September 5, 2025 Coats Museum News
Isn’t it amazing how a name can bring back memories of a simpler time when distances seemed so much more distant than they do today? Were my legs really that much shorter and cars and planes really slower? There is the memory of begging Mom to allow my older sister Joyce and younger brother Stacey to go play with our neighbors up the hill on Sunday afternoons. Of course I grew up when Moms replied, “Go ask your Dad.”
How aware I became of how times have changed a few weeks ago when my son Bryan and grandson Austin came from Virginia Beach before Austin heads off to Williams College in Massachusetts. I thought that is far away for seventeen year old Austin who spoke of already applying to study abroad. “Abroad?” I thought I was going out of the country when we played Boone Trail and Anderson Creek in high school basketball or going up the hill to play with our neighbors the Pope children.
Wiley Godwin and Susan Jenkins are two names that appeared in the December 28, 1995 Daily Record. Each name tickled my brain and brought back those “memories”. I never knew or saw Wiley Godwin but apparently my dad did. I heard him speak of the man with high regard. If I could walk through the woods, if there was not a big deep forest with branches of water, I would be near where Wiley Godwin’s house is located. I want to think he moved to another state and came back to Harnett because his son Don Godwin did not attend school with us. For some reason Wiley had earned the respect of my dad.
The second name in that same edition that I do know was Susan Jenkins. Susan was the Speech Therapist at several of our schools and a remarkable one she was. Bryan was our dare devil child even before he could barely walk. He had to experience danger in order for it not to be repeated. Once his baby teeth had come in he had the most charming smile that was until he fell and knocked out his two front top ones. A call to the dentist assured us that he would be fine but for ME to take two aspirins.
However, the absence of the two top teeth somewhat impaired his speech development and often showed the cruelty of older people who somewhat mocked his speech. We decided to take him to a special clinic in Fayetteville to be tested where they noted that he indeed was a very bright young boy. He was fitted with a removable dental plate and they suggested we have him tutored by a speech therapist before entering kindergarten.
I was a stay at home mom while H.L. worked several jobs to keep us afloat so a daily trip to Fayetteville with two kids under five was more than H.L wanted me to do so he reached out and was told about Susan Jenkins who lived in Coats at that time. Without hesitation she agreed to take Bryan as a student and she worked miracles with him and we are forever indebted to her.
Belle had extended sympathy to the families of Wiley Godwin and Susan Jenkins. In the same edition of the Daily Record, it had recorded exciting news for the Gerald Hayes, Jr. family. They had announced the engagement of their daughter, Allison Reid Hayes, to Christopher Ryan Taylor of rural Erwin. Allison was a graduate of Triton and 1995 graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. Her fiancé was also a Triton graduate and a 1995 graduate of Campbell University (Daily Record Dec. 28, 1995).
The last edition of the Daily Record that we researched for our Heritage of Coats, N.C. centennial book was the Dec. 29, 1995 edition and in that copy it shared the names of many Grove area students who had shown academic achievement and involvement in community activities. Those whose names appeared in the 1994-95 29th Edition of the Who’s Who Among High School Students were Jeffrey Allen, Yvonne Bennett, Drusilla Coats, Tammy Denton, Amy Gregory, Adraine Jernigan, La Rae McLamb, Kristie Parker, Jamie Penny, David Pope, Rebecca Ann Raynor, Lisa Strickland, Brian Tew, Kristy Williams, Alicia Barfield, Brad Butler, Lindy Denning, Melissa Ennis, Christie Herring, Beatrice Johnson, Angie McLeod, Amanda Penny, Amy Pleasant, Macy Raines, Jennifer Robinson, Jennifer Tart and Nicole Turlington.
Fast forwarding to 2025, one can find that the publication was spot on in the recognition of these high scholars for they truly have proven that they were worthy of the honor.
Does it seem possible that many of you have been following the Coats Museum News column for 16 years? I have pondered for weeks on how to say farewell. It is best stated simply: thank you to the folks at the Daily Record who have been amazing; thank you readers for taking time to revisit the past happenings in the Coats Grove area; thank you for sharing your memories of growing up in the area; thank you for coming on board and supporting the Coats Museum with priceless items for display and financial support to help maintain and grow the museums; thank you for visiting the museum with family, friends and classmates; thank you for sharing your military records, school and club memorabilia, your family pictures and genealogies for our Research Room. You are the Coats Museum. Please continue to help it grow.
Over the years, several people have said to me, “I bet they pay you well to write that long Coats Museum News column.” Folks, no money came my way-only the opportunity to share Coats heritage and to witness the generosity of people as they have come on board to financially support the museum. For example, the latest memorial donors are Marie and Stephanie Salmon and me for memorializing our former co-worker Julie Wilkie; Ralph and Lorena Denning for remembering Andy Joyner and Randy and Rhonda Stephenson, Peggy Robinson, Hilda Pope and me for remembering Stacy Avery. The CHS Class of 1962 has memorialized classmate Linda Gregory Weeks. Thanks to all.
The journey on my paper canoe has docked but possibly one day someone else will take you on a journey on their paper canoe into your Coats area heritage from 1996 to 2025.
