October 30, 2015 Coats Museum News
Gone were the times when a cooked sweet potato and a cold sausage biscuit was a daily school lunch. No longer were the days of a sandwich or soup for a dime or so. In 1955, Mrs. Hubert Creech, Mrs. A.R. Byrd, Mrs. Douglas Johnson, Mrs. M.D. McKoy, Mrs. Fred Stewart, Mrs. Carrie Williams, and Mrs. Lillian Earp (manager) worked hard to feed the 1,000 plus students daily in the cafeteria that was housed in the basement of the first brick building on the old Coats School campus.
Marjorie Ennis edited the “Spotlight,” the newspaper that students throughout the school could purchase. Her able assistant was Ethel Jernigan. The teacher who assisted the students was Mrs. Frances Wells. While Mrs. Wells was sponsoring the school paper, Miss Helen Adams worked with the students on the 1956 Echoing Memories. Virginia Norris was editor and the principal’s son, Billy Smith, was the business manager. The staff who worked with Virginia on the yearbook was Willadean Johnson, Jean Ryals, Faye Avery, Larry Johnson, Pattie McLamb, Barbara Whittington, and Lois Jernigan. Those assisting Billy Smith were Dwight Tripp, James Moore, Rosa Turlington, McKinley Whittington, Jimmy Honeycutt, Billie Jean Byrd, and Ethel Dorman.
Tobacco markets were preparing to open for the sale of the local golden leaf. I.A. Beasley’s Garage in Coats had sent greetings to the tobacco friends during the opening of those tobacco markets (Daily Record Aug. 25, 1955). Elsewhere, Ford tractors were being sold for $1,675.00. Baby bream totaling 137,900 were distributed from Lillington to stock county farm ponds. That was enough to stock 80 ponds (Daily Record Aug. 26, 1955). How many was that per pond?
Back in the school, Larry Johnson was elected president of the Student Council; Boyd Clayton, vice president and Jerry Huff, secretary-treasurer. The FHA officers were Sue Ennis, treasurer; Julia Whittington, historian; Jean Ryals, county song leader; Faye Avery, president; Joyce Faye Johnson, vice president; Sue McLean, song leader, and Joy Clayton as parliamentarian. Evadean Ingram was sponsor (The 1956 Echoing Memories).
Have you ever tried to mimic an auctioneer? Lloyd Stephenson, a wartime sergeant in a combat intelligence group, called the “Earthquakers,” came back to a job that was just as tricky. He was an auctioneer for the Big-4 Warehouse. Stephenson’s words came out at a pretty fast clip-even in a conversation---about 400 words came out a minute (Daily Record Aug. 26, 1955).
Wonder if Mr. M.O. Phillips carried his FFA officers to the tobacco markets. I do know that Glenwood Byrd was reporter; Billy Smith, treasurer, Dwight Tripp, secretary; Lacy Langdon, president; Jimmy Honeycutt, vice president; Russell McLean, Sentinel, and Billy Langdon, chaplain (1956 Echoing Memories).
I have many questions. Is this the time when every plant or leaf of tobacco was touched by a human hand? Was this when weeds were picked by hand from the tobacco beds which were actually in most cases in the woods? Is this when the plants were pulled by hand and planted by hand? Is this the time when each leaf was examined for tobacco worms and the time when suckers were pulled from between the leaves by hand? Is this the time when one leaf at a time was pulled and placed by the armful into drags and transported to a barn where once again each leaf was touched to make a bundle to be looped onto a stick for curing and later removed bundle by bundle to be graded leaf by leaf to only be bundled again leaf by leaf to go to the market for sale. The most important question is. Is this the time when the farmer valued every leaf of tobacco so much that one would be scolded if they did not value it as if it was the leaf that would make or break the bank?
Death had found its way to the Coats area. Annie (?) Truelove, 44, of Coats, had died on a Saturday night at Good Hope Hospital. The deceased had been ill several weeks and was the son of Oscar and Janie Faircloth Truelove. He had operated a store and service station. His wife, Mrs. Laverne Beasley Truelove, survived him (Daily Record Aug. 29, 1955).
Around 13,000 students were enrolled in Harnett County Schools in the 1954-55 school year. Doris Gregory was not one of those students. A marriage license was issued to the nineteen year-old Coats girl and Aaron Clinton McLean (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1955).
Several other deaths made the news. George W. Miller, 67, had died at his home in Coats. His funeral services were at Prospect with burial in the church cemetery. Rev. Lester Byrd, Rev. Ralph Byrd, and Rev. R.F. Munns officiated. Mr. Miller was survived by his wife, Mrs. Sara C. Miller; two daughters-Sara Miller and Mrs. David Norris; two sons-Melvin Miller and Luther Miller. Was he kin to the famous Harnett poet and balladeer?
Another death occurred near Angier. A.W. Slaughter, 64, of rural Angier had died at his home on Sunday morning. He was the son of the late B.B. and Lovenetta Gordan Slaughter of Granville County. He was buried in the Angier Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Mrs. Sarah Stephenson Slaughter survived him. Albert Slaughter was a son and Mrs. Lester Lewis was a daughter by a previous marriage (Daily Record Sept. 5, 1955). Wonder if he came to the area because the Granville tobacco wilt?
