Martha Banks King

Inside this issue:

News & Announcements P.2

Russell Marion Banks

1926-2006 P.3

Chase the Darkness

Charles Banks P.4

Matthew Garrison earns

Bronze Star P.5

Re-Runs P.6

Send me your Scoop! P.6

BANKS Winter-Spring ISSUE

We were fortunate to have a three week trip in August and September, which included a visit to Bavaria, then a fourteen day com-

mercial tour of Scotland, Wales and England, then a rental car trip to Kingston Lacy and Corfe. We were very surprised that this

visit to the Bankes roots was so interesting and inspiring. Thomas, Ginger, George, Norma and others had described their visits to

us, but our experience was far above our expectations. At Kingston Lacy, the magnificent "country home" built by Sir Ralph

Bankes after Corfe Castle was destroyed, the monarchy restored and the Bankes properties restored to their owners, we were fortu-

nate to encounter a docent who, when he found out that we were Bankes descendents, spent a long time with us telling us history

that we did not know, even after exhaustive reading. Briefly, it is that Sir Ralph built the home in 1663-5 but furnished it mini-

mally. William John Bankes (1786-1855), who was very artistic, spent most of his life collecting art treasures in Egypt, Italy and

elsewhere in Europe, sending them back to Kingston Lacy to make it a truly magnificent home and art museum. K.L. remained in

the family, being occupied by Bankes for many generations. Under Ralph Bankes (1902-81), who inherited his father's solitary

nature, the estate gradually subsided into tranquil decay. At his death it was bequeathed to the National Trust, but there was seri-

ous question whether the trust could accept it because so much money was needed for repairs and restoration. Finally the trust did

accept it, spent three million pounds (6 mil. $) putting on a new roof, much more on the interior and art restoration. Finally, it was

opened to the public and now, although it is a long way from anywhere, there are many visitors. The grounds, gardens, cattle

herds and pastures were of particular interest to me. Then we went to Corfe Castle, which was incredibly impressive. A terrific

lady, well versed in its history and architecture, took us through the ruins. Also, very impressive was the village around the castle,

which is maintained much as it has been for 400 years. We found that this village, two towns on the coast, Swanage and Purbeck,

about a a mile of waterfront (the only waterfront in England not owned by the Queen), as well as thousands of acres between Corfe

and KL were part of the Bankes estate given to the National Trust.

Another surprise to us was that this part of England is popular with English people but "undiscovered" by tourists. We told every-

one, "Please don't tell anyone else about it because a flood of tourists would destroy the quaint and beautiful atmosphere of the

area." When one experiences the beautiful, tiny stone churches where our ancestors worshiped, the farms and villages that are

nearly the same as they have been for hundreds of years, the harbor where our ancestors defeated the Danish Vikings, the castle

where one of England's kings was murdered, the pubs where ordinary Englishmen have eaten and drunk for many generations, one

can feel a peculiar sense of history unlike anything I ever experienced. This was a really memorable experience that I shall never

forget, and we encourage all descendents to make the pilgrimage. Love, Cousin Bob and Susan King

Bob and Susan King at Kingston Lacy—2006

Bob and Susan King - Their 2006 Pilgrimage

Winter-Spring, 2007 Page 2

ternal grandfather who passed away last

year.

The Banks Family can ALWAYS use

another Tom in the family, don’t you

think? Good, because we’re going to get

one! Tom Gallaher attended the Octo-

ber reunion with Jenny Davis. Looks

like we didn’t scare him too badly, be-

cause he has asked Jenny to marry him!

Tom was born in Amarillo, Texas then

grew up in Atlanta. That no-doubt quali-

fies him as a good Southern boy! June 2

is the big day! Congratulations!!!

Steven and Angie Caldwell announce

the birth of their second child—a son,

Steven Tomlinson Caldwell, III, born

Sept 13, 2006, weighing 9 lbs. Their

daughter, Wini is almost three. The fam-

ily lives in Atlanta. The baby is grandson

to Jenny Davis, and great grandson to

Irene Davis Callahan.

AUNT GERTRUDE

Jeri reports that James Stapleton is

doing much better. The medicine is con-

tinuing to strengthen him. He will begin

cutting back on the Prednisone in March.

We pray he will continue to improve.

Rob Stapleton (Gertrude's only grand-

son) will be promoted to rank of Captain

in the Air Force on Feb. 16. He and

family will be transferred to Maxwell

AFB in Montgomery, AL. on Feb. 28.