Isn’t it amazing how a name can bring back memories of a simpler time when distances seemed so much more distant than they do today? Were my legs really that much shorter and cars and planes really slower? There is the memory of begging Mom to allow my older sister Joyce and younger brother Stacey to go play with our neighbors up the hill on Sunday afternoons. Of course I grew up when Moms replied, “Go ask your Dad.”
How aware I became of how times have changed a few weeks ago when my son Bryan and grandson Austin came from Virginia Beach before Austin heads off to Williams College in Massachusetts. I thought that is far away for seventeen year old Austin who spoke of already applying to study abroad. “Abroad?” I thought I was going out of the country when we played Boone Trail and Anderson Creek in high school basketball or going up the hill to play with our neighbors the Pope children.
Wiley Godwin and Susan Jenkins are two names that appeared in the December 28, 1995 Daily Record. Each name tickled my brain and brought back those “memories”. I never knew or saw Wiley Godwin but apparently my dad did. I heard him speak of the man with high regard. If I could walk through the woods, if there was not a big deep forest with branches of water, I would be near where Wiley Godwin’s house is located. I want to think he moved to another state and came back to Harnett because his son Don Godwin did not attend school with us. For some reason Wiley had earned the respect of my dad.
The second name in that same edition that I do know was Susan Jenkins. Susan was the Speech Therapist at several of our schools and a remarkable one she was. Bryan was our dare devil child even before he could barely walk. He had to experience danger in order for it not to be repeated. Once his baby teeth had come in he had the most charming smile that was until he fell and knocked out his two front top ones. A call to the dentist assured us that he would be fine but for ME to take two aspirins.
However, the absence of the two top teeth somewhat impaired his speech development and often showed the cruelty of older people who somewhat mocked his speech. We decided to take him to a special clinic in Fayetteville to be tested where they noted that he indeed was a very bright young boy. He was fitted with a removable dental plate and they suggested we have him tutored by a speech therapist before entering kindergarten.
I was a stay at home mom while H.L. worked several jobs to keep us afloat so a daily trip to Fayetteville with two kids under five was more than H.L wanted me to do so he reached out and was told about Susan Jenkins who lived in Coats at that time. Without hesitation she agreed to take Bryan as a student and she worked miracles with him and we are forever indebted to her.
Belle had extended sympathy to the families of Wiley Godwin and Susan Jenkins. In the same edition of the Daily Record, it had recorded exciting news for the Gerald Hayes, Jr. family. They had announced the engagement of their daughter, Allison Reid Hayes, to Christopher Ryan Taylor of rural Erwin. Allison was a graduate of Triton and 1995 graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. Her fiancé was also a Triton graduate and a 1995 graduate of Campbell University (Daily Record Dec. 28, 1995).
The last edition of the Daily Record that we researched for our Heritage of Coats, N.C. centennial book was the Dec. 29, 1995 edition and in that copy it shared the names of many Grove area students who had shown academic achievement and involvement in community activities. Those whose names appeared in the 1994-95 29th Edition of the Who’s Who Among High School Students were Jeffrey Allen, Yvonne Bennett, Drusilla Coats, Tammy Denton, Amy Gregory, Adraine Jernigan, La Rae McLamb, Kristie Parker, Jamie Penny, David Pope, Rebecca Ann Raynor, Lisa Strickland, Brian Tew, Kristy Williams, Alicia Barfield, Brad Butler, Lindy Denning, Melissa Ennis, Christie Herring, Beatrice Johnson, Angie McLeod, Amanda Penny, Amy Pleasant, Macy Raines, Jennifer Robinson, Jennifer Tart and Nicole Turlington.
Fast forwarding to 2025, one can find that the publication was spot on in the recognition of these high scholars for they truly have proven that they were worthy of the honor.
Does it seem possible that many of you have been following the Coats Museum News column for 16 years? I have pondered for weeks on how to say farewell. It is best stated simply: thank you to the folks at the Daily Record who have been amazing; thank you readers for taking time to revisit the past happenings in the Coats Grove area; thank you for sharing your memories of growing up in the area; thank you for coming on board and supporting the Coats Museum with priceless items for display and financial support to help maintain and grow the museums; thank you for visiting the museum with family, friends and classmates; thank you for sharing your military records, school and club memorabilia, your family pictures and genealogies for our Research Room. You are the Coats Museum. Please continue to help it grow.
Over the years, several people have said to me, “I bet they pay you well to write that long Coats Museum News column.” Folks, no money came my way-only the opportunity to share Coats heritage and to witness the generosity of people as they have come on board to financially support the museum. For example, the latest memorial donors are Marie and Stephanie Salmon and me for memorializing our former co-worker Julie Wilkie; Ralph and Lorena Denning for remembering Andy Joyner and Randy and Rhonda Stephenson, Peggy Robinson, Hilda Pope and me for remembering Stacy Avery. The CHS Class of 1962 has memorialized classmate Linda Gregory Weeks. Thanks to all.
The journey on my paper canoe has docked but possibly one day someone else will take you on a journey on their paper canoe into your Coats area heritage from 1996 to 2025.