Pantego Museum

09/05/2026

07/29/2026

Pantego Academy Historical Museum Association, Inc.
46 Academy Street, Pantego, North Carolina
Membership Minutes, Newsletter
Face Book – Pantego Museum

July 20, 2026

To contact a member to make an appointment other than our regular hours call

252-943-2034 or 252-935-5080

The meeting was called to order by Vice President Chester Smith due to the absence of the president. He had prayer and led us in the pledge to our flag.

Members present were: Durwood Respass, Phrocene Allen, Sylvia Wallace, Chester Smith, Martha Baynor and Wanda Ruark.

Wanda read minutes of last meeting. They were approved as read.
Martha gave treasurer’s report. This was also approved as read.
Chester has checked with DOT as to what size tile will be needed to put in the ditch as we would like to made it possible to have a driveway to use to turn in from highway 99. It was suggested to put in a 30-foot tile. This would make it wide enough for turning in from either direction. The cost would be around $525 for the tile. Chester has contacted someone to do the work. The next step is to
get permission from the land owner. This is another project we are doing to help make it easier for our visitors as there is only one way to get to the building and it is hard to get turned around to go back out. This is seen every time we have a fundraiser. We will have signs showing you can “drive through”. It will be so helpful if
we can make this happen. These are the things we do with your donations and support of our fundraisers. We thank you for all your help. More on this project as we move forward.

We received a donation in memory of Ted H. Waters, member of class of 1959 from Jimmy and Anna Windley. His name will be put on our “In Memory of” board that is on display for all to see. The Academy would like to thank them for this donation. This is a good way for someone to be remembered and your donation helps with the work we are trying to do to keep the Academy open.

Martha made a motion to adjourn. Sylvia seconded. All were in favor.

Phrocene treated us to a very good cake with good lemon filling and delicious topping. It was a teat as all her desserts are. She is so good to us, and we can’t thank her enough.

On a side note: as we were leaving a young man came by and asked if we were open. He read the sign that said “open on Saturday and Sunday, but saw all the cars and decided to stop. He said he liked old buildings and “old stuff”. Martha took him on a tour. I think he wanted one of our “Pantego Warrior” license
plates. I wonder how he liked the “player piano”.

Dianne Bowen, President
Chester Smith, Vice President
Wanda Ruark, Secretary
Martha Baynor, Treasurer

06/19/2026

Pantego Academy Historical Museum Association, Inc.
46 Academy Street, Pantego, North Carolina
Membership Minutes, Newsletter
Face Book – Pantego Museum

June 15, 2026

To contact a member to make an appointment other than our regular hours call 252-943-2034 or 252-935-5080

Our June meeting was called to order by our President Dianne Bowen. She asked Chester Smith to have prayer and our pledge to our flag.

We had a very nice attendance with members present: Dianne Bowen, Phrocene Allen, Chester Smith, Mark Woolard, Durwood Respess, Sylvia Wallace, Russell Tyson, Janice Tyson, Debbie Donnelly, Martha Baynor, Wayne and Renda Allen.
Our guests were Terry and Michelle Dean, friends of Wayne and Renda.

Martha read the minutes of last meeting in the absence of our secretary. They were approved as read.

Martha gave the treasurer’s report. They were approved also.

There was a discussion on the bridge over from highway 99. Chester is to get the information of whom we need to get to do it for us and the price of the project. We feel making a drive way from highway 99 would be a great advantage for our visitors and also for our fund raisers.

Dianne had copies of the Belhaven Visitors Guide. It has a beautiful page of the Museum’s information and we hope that it will bring us lots of visitors. We thank our president for all her help in getting this done for us.

Belhaven Museum is now open to the public. It has been closed for a long time. There was damage done by leaking and it has now been repaired and cleaned. They are also working of getting an elevator put in for easy access. We wish them much success.

Being no further business the meeting was adjourned.

Phrocene had one of her specialties today, her snicker bar cake, and there was not a piece left. Thank you again, Phrocene for one of our favorites.


Dianne Bowen, President
Chester Smith, Vice President
Wanda Ruark, Secretary
Martha Baynor, Treasurer

04/11/2026

A picture perfect day for our Easter Saturday Shrimp Dinner. Keyzer Catering served delicious plates followed by Chester Smith's homemade peach ice cream. We thank you all for coming.
We especially thank all who have donated to enable us to repair and paint this grand old lady. She is one of a kind and our members and donors have truly blessed us with the resources to be able to keep her "healthy". May God bless you all.

03/25/2026

Pantego Academy Historical Museum Association, Inc.
46 Academy Street, Pantego, North Carolina
Membership Minutes, Newsletter
Face Book – Pantego Museum
March 16, 2026

To contact a member: 252-943-2034 or 252-935-5080

Our Vice President, Chester Smith called the meeting to order due to absence of the president. He also had prayer and led us in the pledge to our flag.