AUNT ALICE

Alicia Speers, daughter of Russell and

Karen Terrell, changed careers - and on

January 26th she graduated from officers

training school in Forsyth. Georgia. She

is a correctional officer at Lee Arrendale

Correctional Prison in Alto, Georgia

AUNT VIOLA

Jane and Bruce Byrum announce the

arrival of a grandson, Thomas Jonathon

Byrum born 1 Sep 2006 in San Diego,

California. Proud parents are their son

Dustin Byrum and his wife Christine. Also, Jane and Bruce’s second son Alex

and his wife Kimberly are expecting a

girl, Susan Kate Byrum, later in

March.

AUNT BERTIE

Theresa Dixon, daughter of Colonel

Timothy and Irmgard Dixon, Grand-

daughter of Thomas and Ginger Dixon,

graduated from General H.H. Arnold

High School in Wiesbaden, Germany on

June 11, 2006. Theresa gave the Saluta-

torian address and quoted Aristotle and

Winnie-the-Pooh. Winnie-the-Pooh was

quoted as saying,

"To an uneducated mind, the letter A is

just three sticks."

Theresa will be heading to MIT (with

several academic and honorary scholar-

ships) this fall to begin the next journey

of helife. Congratulations to Theresa!

Thomas Dean and Ginger Dixon cele-

brated their 50th Wedding Anniversary

on August 26th, 2006. Their loving chil-

dren, Colonel Timothy and Reverend

Rebecca, hosted a dinner at Furman Uni-

versity

on July 9th and a luncheon in Lavonia,

GA on August 26th. Congratulations

Thomas Dean and Ginger!

UNCLE GROVES

Christy & Keith Gibson announce

the birth of their daughter Kaylen

Alexandra Gibson. On January 4,

2007, she weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz.,

with dark hair and blue eyes. Kaylen

is granddaughter to Lanny and Sandy

Banks; great-granddaughter to

Verner and Evelyn Banks.

Donna, Diane, Billy, Gary, Cheryl and

Paul are happy to report that Colleen

Banks is doing fine after a BIG

medical scare in December!

Taylor William Coles, graduated

from Ft. Lewis College in Durango,

Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts de-

gree in Business Administration with

an emphasis on Tourism and Resort

Management Taylor is the son of

Donna Banks Dodd, and grandson of

Bill and Colleen Banks.

Kristin & Ted Arditti and proud big

brother, Tommy announce the birth of

their son, Henry Ford Arditti born on

Sept. 16, 2006. Henry is grandson to

Sharon and Tom Cook—and great-

grandson to Irene Davis Callahan.

The baby was named after Ted's ma-

Banks News/Announcements

Mr. & Mrs. Dixon—1956

Winter-Spring, 2007 Page 3

Birmingham News—May 7, 2006

TOM GORDON News staff writer

Commitment Accepted

R ussell Banks took on responsibility, and always proved up to the task.

It's hard enough to commit to marriage. It may be even harder when the bride al-

ready has six children of her own.

Russell Banks made that commitment to Margaret Panos, made it last for nearly 45

years, years that saw them raise three children of their own, operate one of Birming-

ham's best-known nightspots and refer to each other as ''Babe.'' Babe is what Banks

kept calling Margaret even during the last two years of his life at a nursing home in

Cook Springs, when she would visit him every day and be just about the only face he

recognized. She was lying by his side, having sung to him earlier, when he stopped

breathing earlier this year.

That final-moments scenario, and the Parkinson's disease that essentially brought it

on, was part of the unforeseen future in February 1960.

Russell Marion Banks Jr. was 34, still living at home and working as a driver with

Flemming Moving and Storage. He was the third of four children and had an affec-

tionately competitive relationship, usually revolving around athletic skills, with his

older brother Tom and younger brother Peter. He was drafted before he finished

Phillips High, spent a year as an Army paratrooper in postwar Japan, came home, graduated from Phillips High, played a little foot-

ball at Auburn and Howard College and had to have his face rebuilt after driving into a trestle one night on the Tarrant New Castle

Road. (During his rehabilitation, he worked out with John Carroll High's football team, coached by brother Tom.) He even gave rail-

roading a try but pulled out after concluding it would push him toward more whiskey and wear and tear than he wanted.

After hiring on at Flemming, he became a regular lunchtime customer at the nearby Daylight Cafe and a good friend of its owner,

Art Panos. When Panos died after a stroke in February 1960, his wife Margaret began running the cafe.

