the Hero’s Courtyard. A young Coats couple from Fuquay will return with additional background information so we can connect our Coats Family Genealogy with his.
Marc and Jean Powell dropped by to share that another Eagle Scout’s uniform will be added to the Scout Exhibit. Come by to see to whom it belonged. A clue-his Eagle project was to place the Centennial Bell on the Heritage Square.
Jan Seagroves dropped in to share the Ennis Family Crest for us to copy. Thank you, Jan, and most of us recognize her as the former Jan Ennis, sister to Kay, Larry and Richard Ennis.
Thanks to those who donated to the museum last week. A special thank you to Monnie Weeks Smith and to the other individuals who remembered Lynda Butler with a birthday honorarium and birthday memorials for Jonah C. Johnson and Kress (Bill) Williams.
How many times in your past have you heard someone say “There are two things for certain in life and they are –taxes and death.” I don’t know that I written much about taxes in the Coats Museum News column, but I do know that I have written weekly about the death of someone if the obituary was printed in the newspaper. This column about 1988 news is no different because it was published that Mrs. Vada Tulington Whittington had died in the Mayview Convalescent Center in Raleigh. Mrs. Vada was a native of Coats and was the daughter of the late Leonidas L. (L.L.-Lon) and Laura Frances Sorrell Turlington. She was the wife of the late Millard Whittington. Vada was a life-long member of the Coats Baptist Church and a member of the Turlington Home Demonstration Club. Her services were held at the Coats Baptist Church and Devotional Gardens. Frances Fanning, Rebecca Splawn and Rosalie W. Fouts were surviving daughters and Darwin and Hartwell Whittington were her sons (Daily Record June 2, 1988).
My husband has so many times reminded my co-volunteer Lynda Butler that nobody is going to care or know much about you after two generations. For sure, mobilization and globalization of jobs have made it even more difficult to stay personally connected to our relatives. It is sad to note so many individuals who visit our museum have little knowledge of their ancestors beyond grandparents and some are surprised to learn more about them through our records than they knew.
Do teachers get remembered beyond two generations? How about Teresa Honeycutt? In 1988, Teresa Honeycutt’s softball team ended the season with a 14-2 record. Carmen Barnes, Marsha Flowers, Dawn Champion, Paige Stephenson, Jatana Byrd, Marsha Johnson, Crystal Spears, Kelly Smith, Genelle Brandenburg, and Anita Pleasant were the champions for Honeycutt (Daily Record June 3, 1988).
According to Tom Meece, Harnett County Economic Developer, a new industry would locate in the building owned by THM. The Modern Machine Manufacturing would eventually employ 30 people-most machinists. The payroll promised to boost the Coats community. The DOT continued to ponder the alternate route for State Highway 27.Two alternatives were to return the route of NC27 back through Buies Creek or to upgrade Old Stage Road to meet the DOT’s state secondary road specifications that would cost between $160,000 and $170,000. Secretary Harrington and Deputy Assistant Transportation Secretary Alexander were to meet with the Coats group in the Senior Center (Daily Record June 6, 1988).
How pleased Billy and Peggie Denning Pope must have been to earn honors in the “Best of Harnett County” for their Pope’s Barn. The restaurant won first in “Best Free Entertainment”, second in “Best Seafood”, third in “Best Country Cooking” and third in “Best hushpuppies”. Denise Matthews had some news also. Denise had won a GE Portable Radio-Cassette valued at $59.88 from Pope’s Family Center (Daily Record June 14, 1988).
The Double “L” Stables and Tack Shop was the CACC Business Focus of the Week. The shop was owned by Leroy and Lynda Byrd and was located one mile north of Coats on NC 55. The shop was on a spacious farm estate that sprawled over some 55 acres of rolling hills. The couple started the business in 1980 on the old Gilbert Farm and in 1984 they made an expansion (Daily Record June 15, 1988).
