BANKS
In Memoriam Karen Garrett Terrell
Winter—Spring 2010 1824 Listed among the items in Ralph Banks’ personal property inventory was a still. Ralph distilled his own brandy — peach being his favorite — and was fond of a cup poured from a decanter he kept on the sideboard in the dining room. Bishop Asbury, who frequented Coldwater Plantation on his visits to Georgia, was known to enjoy a cup of brandy after having supper with Ralph and Rachael Banks. Fast forward to the year 1908 . . .
William Groves and Ethel McClain Banks Truitt Banks, Laurens, SC Having been taught in a two-room school house, Groves Banks, 19, realized that to qualify for the better jobs, better education was a must—Rural schools across Georgia at the turn of the 20th century did not reach beyond the seventh grade. Additional education, if a student sought such, required tuition,— and tuition was something his father, Thomas Marion, did not have. So Groves set out to earn, and save the money he needed to attend a boarding school in Tallulah Falls, near Toccoa. Along with his brother, John AlGroves and Ethel Banks P.2 len, they built their own house and operby Truitt Banks ated their own still. Thomas Marion had strongly objected and had the two brothIn Memoriam P.3 ers move out—and they began distilling Inside this issue: Karen Garrett Terrell fruit for brandy and corn for liquor. It didn’t take long. With the profits they Banks Family Tree P.3 News & Announcements earned from their distillery they were able to pay their tuition and finish their education. But success didn’t come without An Event I Loved More Than cost. William Groves Banks and John AlChristmas P.4 by Ed Banks len Banks had allowed themselves to be cast as disreputable. Martha—Groves’ sister—attended the P.4 Got Scoop? same school a year later and Martha’s roommate happened to be Ethel McClain. INSERT-STORY She introduced Groves to Ethel and they I Our Own Band of Brothers began dating. Ethel’s father, however, did not approve of Groves because his reputation had by Sid Ginn preceded him. After finishing school, nevertheless, Ethel moved to Clarksville, GA, to live with her aunt, and continued seeing Groves. He traveled by horse and buggy on weekends from Toccoa to Clarksville. Groves and Ethel continued to date for sometime before he proposed. Still languishing over his reputation, Ethel told him she needed time to think it over. After a period of several weeks, she did tell him that she would marry him, under one condition: Groves would have to stand before the congregation of her church and apologize for his past transgressions. Groves agreed, but in spite of his open confession and appeal for forgiveness, she still waited a few weeks to test his sincerity. And then on May 21, 1916 — a Sunday — they were married. continued next page
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Groves got a job with Southern Railway as a payroll clerk, even though he had to travel from station to station on a daily basis. But in 1920, with two young children — Irene and Alvin — Groves quit his job and moved to Helen, GA, where he got a job in an extract plant making materials for commercial tanning. During 1927 and 1928 a disease spread among the chestnut trees, which provided an ingredient for the extract, and wiped out the chestnut trees. Without the proper raw materials, the plant closed and Groves was without a job. This occurred in early 1929. By years end, the great depression was upon the country and jobs were impossible to find. Marion Banks—a younger brother—lived in Birmingham, worked for Southern Railway, and was among the lucky. His job proved to be safe. Marion sent railroad tickets to Groves and his family of seven and they moved to Birmingham and lived a year with Marion and his family of six. The greatest satisfaction Groves obtained was on the farm and the forest he so dearly loved. He returned to the farm in 1932 and settled near the land of his birth. The depression continued to raise havoc with the prices of farm commodities, however, and he lost the farm. Groves then survived as a share-cropper until 1942 when he purchased a farm near Carnesville, GA, where he remained for the rest of his life. The courtship of Groves and Ethel lasted 7 years, their marriage 58. They are buried side by side at Crossroads Baptist Church, Carnesville, GA. 1940 . . . Groves and Ethel’s eldest son, Alvin, joined the Army as the United States was nearing WWII. It wasn’t long until Verner joined the Navy, and Bill the Air Force. Truitt volunteered for the paratroopers on his18th birthday, January 22, 1945. However, two days before he was to leave for Ft. Bragg, NC for training, he was notified that his status had been changed from 1-A to 4-D. He would not be permitted to join without his parents’ signature due to the military’s “surviving son ” provision. He has never Truitt Banks, Laurens, SC gotten over not being able to serve with his brothers.
Special Insert: Our Own Band Of Brothers The special inserted article was written by a long-time friend of the Banks family, Sid Ginn of Carnesville, GA. Some of the cousins have previously seen the piece, as it was published in the September 2007 edition of Home Town Neighbors Magazine, which serves Franklin, Hart and Stephens Counties of North Georgia.
