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