Make your plans now

Sunday, October 9th

Our 70th Reunion of the

Thomas Marion Banks Family

Banks Family Association

Reunion

held June 24 & 25

At the Banks Family Asso-

ciation reunion in Elberton

June 24 and 25, we counted

48 people on Friday evening

and 58 on Saturday. The

Ralph II family, which are

the descendents of Ralph

and Elizabeth Maxwell

Banks, had the largest num-

ber in attendance - 17. Hur-

rah!! for our family. We

voted to raise the dues to

$10 per family per year,

and reminded every family

it is due every year. We

visited Coldwater Plantation

and were given access to the

three levels of the house.

Ross Banks was our host.

Many pieces of his furniture

creations were on display

and for sale. Ross makes

furniture from timber cut on

the plantation and cured in

storage barns. The planta-

tion is still for sale, and this

may have been our last

chance to visit.

Thomas & Ginger Dixon

Aunt Gertrude Beth Stapleton,

grandaughter of Gertrude,

received her PhD in

Linguistics from LSU in

August. She is now a full

time instructor at Missis-

sippi College.

Aunt Bertie

Irmgard Dixon,

wife of Timothy D. Dixon,

became a US citizen on

June 8th of this year.

She was born in Bonn, Ger-

many and has been working

on the documentation for

citizenship for several years.

She was naturalized in At-

lanta at the Federal Build-

ing. Thomas and Ginger

Dixon were also present for

the ceremony.

Uncle Marion Teresa Hereferd and

Justin Banks, son of Chris

and Janice Banks, and

grandson of Tom and Peggy

Banks have announced their

wedding plans. July 16th is

the big day. The two just

graduated from the Univer-

sity of Montevallo. Justin

will be joining his dad in

the insurance business, and

Teresa has accepted a teach-

ing position at West Blocton

Elementary School.

Uncle Groves Christy Banks, daughter

of Sandy and Lanny Banks,

and granddaughter of Eve-

lyn and Verner Banks, will

complete her course

studies at Athens

Technical College in

September. Showing

her true colors in her

chosen field of respiratory

therapy, she has been in-

vited to join the 2005 class

of the Associate Degree

Nursing program. Also,

Christy has been nomi-

nated for inclusion in the

2005 edition of Who’s Who

Among Students in Ameri-

can Junior Colleges, and

has been chosen by her

professors as a Lambda

Beta scholar, a national

honor society for respira-

tory care. Christy has

worked hard, and the fam-

ily is proud of her accom-

plishments!

Carrie and Bryan Blasco,

son of Ron and Brenda

(Banks) Blasco, and grand-

son of Ralph Truitt and

Margaret Banks, and the

late Bennie Banks have a

new daughter! Sidney

Banks Blasco was born

May 5th, and is the

object of her grand-

parents’ affec-

tion.

(Uncle Groves—continued) Taylor Coles, son of Donna

Banks Dodd, and grandson of Bill and Colleen Banks,

enjoyed much of 2005 in a study-abroad program in

western France. He took advantage of his free time by traveling Euro-rail, experi-

encing the wonderful cul-tures of neighboring Euro-

pean countries.

Aunt Martha

Sara and Joe King, son of

Bob and Susan King, wel-comed a new King in

May. Emma and Matthew’s new baby

brother is Joseph Tay-

lor King—and they will

call him Will.

Inside this issue:

The novel

we’ve been waiting for

Steel Warrior

p.2

Those Who Served P.2

“Ok, Mom, but it better

not taste like cabbage!”

P.3

Banks GIRLS

tatting sample P.3

The Year was 1955! P.4

BANKS:

Never without words!

P.4

BANKS Summer Issue—2005

Announcements by Branch

idled for five years, for duty

in a war that was never de-

clared. Following a shake-

down 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 du-

ties, Wingate takes a hit by

a floating mine and is forced

to Yokosuka, Japan, for

repairs. Once again fit for

sea duty, she is dispatched

to Najin, North Korea, to

undertake a clandestine mis-

sion to kidnap a foreign

national, the result of which

abounds with political im-

plications.

Steel Warrior is now released!! Be sure to order your copies in time for Charles to autograph at

the October reunion!

