Verna Banes

Verna Maxine Baker Banes, 92, of Huntsville, TX was born September 27, 1920 in Aquilla, Hill County, Texas to Tom Bell and Flossie (Vaughan) Baker, their only child. She was married to Anthony (Tony) Vincent Banes on October 16, 1943 at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. She died February 1, 2013 in Huntsville, TX. Verna was the valedictorian of the 1938 class of Aquilla High School. In 1942 she graduated from Baylor University and later attended Trinity University and California State University at Northridge, CA. After living in Texas, Illinois, and Oklahoma and teaching school in Speegleville, Groesbeck and San Antonio, Verna and Tony moved to the Los Angeles, California area. Verna taught elementary and junior high school for the Los Angeles Unified School District until her retirement. While teaching in Los Angeles, she taught several well-known students who were in the entertainment field. In 1987 they moved to Austin, TX and then later to Huntsville, TX which has been their home for the last 25 years. She accepted Christ as her Savior at the age of ten and served faithfully in many capacities in various Southern Baptist Churches. In 1983 she was ordained as a Deacon at the Highland Park Baptist Church in Austin. In 1987 she and her husband joined the First Baptist Church in Huntsville. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Colonists, Daughters of the American Revolution, United Daughters of 1812 and the Walker County Texas Genealogical Society. For a number of years she wrote Family Connections, the weekly genealogy column for the Huntsville Item. Verna also wrote and published the Vaughan, Etc. Newsletter which was designed to bring together people researching that surname. She was a member of the Walker County AARP, and along with her husband taught the Safe Driving Class for five years. Survivors include her loving and devoted husband of 69 years Anthony V. Banes, son Stanley Banes and wife Beth of Garland, TX, son Anthony Vincent Banes, Jr. and wife Hildegard of Silver Spring, MD, and daughter and husband Rebecca and Harvey Krohn of Huntsville, TX. Grandchildren: Robert Banes (wife Amanda), Scott Banes (wife Tiana), Matthew Banes (wife Melissa), Micah Banes, Natalie Banes Meyers (husband Brett), John Mauk (wife Jessica), Brian Krohn (wife Kendall), Marcus Krohn (wife Rebecca), and Rachel Krohn McDown (husband RJ). Great-grandchildren: Colton Banes, Hunter Banes, Katie Banes, Mia Mauk, Ayla Mauk, Blake Meyers, Riley Krohn and Zachary McDown. Visitation will be held Monday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville, TX. Graveside services will be at the Vaughan Cemetery near Hillsboro in Hill County, Texas, on Tuesday, February 5th at 1:30 pm. The family appreciates the love and assistance shown to Verna from the staff at The Lexington Center and the Ella Smither Geriatric Center and from Dr. Knuth In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the charity of your choice..Those wishing to leave memorial condolences for the family may do so at www.shmfh.com.

Verna Banes

September 27, 1920 - February 5, 2013