September 8, 2017 Coats Museum News
The calendar showed that it was May of 1964. In Coats the readers of the Daily Record read that Cadet Jimmy Willis was a member of the Air Force Reserve officer Training Corps detached at ECC. Jimmy had completed a flight instruction program for future Air Force pilots and had been given a private pilot license. Cadet Willis, son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Willis, was a senior working toward a B.A. in English. A 1960 graduate of Coats High, Jimmy was a member of Phi Sigma Pi fraternity (Daily Record May 18, 1964).
Who was Jimmy Willis? Was he kin to Owen Willis and Manley Willis? Wasn’t Manley Willis a businessman in Coats in the 1930 and 40’s? Who was the father of Sherrill Willis who was killed while serving in the military? Was he a relative of Judge Henry Willis?
This I do know. William Clayborn Norris, 53, of Route 1, Coats, had died on Monday. Rev. David Capps held his funeral services at Hodges Chapel FWB Church. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Delphia Norris His children were Mrs. J.L. Pleasant, Mrs. Fred Williams and Charles Norris. His father was Randall Norris and his stepmother was Mrs. Martha Stewart Norris (Daily Record May 19, 1964).
The seniors of 1964 made their final walk down the halls of Coats High School where they shared in The Echoing Memories their memories of the past 12 years. They had selected Jenda Lee, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lee, and Max Matthews, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Matthews, Sr., as class mascots. The class dedicated their yearbook, Echoing Memories to Mrs. Elaine O’Quinn and H.L. Sorrell, Jr. Sandra Wolf had been picked as the editor and Becky Ennis had served as business manager of that yearbook. Their assistants were Jerry Hargis, Ann Ennis, Linda Ennis, June Powell, C.L. O’Neal, Linda Barefoot, Sandra Thornton, Linda Matthews, Wanda Grimes, Judy Ennis, Judy Denning, and Brenda Coats.
Mike Cook was class president; C.L. O’Neal was vice-president; and Beth Watkins served as secretary. Julia Taylor and Brenda Coats were picked as co-treasurers.
A day of great anticipation was when the class members voted on the class superlatives. It was a day of disappointments for some who never knew that they may have lost by a single vote. In 1964, those who were recognized for special traits were James Williams and Ann Ennis as Beau and Belle; Judy Denning and Jerry Hargis as Most Popular; C.L. O’Neal and Beth Watkins as Most Studious; Mike Cook and Becky Ennis as the Friendliest; Lonnie Dorman and Elizabeth Lee as the Cutest; Mike Cook and Linda Ennis as the Most Talented; Jerry Hargis and Vicky Core as Most Original; Wayne Sorrell and Judy Ennis as Most Dependable, Bruce Williams and Sandra Thornton as Most Courteous; Don Stewart and Beth Watkins as Most Likely to Succeed; Gayle Stewart and Mike Cook as Wittiest; Julia Taylor and C.L. O’Neal as Most Athletic; Brenda Coats and Don Stewart as the Neatest and James Williams and Linda Matthews as Most Dependable (Echoing Memories 1964).
The years of 1963 and 1964 had its lists of queens and sweethearts. Ann Ennis, Debbie Jones, and Bettie Jo Turlington were attendants to Sandra Wolf who had been crowned Miss Coats High. Becky Ennis had won the votes of the FFA boys to be named the FFA Sweetheart and she had received a white corduroy jacket tribute from the organization. The students picked Charlotte Tart as the Homecoming Queen. Quite an honor for a sophomore, would you say?
A group of students with good study habits saw it had paid off when they were announced as the class marshals for the1963 graduation ceremonies. Those who served at all three graduation activities were Chief Marshal Beth Watkins, Sandra Wolf, Linda Ruth Barefoot, Sue Turlington, Larry Tadlock, Sandra Flowers, and Marcia Dorman.
Attending sports games was one of the activities available for high school students to show their school spirit. In the rural areas, many could not participate in spring sports because of farm chores. Hence in winter when there were fewer jobs on the farm to be done by the teens, many were able to play on the basketball teams. This might not have been the case with these Coats athletes who were on the Coats basketball team in 1963-64. Coach Tallie Dupree had C.L. O’Neal and Larry Byrd to serve as captains while the starting lineup was composed of C.L. O’Neal, Larry Byrd, Sammy Pope, Don Stewart, Howard Penny and Keith Parrish. The team had seventeen scheduled games. Tallie Dupree also coached the girls team which had as its captains Sandra Ennis and Sandra Flowers. Betty Avery and Beverly Langdon were also in the starting lineup. Who was the sixth player? Who cheered these teams on? According to the year book of 1964, Chief Sandra Wolf, Cathy Peede, Teresa Byrd, Joy Bowden, June Powell, Debbie Jones, Hope Stewart, Carol Franklin, Shelia Dupree, and Vickie Stewart were among those spirited cheerleaders. Question—was it Gwen or Glenda Flowers who was also a cheerleader?