State Transportation Secretary James Harrington told more than 100 Coats area residents that he would make no decision on the route of NC27 until he had all the facts. Coats residents were upset with the comments made by the Law School Dean and by the absence of any Campbell officials at the meeting.
Cole Penny celebrated his first birthday. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Vance Penny and grandson of Sue and Ted Penny of Coats. Possibly while Sue and Ted were eating birthday cake, newlyweds Amy Lisa Byrd and David McQueen Fitchett, both of Greensboro, were eating wedding cake after their marriage at the First Baptist Church in Dunn. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Byrd of Coats were the bride’s parents.
Joan, Pete, and Lee Patterson sent their love and appreciation to the Triton faculty and friends of their son, Curtis Patterson, who lost his life in an automobile accident (Daily Record June17, 1988).
Pleasant Union Christian Church was the setting of the marriage of Marilyn Denise Coats and Edgar Vance Starnes. Marilyn was a Coats graduate and a 1978 graduate o f Liberty University and was formerly with the Congressman Bill Colby staff and had worked with the Jesse Helms Campaign at the National Congressional Club (Daily Record June 20, 1988).
Many of you remember Danny, Dana and Marilyn Coats as the children of Wade and Mary Holmes Coats. Wade was the son of Otis and Myrtle Nordan and grandchild of Bill Coats-son of Preacher Tom Coats. Dana loves Coats and is so supportive of its museum and is an often visitor who brings joy to the research library with her infectious enthusiasm.
Ma’s Grill was the CACC Focus of the Week. Virginia and Albert Slaughter operated the grill that was started by Red McLeod after WWII. McLeod later sold it to the Taylors and the name was changed to Ma’s Grill. She sold the business to the Slaughters who kept the name. The business was located about one mile north of Coats on Highway 55 (Daily Record June 22, 1988).
Question-have you noticed that Coats had many businesses located on Highway 55, north of Coats? They were Pope’s Barn, Tony’s Body Shop, Double “L” Stables and Tack Shop, McRay’s Trailer Park and now the Ma’s Grill. Can you add some new ones in 2021?
The temperature registered 103 degrees in Dunn, but it did not prevent the beauty pageants from going on as scheduled at Coats. . Phyllis McLaurin, Coats High teacher, emceed. Brian Davis, Laura Malone and Casey Coats entertained during the program. Miss Lori Stewart, daughter of Don and Teresa Stewart, won Little Miss Coats. Miss Laine Coats, daughter of Ronald and Joy Coats, won Junior Miss Coats. The winner of Miss Coats was Miss April Fowler, daughter of Charlie and Lera Fowler (Daily Record June 28, 1988).
How many of you recognized that Dr. Harold Dixon and Dr. Charles Langdon’s names were missing last week from a list of Coats School students who earned doctors degrees. Harold and Charles are dentists. Dr. Richard Daniel and Dr. Kristen Bennett Bowen also earned their PH.D. Are there others who have made Coats look great!
We had lots of visitors at the museum on Thursday. We really enjoyed helping several people find additional family information. Monnie Weeks, who has close ties to many in the Coats area, enjoyed gathering facts about her Weeks and Thornton heritage. Her Uncle Bill Weeks ‘Foundations supported the museum by placing a plaque containing all his siblings’ names in the Hero’s Courtyard. A young Coats couple from Fuquay will return with additional background information so we can connect our Coats Family Genealogy with his.
Marc and Jean Powell dropped by to share that another Eagle Scout’s uniform will be added to the Scout Exhibit. Come by to see to whom it belonged. A clue-his Eagle project was to place the Centennial Bell on the Heritage Square.
Jan Seagroves dropped in to share the Ennis Family Crest for us to copy. Thank you, Jan, and most of us recognize her as the former Jan Ennis, sister to Kay, Larry and Richard Ennis.
Thanks to those who donated to the museum last week. A special thank you to Monnie Weeks Smith and to the other individuals who remembered Lynda Butler with a birthday honorarium and birthday memorials for Jonah C. Johnson and Kress (Bill) Williams.