Obituaries: Bill Banks, 1932, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: February 25, 1932 Winn Parish Enterprise

Funeral Services for Faithful Negro Held by R. W. Oglesby


Funeral services for Bill Banks, faithful Winnfield negro, who died February
21, were held by his white friends, February 22.  Rev. Taylor, pastor of C. M.
E. Church, conducted the services, assisted by Judge R. W. Oglesby, who
delivered the following address on the life of William Banks:

"William Banks known to his friends as Bill or Uncle Bill, was born and reared
in Petersburg, Virginia.  He was reared by white people and ws fairly well
educated.  Some thirty years ago he came to Winnfield where he became a
fixture.  For more than twenty years he was janitor at my office and always
looked upon me as a true and trusted friend.  I never had a truer friend than
Bill.  With a key to my office he had access to its precincts and on many
occasion I trusted him with money and other valuables and he never betrayed
the confidence I placed in him.

"Before he got so old and worn out he was thrifty and always self-supporting. 
When old age, decrepitude and hard times crept upon him, as it does on all of
us, he was loath to ask help of anyone.  It was only when aid was proffered
him that he accepted.  He did not care to trouble anyone and lived alone in an
old worn out shack in the T. & G. quarters unfit for human habitation.  He
grew ill and was almost at death's door before he crawled out and made his way
to the home of Mary Patterson, a widow who lived nearby, and fell at her door. 
She took him in and ministered to him as best she could until he passed away
Sunday afternoon about six o'clock, February 21, 1932.

"Friday afternoon just after I had returned from a two weeks absence a colored
boy came to my office and told me that Bill was sick and wanted me to send him
a doctor.  I wrote Dr. John T. Mosley a note and asked him to go at once to
the aid of my friend.  He went and kept going, but it was too late to save
him.  I immediately hastened to his bedside, and, although he was suffering
with intense pain, his old black face brightened up when I walked in.  He knew
that I would do all I could for him.  I visited him regularly and Sunday
afternoon Sheriff Sholars went with me to see about taking him to the
hospital.  He was then in the throes of death and passed out in a short time.

"He was of a retiring nature and never intruded himself on anyone.  He was
well posted and could talk intelligently on any subject once you gained his
confidence.  During the hard times he suffered for the bare necessities of
life in silence.  He was grateful for favors but refused to ask for them.  He
was glad to give, but never asked for gifts.  He did what he could to earn an
honest living and during blackberry season it was his custom to bring us a
bucket of berries.  My wife offered to pay him, but he declined, saying that
it was a gift.

"One Christmas he sent us a turkey with a note of explanation in which he said
in substance: "I am sending you a turkey for Christmas, not because you are
the judge, but for the many favors you have rendered me in the past.  I shall
never forget one night when you came to my rescue."  The first time I saw him
I asked him what night he had reference to and he said: "Colonel," he always
called me Colonel, "it was the night the blood hounds trailed me down." 
Milam's store had been broken into and bloodhounds were sent for to trail the
culprit down.  Bill had to pass that way to go home and the hounds got on his
track and trailed him down.  He protested his innocence, but was taken to the
City Hall from where he telephoned me.  I went at once, arriving about the
time Mr. Milam got there.  We soon convinced the man in charge of the dogs
that they had made a mistake; that Bill would not have entered the store if
the door had been left open.

"He was quiet, unassuming and harmless choosing to serve rather than be
served.  He belonged to a class that won the admiration and respect of the
entire world for the faithful manner in which they looked after the women and
children of the Confederacy during the Civil War.  Not one single case of
betrayal does history record.  A record never to be approached by any other
race so long as time lasts.

"Is it any wonder that I flew to his rescue when he called for help, or that
Dr. Mosley refused to accept pay for his visits, or that Tracy Harrel refused
to accept pay for the coffin?

"During his long residence in Winnfield and my intimate association with him I
never heard him speak evil of any human, nor have I ever heard an unkind word
spoken of him.  He passed out without a penny or a single relative, but with
many friends both white and colored to mourn his passing with genuine sadness. 
His face was black but his heart was true and his faithfulness endured to the
end.  The earth has been made better for his having lived and his going has
broken another link in friendship's strong chain."