The FFA continued to be an organization that developed skills in young men. Jimmy Gregory was president of the organization and Gary Denning was the vice-president. Joseph Turlington was secretary; Frank Turlington, treasurer; Wayne Sorrell reporter; Howard Penny, chaplain; Murray Phillips and Kenneth Davis, sentinels and Mike Coats, parliamentarian were the other FFA officers. M.O. Phillips was advisor.
Their sister organization, the Future Homemakers of America (FHA) had as its advisor, Faye Sauls. Ann Ennis was president and Sandra Flowers was vice president. Hope Stewart was secretary; Linda Ennis, treasurer, Jo Ann Ivey, historian; Betty Avery, song leader and Shelia Dupree was county recreational leader.
Who were the graduates of Coats High School in 1964? The Echoing Memories 1964 listed the following as being graduates: Betty Gray Avery, Ronald Earl Allen, Cynthia Barbour, Barbara Barefoot, Doris Byrd, Brenda Coats, Vicky Core, Michael Cook, Judith Denning, Lonnie Dorman, Ann Ennis, Becky Ennis, Judy Ennis, Linda Ennis, Margaret “Peggie” Moore Fish, Jimmy Gregory, Wanda Stone Grimes, Jerry Hargis, Mary Harmon, Sue Carol Johnson, Elizabeth Lee, Suzann McLeod, Lewis Norris, Carlie L. O’Neal, Wayne Sorrell, Brenda F. Stephenson, Donald Ray Stewart, Gayle Stewart, Diane Stone, Barbara Strickland, Larry Tadlock, Margie Tart, Julia Taylor, Sandra Thornton, Bessie M. Watkins, Linda C. Weaver, Bruce Williams, James E. Williams, and Sandra G. Wolf.
The news reported that Mr. and Mrs. Larry Voight Williams had made their home in Indianapolis, Indiana following their honeymoon. Mrs. Ida Sue Neighbors was daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Neighbors of Dunn and Larry was a 1961 Coats High graduate and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonnie Williams of Coats (Daily Record June 1, 1964).
Linda Barefoot, a rising senior at Coats, was presented the Math and History Awards for outstanding work in each class. Other 1964 Marshals were Sandra Flowers, Edna Collier, Marcia Dorman, Mike Coats, Darlene Stevens, and Garry Williams (Daily Record June 2, 1964).
The paper shared that Ann Ennis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bronnie Ennis, was first runner-up in the Miss Coats High contest, Miss Congeniality and president of the FHA. Her talent was cooking and sewing (Daily Record June18, 1964.
Weddings were in the June news. The Home Economics teacher at Coats was married at Antioch Baptist Church. Miss Faye Elizabeth Sauls married James Leonard Clark (Daily Record June 25, 1964).
Another Coats couple said wedding vows at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. Miss Linda Carol Ennis and William Kimbrough, Jr. were attended by John Alvis Ennis, Jr. and his wife Kathy Dorman (Daily Record June 29, 1964).
In our Cotton Museum there is a bale of cotton baled at the Turlington Gin at Turlington Crossroads. Several years ago James Lee and his son, Jimmy Lee, gave it to the museum and even brought it up and helped place it in the museum. James shared that he thought students at Coats had helped pick probably over 1200 pounds of cotton to make that ginned bale. The volunteers of the museum were saddened to share that James died last week. We all are appreciative of the Lee family and their other contributions to the museum. Thank you, H.L. Sorrell for honoring James’s friendship with a memorial to the Coats Museum Endowment. Berlon Parrish who was a veteran of WWII, a former Coats High graduate and a Johnston County farm neighbor also died last week. Thank you goes H.L. Sorrell for remembering Mr. Parrish with the endowment donation.
Those of you who know Jutta Turlington know that she has an effervescent personality. She lights up the Research Library when she drops by items. This week’s visit was no different when she honored her son Alex Turlington for serving in the military and remembered her husband Kenneth Turlington for his many years in military service. Thank you.
