William Y. Ban[n]ister of Gibson County, Tennessee
William Y. Ban[n]ister (1812-1881), the son of James Banister (c1790-c1864) and Rebecca Thetford (1811-aft 1865) of Caldwell County, Kentucky, arrived in Gibson County by 23 Dec. 1834 when he obtained a license to marry Elizabeth Con[n]ell (1816-1881). John Thetford was the bondsman for this union.
The children of William and Elizabeth (Connell) Banister were: James Madison b. ca 1836, married Roda Hague in 1859; Arena J., b. ca 1839, married George Edwards in 1864; Aretha, b. ca 1841; Albany Edeline, b. 28 Feb 1843, married T.J. Michael in 1870; Rebecca, b. ca 1845, married George W. Mullins in 1865; John Simon, b. 12 Jul 1847, married Martha Ellen Michael in 1875; Amelia Elizabeth, b. 27 May 1849, married L.C. Baker in 1889; William James, b. ca 1851, married Mary T. Pounds in 1873; and, Mary Hepsy, b. ca 1856, married George A. Taylor in 1882
William and Elizabeth are buried in the Bradford (Old Baker) Cemetery. Their son James Madison Banister a member of Company G, 12th Tennessee Infantry, C.S.A. is buried nearby.
John Simon Banister, the eldest surviving son following the death of James, and Martha Ellen Michael who were married 2 Dec 1875 in Gibson County continued to live near Bradford where they reared seven children. The children were: Willie Eller, b. 14 Aug 1876 – d. 27 Sep 1876; John Henry, b. 24 Sep 1877 – d. 13 Oct 1958; Ada Florence, b. 21 Mar 1879 – d. 8 Sep 1897; William Washington, b. 24 Nov 1881 – d. 15 Aug 1945; James Thomas, b. 19 Aug 1884 – d. 16 Oct 1885; Samuel Wilson, b. 27 Aug 1888 – d. 2 Jun 1971; and, Cleavy Ellen, b. 26 Dec 1892 – d. ___.
John Simon and Martha Ellen Banister are interred at the Locust Grove Church of Christ Cemetery.
John Henry Bannister did not wish to be a farmer like his father and grandfather had been. When he was eighteen years old he left Gibson County and traveled north to Mayfield, Kentucky where he found a job as a waiter. With opportunities still abounding in the West, he joined a railroad surveyor’s crew that took him to El Reno, Oklahoma in 1900. He and a partner established the Merchants Café. In 1904 on a trip to Gibson County to visit his relatives, Henry met Tenny King the daughter of John Ransom King and Elizabeth “Belle” Butler from Carroll County. Henry and Tenny were married 18 Jan 1905 in Gibson County. They are pictured on their wedding day.
After returning to Oklahoma, Henry bought out his partner and established the Bannister Brothers Restaurant in El Reno. His brothers William “Bill” and Samuel “Sam” joined him there soon afterwards.
Roger O. Willingham
67 S. Wulff St.
Cary, IL. 60013-2525