This I do know. Susie Turlington and Charles Sorrell were winners in the hog show at the Four County Fair for their entries in the junior group of 4-H (Daily Record Sept. 7, 1955).
The Coats Fellowship Club elected new officers for the coming year: Curtis Guy, president; T.O. Beasley, vice president; O.K. Keene, secretary and treasurer.
Paul Johnson, 55, of rural Dunn, near Turlington Crossroads, had died at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Dunn Hospital following a month’s illness. Services were held at Lee’s Grove and burial was in that cemetery. Mr. Johnson had lived his entire life in the community in which he grew up and farmed. He was the son of Oscar and Ida Stewart Johnson. He was survived by his wife, Alda Wood Johnson, six sons-Roy, Clester, Bernice, P.J., Paul, and Hoover Johnson; two daughters –Virginia and Myrtle. Two siblings were of Oxen Hill, Maryland-Richard and Ray and Zeb of Annapolis, Maryland. Does everyone know this family?
For many years, the Coats Museum volunteers have been collecting military history of the Coats area. We have collected over 800 names, pictures, records, videos, and stories. We will publish the stories into a book, “The Defenders of the Red, White and Blue”. We will close out this military collection with our November 14th event.
If you live in the Coats area or your family has connections in this area, the museum volunteers would like to know if you served in the military post-WWII. If so, we would really like for you to participate in the event on the Coats Heritage Square on Saturday, November 14th. From one until two, we will have several stations on the square where all can witness Jerry Tart’s team fold the American flag into thirteen folds forming the popular triangle we see presented to a loved one at a funeral. Each fold has a meaning. Ted Penny has a team that will be in charge of the retiring of a tattered American flag. That ceremony promises to be both educational and emotional. Carolyn Tart will work with a team to show proper etiquette of the displaying and handling of the American flag.
The veterans, active servicemen, and survivors of veterans will be recognized, videoed and presented a personalized, small American flag to place into the soil in front of the Heritage or Cotton Museums. They do not have to say anything unless they want to share stories with others when the outside events move inside the Heritage Museum where there will be “Cake and Conversation”. Forms are available at www.coatsmuseum.com and at the museum on Sundays and Thursdays.
We now have our new brochures which will be placed in visitor centers on Interstate 95, other museums, various senior citizen centers and in churches which have groups that travel to points of interest. The Walmart Community Grant helped pay for the printing of the new brochure. Thank you Coats Walmart for this grant and the one last year that helped us purchase five mannequins to display military uniforms.
Gone were the times when a cooked sweet potato and a cold sausage biscuit was a daily school lunch. No longer were the days of a sandwich or soup for a dime or so. In 1955, Mrs. Hubert Creech, Mrs. A.R. Byrd, Mrs. Douglas Johnson, Mrs. M.D. McKoy, Mrs. Fred Stewart, Mrs. Carrie Williams, and Mrs. Lillian Earp (manager) worked hard to feed the 1,000 plus students daily in the cafeteria that was housed in the basement of the first brick building on the old Coats School campus.
Marjorie Ennis edited the “Spotlight,” the newspaper that students throughout the school could purchase. Her able assistant was Ethel Jernigan. The teacher who assisted the students was Mrs. Frances Wells. While Mrs. Wells was sponsoring the school paper, Miss Helen Adams worked with the students on the 1956 Echoing Memories. Virginia Norris was editor and the principal’s son, Billy Smith, was the business manager. The staff who worked with Virginia on the yearbook was Willadean Johnson, Jean Ryals, Faye Avery, Larry Johnson, Pattie McLamb, Barbara Whittington, and Lois Jernigan. Those assisting Billy Smith were Dwight Tripp, James Moore, Rosa Turlington, McKinley Whittington, Jimmy Honeycutt, Billie Jean Byrd, and Ethel Dorman.
Tobacco markets were preparing to open for the sale of the local golden leaf. I.A. Beasley’s Garage in Coats had sent greetings to the tobacco friends during the opening of those tobacco markets (Daily Record Aug. 25, 1955). Elsewhere, Ford tractors were being sold for $1,675.00. Baby bream totaling 137,900 were distributed from Lillington to stock county farm ponds. That was enough to stock 80 ponds (Daily Record Aug. 26, 1955). How many was that per pond?
Back in the school, Larry Johnson was elected president of the Student Council; Boyd Clayton, vice president and Jerry Huff, secretary-treasurer. The FHA officers were Sue Ennis, treasurer; Julia Whittington, historian; Jean Ryals, county song leader; Faye Avery, president; Joyce Faye Johnson, vice president; Sue McLean, song leader, and Joy Clayton as parliamentarian. Evadean Ingram was sponsor (The 1956 Echoing Memories).
Have you ever tried to mimic an auctioneer? Lloyd Stephenson, a wartime sergeant in a combat intelligence group, called the “Earthquakers,” came back to a job that was just as tricky. He was an auctioneer for the Big-4 Warehouse. Stephenson’s words came out at a pretty fast clip-even in a conversation---about 400 words came out a minute (Daily Record Aug. 26, 1955).