The calendar showed that it was May of 1964. In Coats the readers of the Daily Record read that Cadet Jimmy Willis was a member of the Air Force Reserve officer Training Corps detached at ECC. Jimmy had completed a flight instruction program for future Air Force pilots and had been given a private pilot license. Cadet Willis, son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Willis, was a senior working toward a B.A. in English. A 1960 graduate of Coats High, Jimmy was a member of Phi Sigma Pi fraternity (Daily Record May 18, 1964).
Who was Jimmy Willis? Was he kin to Owen Willis and Manley Willis? Wasn’t Manley Willis a businessman in Coats in the 1930 and 40’s? Who was the father of Sherrill Willis who was killed while serving in the military? Was he a relative of Judge Henry Willis?
This I do know. William Clayborn Norris, 53, of Route 1, Coats, had died on Monday. Rev. David Capps held his funeral services at Hodges Chapel FWB Church. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Delphia Norris His children were Mrs. J.L. Pleasant, Mrs. Fred Williams and Charles Norris. His father was Randall Norris and his stepmother was Mrs. Martha Stewart Norris (Daily Record May 19, 1964).
The seniors of 1964 made their final walk down the halls of Coats High School where they shared in The Echoing Memories their memories of the past 12 years. They had selected Jenda Lee, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lee, and Max Matthews, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Matthews, Sr., as class mascots. The class dedicated their yearbook, Echoing Memories to Mrs. Elaine O’Quinn and H.L. Sorrell, Jr. Sandra Wolf had been picked as the editor and Becky Ennis had served as business manager of that yearbook. Their assistants were Jerry Hargis, Ann Ennis, Linda Ennis, June Powell, C.L. O’Neal, Linda Barefoot, Sandra Thornton, Linda Matthews, Wanda Grimes, Judy Ennis, Judy Denning, and Brenda Coats.
Mike Cook was class president; C.L. O’Neal was vice-president; and Beth Watkins served as secretary. Julia Taylor and Brenda Coats were picked as co-treasurers.
A day of great anticipation was when the class members voted on the class superlatives. It was a day of disappointments for some who never knew that they may have lost by a single vote. In 1964, those who were recognized for special traits were James Williams and Ann Ennis as Beau and Belle; Judy Denning and Jerry Hargis as Most Popular; C.L. O’Neal and Beth Watkins as Most Studious; Mike Cook and Becky Ennis as the Friendliest; Lonnie Dorman and Elizabeth Lee as the Cutest; Mike Cook and Linda Ennis as the Most Talented; Jerry Hargis and Vicky Core as Most Original; Wayne Sorrell and Judy Ennis as Most Dependable, Bruce Williams and Sandra Thornton as Most Courteous; Don Stewart and Beth Watkins as Most Likely to Succeed; Gayle Stewart and Mike Cook as Wittiest; Julia Taylor and C.L. O’Neal as Most Athletic; Brenda Coats and Don Stewart as the Neatest and James Williams and Linda Matthews as Most Dependable (Echoing Memories 1964).
The years of 1963 and 1964 had its lists of queens and sweethearts. Ann Ennis, Debbie Jones, and Bettie Jo Turlington were attendants to Sandra Wolf who had been crowned Miss Coats High. Becky Ennis had won the votes of the FFA boys to be named the FFA Sweetheart and she had received a white corduroy jacket tribute from the organization. The students picked Charlotte Tart as the Homecoming Queen. Quite an honor for a sophomore, would you say?
A group of students with good study habits saw it had paid off when they were announced as the class marshals for the1963 graduation ceremonies. Those who served at all three graduation activities were Chief Marshal Beth Watkins, Sandra Wolf, Linda Ruth Barefoot, Sue Turlington, Larry Tadlock, Sandra Flowers, and Marcia Dorman.
Attending sports games was one of the activities available for high school students to show their school spirit. In the rural areas, many could not participate in spring sports because of farm chores. Hence in winter when there were fewer jobs on the farm to be done by the teens, many were able to play on the basketball teams. This might not have been the case with these Coats athletes who were on the Coats basketball team in 1963-64. Coach Tallie Dupree had C.L. O’Neal and Larry Byrd to serve as captains while the starting lineup was composed of C.L. O’Neal, Larry Byrd, Sammy Pope, Don Stewart, Howard Penny and Keith Parrish. The team had seventeen scheduled games. Tallie Dupree also coached the girls team which had as its captains Sandra Ennis and Sandra Flowers. Betty Avery and Beverly Langdon were also in the starting lineup. Who was the sixth player? Who cheered these teams on? According to the year book of 1964, Chief Sandra Wolf, Cathy Peede, Teresa Byrd, Joy Bowden, June Powell, Debbie Jones, Hope Stewart, Carol Franklin, Shelia Dupree, and Vickie Stewart were among those spirited cheerleaders. Question—was it Gwen or Glenda Flowers who was also a cheerleader?
