Grampy

Dear Tammy,

1        If you can read my scratching I'll try to give you some information, but without my books and records at Springbank, I won't be able to supply the dates needed with any accuracy.

          Your mother's mother, Josephine was born in Butte, Montana to Arthur and Mrs. Wierick. She had a sister Maud and a brother Arthur. Her father was President of the First National Bank of Butte. I don't recall Mrs. Weirick's first name. I remember her coming to Superior in the 1930's, she was then a widow. I believe that both your mother's mother and her father were in the same class at the University of Wisconsin so they were probably born about the same time.

          You're Mother's father Robert Lenox Banks was born in Superior, Wisconsin in 1898. He graduated from the Normal school there and then from the University of Wisconsin—he served as a naval aviator for two years about 1920—he and Josephine after marriage lived in Superior. He was the son of William B. Banks and Marion Lewis Banks. He had an older brother John L. Banks and Isabella a sister. William his father had been previously married to Anna Hemming. Anna Hemming Banks died in Superior shortly after her second child was born. Therefore, your father had a half brother William B. Banks, jr. and a half sister Maria. Mr. and Mrs. William B. Banks founded the hammord are Presbyterian Church.

2        Your great grandmother Marion Lewis Banks (1870) was born to John Lawrence Lewis. Emma Sadilands Lewis was one of 11 children (Kate, Caroline, Emma, Ruth, John, Daisy, Fred, Sandilands, Marion, Douglas, Olive). Only John called Jack (a navy captain) Marion-Olive and Douglas married. All others lived together (after they left Superior in about 1900) on a large farm on the Ohio River in West Virginia-- which is still owned by the children of Douglas.

          Your great grandfather William B. Banks was born in Rome, Italy to Dr. James Lenox Banks and his wife Isabella Mozier in 1858—their first child—Dr. Banks was studying medicine in Italy—Dr. and Mrs. Banks returned to New York City in 1860 to practice medicine. He was head of the NY College of Surgeons when he died at the age of 52. Children include: William, Isabella, James, Josephine, Maria, Lenox, John F.S.

          William B. Banks graduated from Princeton Law and came to Superior at the urging of well-to-do friends in NY City who were heavily invested in Superior Real Estate—to look after their interests in a company called tri Land and River Co. Superior was believed to become a second Chicago because it was the Westernmost port of the Great Lakes. I believe a lot of money was lost in land speculation—I have always believed that grandfather lost his shirt and started the bank as a way to support his family. His son John was president from 1927-1955—I was President from 1955 to 1985. The bank is still in existence but part of a Holding Co.

3        He founded the First National Bank of Superior in 1887 and he and his second wife lived in Superior until his death in January 1936 and Marion Lewis Banks died in Antigo, Wisconsin in 1940 while visiting her son Robert and his wife Josephine.

          Robert Lenox Banks worked for his father and then his older brother until 1937 when Robert set out to improve his opportunities by founding a bank in Antigo, Wisconsin. The bank was named the People's National and is still in existence. When World War II broke out he felt it was his obligation to help defend his country so he reenlisted in the Navy and served until 1944 as a Lt. Commander. He was too old to fly but he commanded a marine naval air transport base in Florida. After WWII he went to work as V.P. at the Merchant's National Bank in Winona, Minnesota. He preferred Wisconsin and after 2 years in Winona he took the President's position at the Citizen's American National Bank in Merrill, Wisconsin where he remained until he died in 1954—he was 56 years of age—he died in Superior of a heart attack while on a visit there.

          Robert and Josephine had three children. Barbara whom they adopted as an infant in about 1932 and Katherine was born to them two years later. Marion Isabella Banks was born June 12, 1946.

          Josephine became a multiple sclerosis victim about 2 years after Marion's birth and was institutionalized in 1950. She died at the Wood Family Hospital, Marshfield, Wisconsin in the early sixties.