Beverly Jean Bankes

Beverly Bankes, age 91 of Viroqua, passed away on December 27, 2022 at Vernon Memorial Hospital. She was born on December 7, 1931 to Lester and Evelyn Cade in Crawford County.

Beverly graduated from Viroqua High School and worked at the bank uptown along with her sisters. She married Conrad Bankes on March 11, 1950. Due to Connie’s health the young couple and their newborn infant Michael Eugene moved to Long Beach, California in 1952. Connie worked for McDonnell Douglas from 1952 until he retired. Beverly worked for First National Bank which became, First Western Bank, which became Lloyds Bank and then Golden State Sanwa when she retired 36 years later. She worked her way up through the ranks from being a teller to a Regional Vice President and Operations Manager. She was well respected in her field. In the meantime, daughter Karen and son David were born.

Family was very important to Beverly. Every year from 1951 until 2003 the family would make the road trip from California to Wisconsin, visiting many National Parks and historical sites along the way. Once back in Wisconsin, the family would stay with her parents on the farm in Liberty Pole. After the children were grown and married, and Connie and Bev were retired they would often spend 3-4 months visiting family and friends in the Viroqua area. They also enjoyed traveling in their RV and joined a club that met once a month for a weekend and traveled to many new and exciting places. They had many good friends from work that they kept in touch with over the years. In November of 2003 Connie and Bev moved back to Wisconsin.

When the kids were younger, Connie and his brother Curt built a cabin near Big Bear Lake in southern California; for several years they roughed it with a potbelly stove, outhouse, and generator for electricity. It was some of the best times, playing cards with aunts, uncles and cousins around a huge table. In later years The Methodist Youth would have winter retreats and cram 50 – 60 kids in the cabin. There were lots of smiles and laughter. At their home in Norwalk, they had added a very large den that housed a pool table so that the kids and their friends would have a place to gather. The church youth also enjoyed several parties at the Bankes home.

Beverly was an exceptional homemaker as well as a career woman. She sewed most of her daughter’s clothes when she was young. Later in life, she made bedspread size quilts for her children and grandchildren, several of them being queen size. Crocheting and knitting were also among her talents. She loved crafting and each year contributed many items for the UMW craft sales including quilts that were auctioned off raising several thousand dollars for mission projects. She also could cook and bake. As nieces and nephews got married Beverly baked and decorated beautiful multi-tiered wedding cakes. One of the photographers offered to take photos and partner with her in a business. Neighbors and family members were also first in line at pie sales to get to Beverly’s pies first. I can still remember my birthday apple pies. Yum! Oh, and dad always had a from scratch German Chocolate cake for his birthday.

Bev was a woman of faith. As I sorted through her desk drawers yesterday, I noticed that the Upper Room devotional had had the pages turned back proving that someone was reading them. She was the church treasurer for many years, she volunteered at the local homeless shelter to balance and maintain their bank records, she served as UMW treasurer, taught Sunday School, lead Bible studies at senior centers, and was present to walk with people through terminal illnesses. I went with her several times to take meals and play games with women in a halfway home. She was there for anyone in need. She taught her children to welcome others and to accept them as they were. She taught her family to share what they had. There was always room at the table. She understood the heart of God.

Beverly is survived by her son Michael and wife Laura Bankes, daughter Rev. Karen Bankes, and son David Bankes as well as 5 grandchildren, Michael Jr. and Sally, Erik and Christie, Lester, Christian and Stephanie and Elizabeth and Jed Tarasi, there are 11 great grandchildren; brothers, Wyman and Carol Cade, Jerry Cade, David and Sheila Cade, and sisters Sandra and Richard Hall, and Judy and Paul Erickson; sister-in-law Kim Cade, and brother-in-law Bill Bourke. There are many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Beverly had become a surrogate mother to many of them after their own mothers had died.

Beverly was preceded in death by her husband Conrad Bankes; his siblings and their spouses Curt and Barb Bankes, Ervin and Marilyn Bankes, Joyce Arlene Bourke and John Noel, Shirley and Richard Authier; her parents Lester and Evelyn Cade; brother Donald Cade, Sisters Marjorie and Larry Trapp, Ramona and Carter Thompson; sister-in-law Connie Cade; grandchildren Sandra Louise Bankes and David Nathan Bankes as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers a memorial may be given in memory of Beverly to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) or HEIFER International.

A service of Death and Resurrection will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2022, at Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home, 123 W. Decker St. in Viroqua. Visitation will be on the same day from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. There will be a luncheon after the service with internment after lunch at the Liberty Pole Cemetery. Rev. Dianne Ciesluk will officiate at the services. Online Condolences may be expressed at www.vossfh.com.

Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home & Crematory is serving Beverly's family.

123 W. Decker St.

Viroqua, WI 54665

608-637-2100