The FFA continued to be an organization that developed skills in young men. Jimmy Gregory was president of the organization and Gary Denning was the vice-president. Joseph Turlington was secretary; Frank Turlington, treasurer; Wayne Sorrell reporter; Howard Penny, chaplain; Murray Phillips and Kenneth Davis, sentinels and Mike Coats, parliamentarian were the other FFA officers. M.O. Phillips was advisor.
Their sister organization, the Future Homemakers of America (FHA) had as its advisor, Faye Sauls. Ann Ennis was president and Sandra Flowers was vice president. Hope Stewart was secretary; Linda Ennis, treasurer, Jo Ann Ivey, historian; Betty Avery, song leader and Shelia Dupree was county recreational leader.
Who were the graduates of Coats High School in 1964? The Echoing Memories 1964 listed the following as being graduates: Betty Gray Avery, Ronald Earl Allen, Cynthia Barbour, Barbara Barefoot, Doris Byrd, Brenda Coats, Vicky Core, Michael Cook, Judith Denning, Lonnie Dorman, Ann Ennis, Becky Ennis, Judy Ennis, Linda Ennis, Margaret “Peggie” Moore Fish, Jimmy Gregory, Wanda Stone Grimes, Jerry Hargis, Mary Harmon, Sue Carol Johnson, Elizabeth Lee, Suzann McLeod, Lewis Norris, Carlie L. O’Neal, Wayne Sorrell, Brenda F. Stephenson, Donald Ray Stewart, Gayle Stewart, Diane Stone, Barbara Strickland, Larry Tadlock, Margie Tart, Julia Taylor, Sandra Thornton, Bessie M. Watkins, Linda C. Weaver, Bruce Williams, James E. Williams, and Sandra G. Wolf.
The news reported that Mr. and Mrs. Larry Voight Williams had made their home in Indianapolis, Indiana following their honeymoon. Mrs. Ida Sue Neighbors was daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Neighbors of Dunn and Larry was a 1961 Coats High graduate and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonnie Williams of Coats (Daily Record June 1, 1964).
Linda Barefoot, a rising senior at Coats, was presented the Math and History Awards for outstanding work in each class. Other 1964 Marshals were Sandra Flowers, Edna Collier, Marcia Dorman, Mike Coats, Darlene Stevens, and Garry Williams (Daily Record June 2, 1964).
The paper shared that Ann Ennis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bronnie Ennis, was first runner-up in the Miss Coats High contest, Miss Congeniality and president of the FHA. Her talent was cooking and sewing (Daily Record June18, 1964.
Weddings were in the June news. The Home Economics teacher at Coats was married at Antioch Baptist Church. Miss Faye Elizabeth Sauls married James Leonard Clark (Daily Record June 25, 1964).
Another Coats couple said wedding vows at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. Miss Linda Carol Ennis and William Kimbrough, Jr. were attended by John Alvis Ennis, Jr. and his wife Kathy Dorman (Daily Record June 29, 1964).
In our Cotton Museum there is a bale of cotton baled at the Turlington Gin at Turlington Crossroads. Several years ago James Lee and his son, Jimmy Lee, gave it to the museum and even brought it up and helped place it in the museum. James shared that he thought students at Coats had helped pick probably over 1200 pounds of cotton to make that ginned bale. The volunteers of the museum were saddened to share that James died last week. We all are appreciative of the Lee family and their other contributions to the museum. Thank you, H.L. Sorrell for honoring James’s friendship with a memorial to the Coats Museum Endowment. Berlon Parrish who was a veteran of WWII, a former Coats High graduate and a Johnston County farm neighbor also died last week. Thank you goes H.L. Sorrell for remembering Mr. Parrish with the endowment donation.
Those of you who know Jutta Turlington know that she has an effervescent personality. She lights up the Research Library when she drops by items. This week’s visit was no different when she honored her son Alex Turlington for serving in the military and remembered her husband Kenneth Turlington for his many years in military service. Thank you.