Steel Warrior

Charles W. Banks

The poignant reunion of a

retired admiral and his

grandson, a recent graduate

of the Naval Academy,

draws to a close and the

admiral is left to savor the

sunsets, and walk among the

portraits that frame his

memory. Zach Tanner takes

the reader from 1940 Ha-

waii, his first duty station, to

1951 Long Beach, Califor-

nia, where a then-seasoned

line officer assumes his first

command. From the mo-

ment he crosses the gang-

way of the USS Wingate,

Zach is on a war footing to

ready an inexperienced

crew, in a ship that has been

Summer, 2005 Page 2

You may order online at www.publishamerica.com/books/9121, or if you’d prefer, you may pay by

check—just fill out the coupon below and mail to Publish America, P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705

Book Title: Steel Warrior $18.95 Make checks payable to Publish America

Customer Name (please print) ______________________ Phone # ( ) ________ __________

Address ____________________________ City______________State_____ Zip_______________

#______ copies at $18.95 each $__________

MD residents add 5% tax _______$__________

Shipping/handling (1st copy) ADD $ $3.00

Shipping/handling (ea. additional copy .50 each) $__________

TOTAL ENCLOSED $__________

A special email received from Peggy Banks in January

Dear Donna,

Due to Delayne and me having orthopedic surgeries, we have been unable to attend the reunions since October, 2000, and

after reading your newsletter, I realized how much I miss seeing all of you. I was married to Tom 52 years, and I grew

to love his family as my own. Those Banks genes are so strong, and I always enjoyed seeing the cousins together and

noted how many ways they were alike . . . My wish for all of you is a healthy and happy 2005, and do hope Delayne

and I stay well so we can see all of you in October.

Much love, Peggy

Peggy, we pray that you and Delayne will be with us for our 70th reunion! We all have missed you!!

Inside Story Headline

.

The Fine Art of

Tatting

Summer, 2005 Page 3

Celebrating their Golden Anniversaries!

Eleanor and John Banks—February, 1955

Dolores and Charles Banks—March, 1955

Volina and Earle Roper—June, 1955

Those Who Served

Revolutionary War

Captain James Jones, Captain Ralph Banks,

Rev. Thomas Maxwell

Indian War of 1818

John Banks

Civil War

Watkins Banks, Eugene Banks, Willis

Banks, George Banks, Elbert Banks, Ralph

Banks, John Stephens, James Russell Banks

World War I

John Allen Banks,Sr., Russell Marion Banks

World War II

Sara Sue Terrell Chapman,

Russell Alvin Banks,

Marion Elizabeth Banks McLeod Bill K. Anderson, Paul Banks Byrum,

Thomas Verner Banks, Harry Russell

Anderson, Joseph Phillips Banks,

William Lambertine Banks Albert Riley Byrum, Edward Peter King,

Thomas Sidney Banks Homer Hillman Byrum, Russell Marion

Banks, Jr., John Allen Banks, Jr., Banks Russell Terrell

Korean War

William Lambertine Banks, John Allen

Banks, Jr., Paul Banks Byrum, Charles William Banks,

Thomas Dean Dixon

Vietnam War

William L. Banks, Bruce Banks Byrum

Gulf War

Bruce Banks Byrum, Timothy Dean Dixon Russell Marion Banks III, Owen Englander

Iraq War

Timothy Dean Dixon, Owen Englander Russell Marion Banks III, Dustin Byrum

Robert Edward Stapleton Matthew Garrison

YOUR FAMILY THANKS YOU!

(Scanned photo was darkened

to emphasize detail.) Submitted by Thomas &

Ginger Dixon

This is a sample of the work the Bank Girls (Bertie and

her sisters) did as young girls and then on.

The inner border is "hem stitching" and the outer border

is "Tatting". This is 8 1/2" X 10" We guess it was intended for a Handkerchief. It

looks and feels like linen.

Born at (9-across) Plantation,

Dr. (1-across) Banks (1794-1856)

was the (11-across) child of Ralph

and Rachel Jones Banks. He moved

to (3-across), Georgia in 1892.

Noted for his successes with (6-

down) surgery, Dr. Banks was

commissioned by the Federal Gov-

ernment to convey his medical

knowledge to the (2-down) Indians

living in a nearby territory.

Summer, 2005 Page 4

BANKS Puzzle - NEVER without Words!

1 2

3

4

5 6

7

8

9

10

11

www.CrosswordWeaver.com

Although his assignment was that of supplying the much needed small-pox vaccine to the Indians, he faith-

fully performed his surgical skill restoring sight to many that had been blind for years. The Great (5-down)

(8-down), they thought to possess superhuman power and benefice. Honoring his memory, the General As-

sembly of the State of (7 across) gave to a subdivision of her territory the name of (10-across) (4-across).

Here is the Cabbage Patch Stew recipe. It is a favorite of our family. Our

favorite family story about it is that someone recommended it to Susan; she

fixed it and explained to the kids what they were having for supper; they said,

"Okay, Mom, but it better not taste like cabbage!!" It doesn't. Bob and Susan King 1-2 lb ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 Bell pepper, chopped 1 16 oz can kidney beans, drained 1 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes 1/2 cup water 3 cups shredded cabbage Combine beef, onion, pepper in large pot and cook, stirring until beef is

browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until cabbage is tender. Salt,

pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste.

9(across) Coldwater, 1(across) Richard, 3(across) Gainesville, 6(down) Cataract, 2(down) Cherokee,

5(down) medicine, 8(down) man, 7(across) Georgia, 10(across) Banks, 11(across) County