Banks

A Going Home Service for Eunice Minnear Banks, 83, was held Oct.7 at New Life Pentecostal Church in Smithville. Bro. Dwayne Cornelius and Bro. Clayton Neal officiated, with burial following in DeKalb Memorial Gardens.

Eunice Minnear Banks went home to meet the Lord on Oct. 4, surrounded by loved ones at her daughter’s home.

Mrs. Banks was born on July 23. 1931, in DeKalb County to Lonnie and Buelah Pedigo Minnear. She married the love of her life, Woodrow Banks, on August 8. 1948, and for the next 55 years they walked through this world together. Woodrow told her when she was eight years old and he was 16 that he was going to marry her one day. Two weeks after she turned 17 he came home from Detroit where he had been working, and they went to Georgia and got married.

He was a foreman at Chrysler Corporation, but she would not go back to Michigan with him, so he became a farmer and she worked at the local shirt factory, except for a period of time when they owned the City Cafe on the Smithville Square.

She quit work at the factory when her first child was born 1971, and after the grandchildren were all in school she worked at Hartman Luggage for ten years, then retired to take care of her great-grandchildren, who were the center of her world.

She enjoyed sewing, cooking, gardening, and tending her many flower beds, but most of all she enjoyed going to church and working for the Lord. She was a prayer warrior, kindhearted and well loved and respected by friends and family.

She was a member of New Life United Pentecostal Church, and one of the original founders of Laurell Hill United Pentecostal Church in 1970, where she taught Sunday school for many years.

In addition to her parents and husband, Eunice was preceded in death by her daughter, Darlene Banks Young Puckett; two sisters, Reba Shehane and Helen Leftrick; two brothers, Lewis and Eurbye Minnear.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Vivan and Wayne Hill; five grandchildren, Dava (Russell) Pedigo, Terra (Tad) Turner, Tiffany Hendrixson, Misty Shehane all of Smithville, and Josh (Stephanie) Young of McMinnville; 13 great-grandchildren, Drew and Alex Pedigo, Maggie and MacKenley Turner, Brayden and Lauren Shehane all of Smithville, Allen Faux of Murfreesboro, Emma and Deering Hendrixson of Burns, Blaine Blankenship, Preston and Gracie Young, Kolby Simons of McMinnville; one brother, Donald (Peggy) Minnear of Smithville; one sister, Marilyn Caldwell of Smithville; several nieces, nephews, cousins, and her church family survive.

Pallbearers included; Russell Pedigo, Tad Turner, Josh Allen, Allen Faux, Drew Pedigo, Mackenley Turner, and Alex Pedigo.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home, Smithville, was in charge of the arrangements