Willard Banks -- Pioneer Cemetery, Garland TX - Homemade Tombstones on Waymarking.com

The small splotch of concrete with a name and date scratched into it by hand with a nail marks the final resting place of Willard Banks, who we believe was an African-American, at Garland's Pioneer Cemetery. The tombstone reads "Willard Banks" and date of "March 16, 1936."

We have not been able to find a death certificate on Ancestry for Willard Banks, but we did find a 1930 US Census entry for a Willard Banks family who lived along the State Highway in Garland as follows:

Banks, Willard, head of the household, renting a home, $2 weekly rent, M, Neg, age 27, married at age 17, not attended school since 1929, can read and write, working as an odd jobs laborer, born in TX, mother and father born in TX

Banks, Harrite, wife, F, Neg, age 24, Married at age 14, not attended school since 1929, cannot read and write, working as a laundress from home, born in TX, mother and father born in TX

Banks, Willard, son, M, Neg, age 9, attended school since 1929, cannot read and write, born in TX, mother and father born in TX

Banks Thelmor, daughter, F, Neg, age 8, attended school since 1929, cannot read and write, born in TX, mother and father born in TX

Banks Nella V, daughter, F, Neg, age 5, has not attended school since 1929, cannot read and write, born in TX, mother and father born in TX

We also found this family in the 1940 US Census, minus son Willard. They were living in "Colored Town West of Bankhead Highway." The family consisted of Willard Banks, age 38, his wife Hattie, age 34, their children Thelma age 17, Nellie V age 15, Juan L age 5, Joe W. age 1, and and Jim Murphy age 1 month.

Working backwards, we found a birth certificate for Baby Banks, a Negro male born in Carthage Texas on 23 Sep 1920 to father Willard Banks (age 19) and mother Harriette (Simmons) Banks (16) of Carthage, both also recorded as of the Negro race. Hattie had been the mother of 1 child, of whom 1 was living at the time of this baby's birth.

Because we found father Willard Banks and son Willard Banks in the same household in 1930, and his child was missing in 1940 although the rest of the family was together, we think this homemade grave is for the child Willard Banks, who died at the age of 15 in 1936.

Date of Birth: 9/23/1920 Date of Death: 3/16/1936 Material: Concrete Web Site: [Web Link]

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