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\Ç `xÅÉÜ|tÅ Karen Denise Garrett Terrell, 48, passed away Wednesday afternoon, November 11, 2009, at the Peachtree Christian Hospice in Duluth, GA. Born August 28, 1961, in Duluth, Georgia, she was the daughter of Floyd Eugene Garrett and Carolyn Deal Garrett. She was a graduate of Stephens County High School. She was credit manager at Farmer’s Furniture. She was a member of the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Lavonia, GA. She is survived by her husband Russell Banks Terrell; mother, Carolyn Deal Garrett, Lavonia, GA, father and step-mother, Floyd and Wanda Garrett, Toccoa, GA; maternal grandmother, Minnie Deal, Gainesville, GA; one daughter, Alicia Nicole Speers, Lavonia, one son, Christopher Paul Terrell, Morningsport, LA; four grandchildren, Kinsey Elizabeth Speers, Brianna Regan Speers, Angel Nicole Sutton, and Wyatt Philip Terrell; two brothers, Anthony Garrett, and Brian Garrett, of Toccoa, GA, and two sisters Teresa Garrett, Cornelia, and Lisa Shedd, of Toccoa, GA Services were held at Ginn Memorial Chapel of Ginn Funeral Home with the Rev. Jerrell Beatty, Rev. Clack Stubbs, and Rev. Kenneth Jones. She was laid to rest at Franklin Memorial Gardens. Those making memorials in her memory were asked to do so to the Scleroderma Foundation, 300 Rosewood Drive, Suite 105, Danvers, MA 01923.
Family News and Announcements by branch rell had an umbilical hernia repaired. He has recovered well from the surgery. November 25, 2009, Rusty’s daughter, Alicia Spears, was involved in an auto accident, which left her with a broken femur and cracked hip. She was out of work until the end of February Rusty’s son, Chris Terrell, has moved back to Georgia and is now living in Toccoa.
Alice Terrell Rusty Terrell: On November 11, 2009, Karen Terrell passed away—exactly 22 years to the day Rusty lost his father, Banks Terrell in 1987. November 20, 2009, Rusty Ter-
John Allen Banks Charles Banks: Matthew Banbury has just returned from Busan, South Korea, where he taught English to
Fourth and Sixth graders. Previously, he spent a year in Japan in the UNC-Charlotte International Student Exchange Program. Gina Higgins has been accepted for the Fall Semester at the University of South Carolina. As an out of state student she proudly earned academic scholarship credit. Gina's objective is to obtain a B.S. degree in Nursing. Needless to say, Grandpa Charles is so pleased that his granddaughter will be a student in the fine institution he graduated from 50 years ago. She plans to wear his fraternity pin when appropriate.
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THE EVENT I LOVED MORE THAN CHRISTMAS Ed Banks, Carnesville, GA. I remember visiting my grandparents, Groves and Ethel Banks, on their farm near Carnesville, Ga. It was always an event I loved more than Christmas. The farm fascinated me and my grandparents won my undying love. I played with the farm animals until I tired, then to the house and visit with grandmother. Many times she would sit beside the fireplace and churn while reading Black Beauty to me. The book had belonged to my father. I followed my grandfather everywhere when he worked with horses and mules. I thought he was the greatest man in the world. Once, when I was about five years old, he was plowing a field that was quite a distance from the
house. He left before sunrise and didn’t take me along. In the late morning a thunderhead developed and a storm looked certain. Grandmother was afraid of storms and sent me to fetch him. It was a long walk for a five year old and the storm was about to start when I reached the field where he was plowing. I delivered the message and granddaddy began to unhitch the mule. Suddenly, raindrops, sprinkled with hail, began to fall; deafening thunder followed lightening. As we began the walk home I asked granddaddy if I could ride the mule. He laughed, wondered why I wanted to ride that sweaty, dirty old mule. I didn’t know why, it just seemed the thing to do. Granddaddy smiled and lifted me on the mule’s bare back and we made our way toward home amidst lightening, booming thunder, and pouring rain. Grandmother made a fuss about our carelessness as we cleaned up and put on dry clothes, but I was
one happy kid. It was a thrilling adventure, that summer day long ago. My mind holds the image of a wonderful, white-haired old man, walking beside a dirty old mule with a kid on its back. The kid was laughing all the way with no thought of danger because he was in good hands: Almighty God and his grandfather.
A Tale Worth Re-telling! George Banks, Spartanburg, SC Tales told over and over and over begin to erase any element of fiction and take on a character of truth. Nonetheless, the following tale speaks the truth even though it has been told many times. Thomas Marion, beloved throughout the community, was known as Uncle Bud to his friends and neighbors. One evening during the mid-week prayer meeting at his church, the minister asked if there were any prayer requests. Uncle Bud, having some distress about Lee, stood and said he was concerned about one of his sons and asked to have him included in prayers. The minister obliged and included “one of Uncle Bud’s sons” along with other requests. After the service Uncle Bud was approached by one of the women: “Uncle Bud,” she said, “which one of your boys were we a-prayin fer?” “I’m concerned about Lee,” replied Uncle Bud. “Well, if’n he’s wors’n your other boys (Groves, John Allen & Marion), prayin ain’t gonna do nair bit of good.”
Next Newsletter—August 2010 Do you have something to share for the next newsletter . . . births, graduations, weddings, engagements, great family recipes, thoughts, stories, memories . . . Let me hear from you!! Email donnabdodd@yahoo.com, or send directly to my home address at: 3425 Spinnaker Way, Acworth, GA 30102.
Next Newsletter—August 2010 Do you have something to share for the next newsletter . . . births, graduations, weddings, engagements, great family recipes, thoughts, stories, memories . . . Let me hear from you!! Email donnabdodd@yahoo.com, or send directly to my home address at: 3425 Spinnaker Way, Acworth, GA 30102.