BANTA, George Caldwell

Johnson County Loses
Two Native Citizens

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GEORGE BANTA
DIES AT HOME

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George C. Banta, age 90, one of Johnson County’s oldest and best known native citizens died Thursday evening at his home in the Hopewell neighborhood, Mr. Banta had been in a critical condition for several weeks.

Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the Flinn funeral home here, followed by burial in Hopewell cemetery. The services were in charge of the Rev. H. Nathan Frederick, pastor of Hopewell church.

Casket bearers were Charles Math­ena, Earl LaGrange, J. B. Hicks, Lowell Hensley, Harvey Long and Otto Hen­derson.

Mr. Banta was the son of Peter J. and Mary Brewer Banta, and born July 8, 1850, on the farm where he spent the greater part of his life. The farm con­tained 137 acres entered by his grand­father Banta in 1826.

George Banta was one of a family of five children, and was the last member of the family. As a young man, he attended the Hopewell Academy, and later a commercial school in Pough­keepsie, N. Y.

He engaged in the drug business in Franklin for several years when a young man, but returned to the farm in 1882, where he continued to engage in farming until his health failed.

Mr. Banta was married October 17, 1878, to Miss Irene Vawter, of Mar­tinsville, and three children were born to them. The wife died in 1931, and the son, Frank Banta, with whom the father lived, is the only survivor of the immediate family. A grandson Frank Graham Banta survives, being a mem­ber of the faculty of the University of Maryland at College Park, Md.

Mr. Banta at the time of his death was one of the oldest living members of the Hopewell Presbyterian church. He also was a member of the Masonic lodge.

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Link to George Caldwell Banta’s grave

Note: Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899–2011, Indiana State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death Local No. 27 Registered No. 5150 records that George C. Banta died at 8:30 p. m. on 6 Feb 1941 in rural Johnson County, from cardiovascular renal ischemia of 2 years duration, aged 90 years, 6 months and 28 days. He was male, white, widowed and a farmer, born in Indiana. His wife's name was Irene Banta [sic]. He was born to Peter J. Banta and Mary Brewer (both born in Kentucky) on 8 July 1850. The informant was his son Frank Banta of Franklin R.R.. George was buried in Hopewell Cemetery, Franklin, Indiana R.R, on 8 Feb 1941, Flinn Funeral Home, funeral director.

Note: The other “native citizen” mentioned in the headline was John Alvin Clore.

Submitted by Mark McCrady, Cathea Curry and Lois Johnson