CLARK BANKS obituary

Clark Banks, 84, died March 29, 2010, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes. Viewing will be held at the Van Orsdel United Methodist Church one hour before service. His funeral service will be held 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 2, 2010, at the church, with Pastor Eddie Fallo officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Memorials in Clark's honor may be made to the Kremlin Fire Department, the Kremlin Park or the Kremlin Methodist Church. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Clark was born Dec. 1, 1925, south of Kremlin, on his grandfather's homestead. When his grandfather became ill in the fall of 1931, Clark went to live at the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder, Mont. He lived at Boulder for 16 years where he was trained in horticulture. In April 1947, he came back to the Havre/ Kremlin area working at various jobs including laying waterlines and working on an ice gang at the Fresno Reservoir. He settled back in Kremlin working for various farmers and doing odd jobs around town. His last job around Kremlin was doing gardening at the home of Robert and Kathryn Rinehart. Due to ill health Clark retired in 2001 and moved to the Eagles Manor in Havre. After being injured in an accident in November 2002, he moved to the Northern Montana Care Center, which was his home until his death. He was a faithful member of Kremlin Methodist Church. Many jobs around the church were filled by Clark. He shoveled snow, ushered and was the official greeter. Clark volunteered for many years at the Kremlin Volunteer Fire Department, remaining as honorary assistant fire chief until his death. Clark's family in his early years was his mother, Edna, and his grandfather, Spencer. The community of Kremlin filled the role of family in his middle years. He was so honored when in 2004, he was contacted by cousins, Tom and Jan Hooker. He finally had family to connect with. He enjoyed the annual visits by Tom and Jan and loved meeting his cousins Bruce and Judy. He was preceded in death by his mother, Edna Banks in 1968; his grandfather, Spencer Banks in 1957; his cousin, Vivian Ragland in 2004; and cousin, Esther Brindley in 2007. Clark is survived by his Kremlin community family, special friends Dallas and Jan Donoven and family and Neil and Lylas McCormick and family. Also surviving, his Minnesota family, Tom and Jan Hooker, Bruce Hooker and Judy Cassady.