Wonder if Mr. M.O. Phillips carried his FFA officers to the tobacco markets. I do know that Glenwood Byrd was reporter; Billy Smith, treasurer, Dwight Tripp, secretary; Lacy Langdon, president; Jimmy Honeycutt, vice president; Russell McLean, Sentinel, and Billy Langdon, chaplain (1956 Echoing Memories).
I have many questions. Is this the time when every plant or leaf of tobacco was touched by a human hand? Was this when weeds were picked by hand from the tobacco beds which were actually in most cases in the woods? Is this when the plants were pulled by hand and planted by hand? Is this the time when each leaf was examined for tobacco worms and the time when suckers were pulled from between the leaves by hand? Is this the time when one leaf at a time was pulled and placed by the armful into drags and transported to a barn where once again each leaf was touched to make a bundle to be looped onto a stick for curing and later removed bundle by bundle to be graded leaf by leaf to only be bundled again leaf by leaf to go to the market for sale. The most important question is. Is this the time when the farmer valued every leaf of tobacco so much that one would be scolded if they did not value it as if it was the leaf that would make or break the bank?
Death had found its way to the Coats area. Annie (?) Truelove, 44, of Coats, had died on a Saturday night at Good Hope Hospital. The deceased had been ill several weeks and was the son of Oscar and Janie Faircloth Truelove. He had operated a store and service station. His wife, Mrs. Laverne Beasley Truelove, survived him (Daily Record Aug. 29, 1955).
Around 13,000 students were enrolled in Harnett County Schools in the 1954-55 school year. Doris Gregory was not one of those students. A marriage license was issued to the nineteen year-old Coats girl and Aaron Clinton McLean (Daily Record Aug. 31, 1955).
Several other deaths made the news. George W. Miller, 67, had died at his home in Coats. His funeral services were at Prospect with burial in the church cemetery. Rev. Lester Byrd, Rev. Ralph Byrd, and Rev. R.F. Munns officiated. Mr. Miller was survived by his wife, Mrs. Sara C. Miller; two daughters-Sara Miller and Mrs. David Norris; two sons-Melvin Miller and Luther Miller. Was he kin to the famous Harnett poet and balladeer?
Another death occurred near Angier. A.W. Slaughter, 64, of rural Angier had died at his home on Sunday morning. He was the son of the late B.B. and Lovenetta Gordan Slaughter of Granville County. He was buried in the Angier Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Mrs. Sarah Stephenson Slaughter survived him. Albert Slaughter was a son and Mrs. Lester Lewis was a daughter by a previous marriage (Daily Record Sept. 5, 1955). Wonder if he came to the area because the Granville tobacco wilt?
This I do know. Susie Turlington and Charles Sorrell were winners in the hog show at the Four County Fair for their entries in the junior group of 4-H (Daily Record Sept. 7, 1955).
The Coats Fellowship Club elected new officers for the coming year: Curtis Guy, president; T.O. Beasley, vice president; O.K. Keene, secretary and treasurer.
Paul Johnson, 55, of rural Dunn, near Turlington Crossroads, had died at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Dunn Hospital following a month’s illness. Services were held at Lee’s Grove and burial was in that cemetery. Mr. Johnson had lived his entire life in the community in which he grew up and farmed. He was the son of Oscar and Ida Stewart Johnson. He was survived by his wife, Alda Wood Johnson, six sons-Roy, Clester, Bernice, P.J., Paul, and Hoover Johnson; two daughters –Virginia and Myrtle. Two siblings were of Oxen Hill, Maryland-Richard and Ray and Zeb of Annapolis, Maryland. Does everyone know this family?
For many years, the Coats Museum volunteers have been collecting military history of the Coats area. We have collected over 800 names, pictures, records, videos, and stories. We will publish the stories into a book, “The Defenders of the Red, White and Blue”. We will close out this military collection with our November 14th event.
If you live in the Coats area or your family has connections in this area, the museum volunteers would like to know if you served in the military post-WWII. If so, we would really like for you to participate in the event on the Coats Heritage Square on Saturday, November 14th. From one until two, we will have several stations on the square where all can witness Jerry Tart’s team fold the American flag into thirteen folds forming the popular triangle we see presented to a loved one at a funeral. Each fold has a meaning. Ted Penny has a team that will be in charge of the retiring of a tattered American flag. That ceremony promises to be both educational and emotional. Carolyn Tart will work with a team to show proper etiquette of the displaying and handling of the American flag.
The veterans, active servicemen, and survivors of veterans will be recognized, videoed and presented a personalized, small American flag to place into the soil in front of the Heritage or Cotton Museums. They do not have to say anything unless they want to share stories with others when the outside events move inside the Heritage Museum where there will be “Cake and Conversation”. Forms are available at www.coatsmuseum.com and at the museum on Sundays and Thursdays.
We now have our new brochures which will be placed in visitor centers on Interstate 95, other museums, various senior citizen centers and in churches which have groups that travel to points of interest. The Walmart Community Grant helped pay for the printing of the new brochure. Thank you Coats Walmart for this grant and the one last year that helped us purchase five mannequins to display military uniforms.