Florence Randall Banks

The Florence Virginia Randall Banks family has planned a memorial service honoring her life on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Caddo Valley. Brother Monty Montgomery will be officiating. On Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at the age of 96, she passed at Baptist Health Medical Center, Arkadelphia. She was born October 27, 1917 in Arkadelphia, she was the fourth child of five children born to Augustus and Allie Randall. She attended the Presbyterian School. On October 22, 1936, she married Johnnie H. Banks, better known as “Chubby” and to this union two beautiful children were born, Alice Yvonne and Johnny Horace, Jr. “Squat” was a nickname her father gave her because she was a short little girl. “Mama” as she was called by her grandchildren and Aunt Squat, Cousin Squat or Mrs. Squat, because “you have to use a handle” as she would she would say if you were going to use that name. To her great-grandchildren she was called “NaNa”. She was homemaker and a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a great-grandmother. In 1963 she made a dedication to serve Jehovah and was baptized as one of Jehovah’s witnesses. She was faithful for 51 years, right up to her passing. She was preceded in her passing by her parents, her husband, one sister, Mary Francis and two brothers, Nathaniel better known as “Buster” and Augustus better known as “Baby” and her son-in-law, Clarence McCray. Florence leaves lasting memories in the hearts of her two children, Alice McCray and Johnny (Dorothy) Banks, Jr., both of Arkadelphia; five grandchildren, Aaron (Michelle) McCray of Arkadelphia, Dwanna Banks of Little Rock, Marques McCray of Arkadelphia, Johnny (Vanessa) Banks, III, of Alexander and Mekesha Banks of Arkadelphia, five great-grandchildren, Jazmen, Allie, Symeon and Quiton Banks, all of Phoenix, Arizona, Kylee Mia McCray of Arkadelphia and a special daughter and friend Gloria Jones of Maumelle; one sister, Evelyn Singleton of Grand Rapids, Michigan and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous friends.