Russell kept coming for lunch, and started closing up the place at night so she could be with her six kids. Months passed, and she

took a liking to his blue eyes, tolerated his talkativeness, and enjoyed the way he moved on the dance floor. On Sept. 8, 1961, they

went to a justice of the peace in Tarrant and got back to the restaurant in time for him to finish watching a ballgame.

His experience as the new man in the lives of her children had its challenges. There was some wariness, some resentment, and some

defiance. He was the heavy, the guy who enforced household rules, but also gentle and affectionate in that non-demonstrative way so

characteristic of his generation. He and Margaret added three children to the family ranks, and the kids became familiar with the

''wee, wee, wee'' comments he made to express frustration and ''We gotta June, June, June'' to indicate their need to hurry.

They came to know his love of sports and his love for sweets that was so deep that, given his helplessness in the kitchen, he would

eat ice cream if no one could prepare him dinner. When he was in the nursing home and relying on a feeding tube, Margaret tried to

touch his sweet tooth by sneaking him lollipops. Given his background as an athlete and a workout freak, he brought a strong pres-

ence into any room, and many people didn't know how to approach him. But he was a generally approachable and social sort in the

nightspots that he and Margaret and most of the kids helped run. The best known of these was Banks Lounge in East Lake. Mostly

frequented by couples, it featured live country music, and one of its drinks was a mixture of orange juice, vodka and grenadine

dubbed ''The Orange Blossom Special.'' Russell was constantly tinkering with the place, working with a helper named Acorn Tho-

mas to remodel the interior or add new features. In 1991, a major remodeling effort caused the building's roof to collapse, and the

lounge was no more. The family moved permanently to a home they had along Lake Logan Martin, a home where they had hosted

parties for some of the kids' athletic teams that Russell helped coach. It also became the place for family gatherings that brought vis-

its from the grown kids, their children and a growing group of great-grandchildren. The property also boasts a front yard pool where

Russell liked to swim, fully clothed, after coming home from work, and the house has a portrait of him by his youngest daughter

Cissy. Margaret talks to the painting regularly, and fussed at it the other day when she kept dropping things.

Russell Marion Banks

1926—2006

Winter-Spring, 2007 Page 4

NOVELS BY

CHARLES W. BANKS

Chase the Darkness, a mystery, is the story of Clarissa Chandworth Wellsly,

recently divorced, who resides in Isle of St. Isabel, a gated community in suburban

Charleston, SC. Her father, Captain Winston Price Chandworth, a retired naval avia-

tor, has been imprisoned for the past year on a trumped-up DEA charge of drug traf-

ficking. Stripped of his dignity and stripped of his prize possession—a twin engine

Beech Bonanza that provided life beyond retirement in the form of a charter service

he had founded—Chandworth anguishes in a 7x9 cell in the Federal Penitentiary,

Leavenworth, KS.

The story unfolds with Clarissa entertaining her best friend, Dana Wynne—a friend-

ship that has remained steadfast since they roomed together in college, thirteen years

earlier. As Clarissa and Dana enjoy a poolside glass of wine, Clarissa’s father be-

comes the center of conversation. A successful Philadelphia advertising agency ex-

ecutive, Dana suggests that what Clarissa needs is the power of the media to focus attention on her father’s plight

Heeding Dana’s advice, Clarissa phones a classmate from her high school days, and in the process resurrects an old

fantasy. Enter Adam Wescoat, investigative reporter for The Ledger, a leading South Carolina newspaper.

For readers who enjoy Navy action thrillers . . .

Steel Warrior is the story of Commander Zach Tanner, who takes the reader from 1940 Hawaii, his first duty

station, to 1951 Long Beach, California, where a then-seasoned line officer assumes

his first command. From the moment he crosses the gangway of the USS Wingate,

Zach is on a war footing to ready an inexperienced crew, in a ship that has been idled

for five years, for duty in a war that was never declared—the Korean War.

Following a shakedown cruise in the warm waters of the Caribbean, Wingate races

across the Pacific to link up with Task Force 77, operating in the frigid waters of the

Sea of Japan. Assigned picket duties, Wingate takes a hit by a floating mine and is

forced to Yokosuka, Japan. Repairs quickly completed and fit for sea duty, she is

dispatched to Najin, North Korea, to undertake a clandestine mission to kidnap a for-

eign national, the result of which abounds with political implications.

