Family Histories
Cochran County, Texas
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COATS
Jim Coats, son of Olin B. (Fats) and Margie Coats grew up five and one halfe miles north and east of Morton. Jim has an older sister, Peggy and a younger brother, Alfred. They lived in a tent
behind the Thrunman Smith's. Royce Smith used to bite Jim's toes when he was in a high chair. He went through school at Morton. He played football and did the normal activities such as playing in the band, racing cars,
chasing girls and working in the meat market at Piggly Wiggly, and the Tom Arnn Pontiac house while still in school. In his senior year he joined the Air Force on January of 1951 and stationed in Selma, Alabama, Cheyenne Wyoming,
and Anchorage, Alaska. He married his "High School Sweetheart," Jessie Nell Brown and to them were born four children; Ricky, Chalease, Mark, and Kerri.
Nell Brown, was the youngest of Tom G. Brown's eleven children. The Tom G. Brown's moved to Cochran County in 1936. My dad never introduced me to anyone as his youngest daughter. I was always "This is the caboose."
I went to Morton's school where I was involved in 4-H Club, pep squad, band, choir, and played basketball. I was a cheerleader for one year, a majorette for two years and drum major for one year.
My first recollections of school were of Evelyn Culpepper, Martha Wood, and Mary Lee Smith. They werw about a head taller than the rest of the class. In the second grade, Dewayne Burke got his leg broken on the merry-go-round
at school. It really made an impression on all of us.
After completing my required credits at mid-term, I married Jim Coats and graduated with my class in May. As Jim Coats was coming for my graduation from Alabama, there was a tornado in Olney, Texas. The only two people
killed were his grandparents.
After serving three years in the Air Force, we came back to Morton whwere Jim was employed by Allsup Cheverolt. He then tried the oil fields for a while, but later went to California in search of greener pastures. We decided that California
was not where we wanted to rear our children. We had one son, Ricky, and were expecting our child when we started back to Cochran County. We traveled with another couple that had three children. We were pulling a trailer
that had a spare that had a spare that would fit our friend's car if they needed it. Between the two couples and four and one half kids, we probably had fifty or sixty dollars to make the trip from California to Cochran County.
Jim farmed a year with Mr. Brown and then the friends that came with us from California had still greener pastures in Bryan, texas. Jim began to pursue his career in the car business. As we said, in high school he
loved to race cars - he is still involved in the car buisness.
We raised our children mostly around Lubbock. Ricky married Linda Womack and they live in Levelland. He, like his father, is in the car business. Chalease married Roy Davis of Graham (Possum Kingdom Lake) and they have one son,
Dustin. Mark married Kathy Thomas and they have two children, Joshua and Krystal. They live in Lubbock and Mark is also in the car business. Kerri has attended Texas Tech, been a model, and won the titles of Miss Lubbock, and third runner-up of Miss
Texas. She is now pursuing a career in modeling and commercials.
All of our family has been blessed so very much.
Submitted by Nell Brown Coats.
This family history came from Cochran County Legacy Vol. II Copyright Cochran County Historical Commission. Published with permission. The information contained on this page may not be reproduced or published elsewhere without the express written permission of the Cochran County Historical Commission
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