Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory
http://www.heritagebattlefield.com
Stella Louise (Harrison) Bankston went home to be with her Lord and Savior on December 12, 2023 at the age of 78. We ache to hear her laugh again, but we have peace knowing that she is no longer suffering and has received her ultimate healing. Praise the Lord!
Born on March 28, 1945 in Stone Mountain, GA, she was the 5th of nine children born to Sam and Stella Harrison. Her family called her "Billie", but she was known outside of their home as "Louise".
Valedictorian of her class at Loganville High School, Louise received a full scholarship to Tift College where she majored in Education. At Tift, she met Lana Layfield, who would give her a new nickname, "Lucy", and eventually introduce her to Jerry Bankston. Louise and Jerry married in 1971 and had two children, Mark and Leslie.
Jerry and Louise raised their family in Warner Robins, GA, where Louise volunteered in ministry at Shirley Hills Baptist Church for many, many years. She was a Sunday School Teacher and a GA's leader. She served in Children's ministry by leading choir and helping coordinate elaborate musicals, organizing and chaperoning summer activities and trips, and leading vacation bible school.
Louise worked as a stay-at-home mother until her kids were in middle school. After working for a few years as the financial secretary for Shirley Hills, she returned to teaching school. Her school kids and her biological kids loved when she read to them. She did ALL the voices and made the books come alive!
Louise was a gifted musician who enjoyed using her gifts for praising her Lord. She sang in church choirs at several churches throughout the years. She was part of a ladies' trio in Warner Robins. She also sang with the Jubalheirs for several years, a choir comprised of ministers of music and others who serve in music ministries of Georgia Baptist churches. She even traveled to Russia on a tour with the group! She played in the handbell choir at both Shirley Hills and Ringgold First Baptist. When her daddy was in a nursing home, she and some of her siblings played music and sang for the residents monthly (Louise was on the piano).
Louise was quite an athlete. She played basketball for Tift College and played many other sports competitively including softball, tennis, racketball and bowling. She and her daughter were blessed to get to play softball together on the church softball team at Shirley Hills.
Her humor was her super-power. She had the gift of being able to make you laugh, on even the darkest of days. And those laughs were often accompanied by the greatest hugs you could ever know. She was a true light for Jesus. What a gift it was to know her.
She is preceded in death by her mother and father Sam and Stella Harrison, sisters Elizabeth Harrison and Marilyn Swift and brothers Kenneth Harrison and Ronnie Harrison. She is survived by her husband, Jerry Bankston, her son, Mark Bankston, her daughter, Leslie Bankston and her brothers Jason Harrison (Janice) and Allen Harrison (Shelley) and sisters Gloria Bienstock (Larry) and Marie Harrison.
Funeral services was held at 2:00 PM Monday, December 18th at Ringgold First Baptist Church, 7611 Nashville Street, Ringgold, Georgia 30736 with Pastor Eric Kennedy officiating with a visitation being held from 12:30 until 2:00 PM at the church on Monday. Interment followed at Catoosa Memorial Gardens.
The family received friends from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 PM on Sunday, December 17th at Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.
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The Catoosa County News
http://www.catoosanews.com
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