ETHEL LENORA BANKS, PROMINENT AND WELL LOVED LONGTIME RESIDENT OF VULCAN, PASSED AWAY MARCH 27, 1998 AT VULCAN, ALBERTA AT THE AGE OF 85 YEARS.
ETHEL WAS BORN NOVEMBER 26, 1912 AT PLEASINGTON, ALBERTA TO KNUTE OBERG AND NETTIE FOSSEN. THE THIRD CHILD OF SIX BOYS AND THREE GIRLS, WHICH INCLUDED TWO SETS OF MALE TWINS. SHE ATTENDED SCHOOL AT FORESTBURG. ETHEL WAS ACTIVE IN SPORTS FROM AN EARLY AGE, AND THIS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT HER LIFE. WHILE ATTENDING NORMAL SCHOOL, SHE AND HER SISTER, INGA, WERE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM. THEY PLAYED AGAINST THE EDMONTON UNIVERSITY GRADETTES. SHE EARNED A WOMEN’S ATHLETIC PROFICIENCY AWARD WHILE AT NORMAL SCHOOL.
ETHEL GRADUATED FROM NORMAL SCHOOL IN 1930, AT THE YOUNG AGE OF SEVENTEEN AND BEGAN TEACHING AT A RURAL SCHOOL NEAR STROME, THEN AT GLEN PARK NEAR MEETING CREEK.
IN 1935 ETHEL MARRIED BEVERLY WILLIAM BANKS WHO WAS A GRAIN BUYER. TOGETHER THEY MOVED TO BUFORD, MOSSLEIGH AND CAME TO VULCAN IN 1941. IN 1945 THEY PURCHASED THE PURITY 99 SERVICE STATION AND CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH DEALERSHIP, WHERE ETHEL FURTHER DEVELOPED HER REPUTATION AS A HARD WORKER. SHE WAS BOOKKEEPER, GAS JOCKEY, SCHOOL BUS DRIVER AND RAISED TWO SONS.
ETHEL WAS AN INDEPENDENT, PROUD, DEDICATED MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER WHO LIVED LIFE WITH ENTHUSIASM AND ZEST. HER INTEREST IN SPORTS WAS SHARED WITH HER CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. SHE ENJOYED GOLF, CURLING , BASKET BALL AND BASEBALL. IN HER LATER YEARS SHE ENJOYED WATCHING HER FAVORITE TEAM AND PLAYING BRIDGE. A GRACIOUS HOSTESS, HER HOME WAS ALWAYS OPEN.
ETHEL WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER IN MANY CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS, INCLUDING THE UNITED CHURCH WOMEN, ROYAL PURPLE, A TWENTY- FOUR YEAR MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION LADIES AUXILIARY, SHE WAS PAST PRESIDENT AND LIFE MEMBER OF THE VULCAN CURLING CLUB AND A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE VULCAN GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB.
ETHEL EXCELLED IN EVERY SPORT IN WHICH SHE PARTICIPATED. WHILE IN VULCAN SHE COMPETED AND WON THE BUSBY MARKSMAN TARGET RIFLE COMPETITION. SHE BELIEVED IN GIVING OF HER WHOLE SELF. ETHEL WILL MOSTLY BE REMEMBERED FOR HER WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR AND THE JOY SHE SHARED WITH THOSE AROUND HER, SHE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
ETHEL WAS THE LOVING MOTHER OF TWO SONS WARREN (BARBARA) OF CAYLEY GARY (FRANCES) OF CALGARY, THREE GRANDCHILDREN, DEAN (CHIQUITA) OF CARSELAND, DAVID (MAUREEN) OF GLEICHEN AND LORREN (DON) OF VANCOUVER, A GRANDDAUGHTER-IN-LAW CAROLINE OF CALGARY, SIX GREAT GRANDCHILDREN CRYSTAL, SHANE, KATELYN, SHELBY, MADISON AND CAMBRIA, THREE BROTHERS ELDON (LENORA) OBERG, LESTER (MARJORIE) OBERG AND CLAUDE (MARY) OBERG, TWO SISTERS JANE ERICKSON AND INGA HAMILTON ALL OF FORESTBURG, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
ETHEL WAS PREDECEASED BY HER HUSBAND BEV IN 1968, THREE BROTHERS VICTOR, CON AND FLOYD , TWO GRANDCHILDREN LESLIE AND RANDY.
FUNERAL SERVICE WEDNESDAY APRIL 1, 1998 AT 2 P.M. AT VULCAN UNITED CHURCH WITH REV. DON WATT OFFICIATING.
LADIES AUXILIARY TO THE LEGION HONOR GUARD NORMA MAGNUSON, KAREN MENSINGER, KAY McINENLY, BETTY ROEBUCK, YVONNE HILL AND RITA JONES.
HONORARY BEARERS MYRTLE WALKER, MARY HAGA, JUNE WELLMAN, THELMA HAVERTY, DORIS HEATHER AND DORA DRUMMOND.
CASKET BEARERS WERE ALLEN WALKER, CODY WHITESIDE, JERRY WYLIE, RAY WELLMAN, ALLEN FLETCHER AND MEL JORDAN.
INTERMENT THURSDAY APRIL 2, 1998 AT 2 P.M. AT FORESTBURG CEMETERY, FORESTBURG, ALBERTA.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, TRIBUTES IN ETHEL’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO VULCAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE LADIES AUXILIARY BOX 299 VULCAN, ALBERTA, TOL 2BO.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. TELEPHONE 485-2633.