To order Chase the Darkness or Steel Warrior www.publishamerica.com/shopping

and search by title or by author or To order through Barnes & Noble www.bn.com

and search by title.

Note from Donna—

Yes, Cousin Charles has another book out! I read the original manuscript a few years ago—and I will

admit to my obsessive behaviors the weekend I first got my hands on it! Isn’t it exciting to read these bril-

liant works of our very own cousin!

Charles, your Banks family is so proud of you!!

You may want to order early and bring it with you to the October reunion for a spe-

cial signing by Charles himself!

Winter-Spring, 2007 Page 5

Safely Home—Matthew Garrison

How appropriate that from the Gospel of Matthew we find these words:

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Charles Banks

Winter-Spring, 2007 Page 6

In previous Banks newsletters we’ve had some really terrific stories told by various cousins. Af-

ter reading some of them today, I couldn’t resist re-running a few of these wonderful articles. I

know you’ll enjoy them again!

ReRe--RunsRuns

GRANNY ALICE

As a little girl my fondest memories were the weekends when my mother, Doris, would take me to Carnesville to visit my

grandparents, Granny Alice and Granddaddy Alec Terrell.

I followed granddaddy around the farm like a shadow and we usually ended up with a trip to the barn. That’s where he

kept a calf, which he allowed me to call my own. On one such trip, much to my surprise, I discovered that granddaddy

had sold my prize calf. Well, Granddaddy Alec couldn’t stand the look of disappointment on the face of such a little girl,

so he drove me to Carnesville, to buy me a gift to take the place of my calf. And much to his surprise, I chose a BB gun.

Well, as you might have guessed, the surprise didn’t end there. When we got back to the farm, my mother and Granny

Terrell went through the roof. “That’s no toy for a girl,” Granny Terrell shouted. But after tempers eased, it was agreed

that I could keep my BB gun. In fact, I treasured that BB gun and kept it until I eventually passed it on to my nephew,

Nick. But only after he convinced his parents he was mature enough. Jeri Chasteen, Athens, GA.

CHRISTMAS, 1935

One of my fondest memories dates back to a cold winter night in 1935, when I placed a stack of bricks in the fireplace of

our old home place. When wrapped in burlap and placed the floorboard of our Model-A Ford, these bricks would provide

heat to our feet for the long drive to Greenville to spend the day with Granddaddy Banks, Granny Banks and the Dixons.

Around 4:00 A.M. the bricks were in place and we piled in the Model-A—Ophelia, Susie, Harry and myself— and drove

to Carnesville to pick up Uncle Alec and Aunt Alice. Driving the back roads of Georgia and South Carolina, the six of us

kept each other warm and the bricks warmed our feet. The sun was just rising when we arrived at Aunt Bertie’s. It was a

clear cold day, but we didn’t seem to mind. After all, it was Christmas! Tom E. Anderson, Greensboro, NC

WHITE SILK SOCKS

A tale my daddy loved to tell occurred a few months after he got a job as streetcar conductor in Atlanta. After a period of

time he saved enough to buy a new suit and all accessories, including the latest fashion in footwear, namely white silk

socks. On the next trip back to the old home place, he dashingly dressed in his new suit and slipped on his white silk socks.

“The next morning I started to dress,” daddy said. “I slipped on my shirt, my pants, and then looked for my socks. They

were gone. I look high and low, through every room, but those socks had just disappeared. And then I happened to look

across the road, and there was Papa. He was in the field plowing, dressed in overalls, a straw hat, and wearing my new

white silk socks. George Banks

IF’N HE’S WORSE

Another tale my daddy loved to tell. It seems the prayer meeting was drawing to a close and the minister asked if there

were any prayer requests. Granddaddy (Bud Banks) raised his hand. “One of my sons needs prayin for,” he said. After

the service ended, one of the ladies of the congregation approached Bud. “Uncle Bud,” she said, with a touch of frank-

ness, “”Which one of y’ sons were we a-prayin for?” Touched by her concern, Bud replied, “I’m worried about my son,

Lee. “Well,” retorted the lady, “if’n he’s worse’r than John Allen and Marion, prayin ain’t gonna do no good.”

George Banks

Please send your comments, stories, news and announcements for the Summer newsletter! Also,

note my contact information changes:

Donna Banks Dodd

3425 Spinnaker Way

Acworth, GA 30102

Home Phone—678-574-7071

donnabdodd@yahoo.com

Got Scoop?