Members present: Martha Baynor, Russell Tyson, Janice Tyson, Debbie Donnelly, Phrocene Allen, Chester Smith Durwood Respass, Sylvia Wallace, Wanda Ruark and Mark Woolard.

Wanda read minutes of last meeting. Phrocene made motion to accept. Durwood seconded. All were in favor. Martha gave treasurer’s report. This was approved.

Old business was report on the flag pole light. Mark is taking care of this with the help of one of his friends. More on this as project is completed.

Good news as far as some old business is concerned. This building has been repaired and preserved and looks like new except for the east side. Our contractor has done a good job of working with us to do this as our money allowed us to do. We would not have been able to do this without those of you who support us in giving your donations and attending our fund raisers.

Speaking of fund raisers – Saturday, April 4 th from 11 to 1, or sold out, is our “Spring fund raiser.” We will have shrimp plates again as everyone seemed pleased with them at our fall fund raiser. The plates are $15.00. Keyzer Catering will be cooking on site like he has done in the past. You may eat in or take out. We will be offering a service this year we haven’t done before. If you need assistance, someone will be able to take your order and take your plates to you. We know it can be difficult to find parking, get out, place order etc. We hope this service will be of help if you need it. This does not mean that we don’t want you to come “sit a spell” and visit with your friends or neighbors if you want to. Chester plans to make his delicious “homemade” ice cream. He wasn’t able to attend last year and his “special” ice cream was missed.

Sylvia and Martha have been doing a good job of cleaning our meeting area and we thank them for it. There are a lot of things that need dusting and “straightening up”. Can you imagine trying to keep all the exhibits on display “dust free”. We had some discussion on having a cleaning service come in and
clean from “top to bottom”. Durwood made motion to have this done. Phrocene seconded. All were in favor. Martha is to check on this.

The family of the late Virginia Dare Respess Hollowell has donated the genealogy information she had compiled through the years on her families. This information is on shelves for anyone interested in genealogy, you can use it for research. Ms. Virginia and her husband, Frank, we active members of the Museum for many
years. We thank her family for sharing her research with the museum.

Martha made motion to adjourn. Mark seconded. All were in favor.
Phrocene treated us with a new dessert today. As she said, “I’ve never made this one before, I don’t know how it’s going to taste.” (side note) she has never made any thing that wasn’t delicious!) This was cake with the best lemon filling and the best icing. I don’t know if she told us the name of it. We were to busy “trying it
out”, and it was so good. We will want her to fix it again. Many thanks to her for treating us each month.

REMINDER: Shrimp plates, Saturday, April 4 th , 11 to 1 or until sold out. Please come join us.

Dianne Bowen, President
Chester Smith, Vice President
Wanda Ruark, Secretary
Martha Baynor, Treasurer

03/05/2026

USS North Carolina tear jerker

03/03/2026

Pantego Academy Historical Museum Association, Inc.
46 Academy Street, Pantego, North Carolina
Membership Minutes, Newsletter
Face Book – Pantego Museum
February 16, 2026

To contact a member: 252-943-2034 or 252-935-5080

Dianne Bowen, our President, called the meeting to order asking Chester Smith to have prayer and lead is in the pledge to our flag.
Those in attendance are: Phrocene Allen, Durwood Respess, Sylvia Wallace, Chester Smith, Martha Baynor, Debbie Donnelly, Janice Tyson and Russell Tyson.

Dianne read the January minutes/newsletter in the absence of our secretary. They were approved as read. Martha read the treasurer’s report and the profit and loss statement. And they were approved.

Old business was our work on the building. Our contractor was contacted and he assured us the he would begin work just as soon as the weather got so he could start.

Martha brought up that ten of our January minutes had been returned, unable to deliver. She stated that they were mailed just as we have been mailing them for years. She took them back to the post office and they could not explain why they were returned. The postmistress said she could remove the yellow strip and mark
out the bar codes on front and back and see if they would be delivered this time. She could not understand either why they had come back. So we hope that you will get them soon.

We will discuss the light for the flag at our next meeting since Mark was unable to attend today.

New business: We discussed our spring fundraiser. It was decided that we would have shrimp like we did in the Fall. It went so much better than fish. It is scheduled for the Saturday before Easter, which will be April 4 th , from 11 to 1 or until sold out. We will try our best to do better not to sell out. But come early so
you won’t miss out.

We thank everyone who has paid their membership for 2026. Your faithfulness to keep remembering us means more than we can say.

God bless each of you for your generosity. We really need some new members. If you could see fit, to come and enjoy the people you would meet that come to see our museum and see the history that we are trying to preserve, it would be worth your while. Meeting every third Monday at 1:00pm.

Motion was made to adjourn. Chester made the motion and Debbie seconded and all were in favor. Phrocene served a very delicious candy bar cake that was enjoyed by all. We thank her for this treat each month. It worth coming to the meetings just to get
her dessert.

Dianne Bowen, President
Chester Smith, Vice President
Wanda Ruark, Secretary
Martha Baynor, Treasurer