Etta Wilbanks Williams, 94, formerly of 118 Rice St., died Aug. 19, 2003, at Martha Franks Retirement Home in Laurens.
Born in Greenville, she was a daughter of the late John Bunyan and May McMahon Wilbanks and was the widow of George W. Williams.
She was a graduate of Parker High School, class of 1925. Raised in a musical family, Etta, Clara and Blanche were the Wilbanks Trio who sang for funerals for Thomas McAfee Funeral Home and other funeral homes since 1929. After the deaths of Clara and Blanche, a sister, Alvah Aiken, and a friend who Clara had taught, Eva Davis, joined Etta, and they kept singing until Etta became ill. Etta also served as organist at City View Baptist Church, where she was also church secretary. The trio also gave programs at other churches, especially at Christmas. Etta was a part of the Martha Franks Singers. Before her illness, she was a faithful member of Augusta Heights Baptist Church and was a former choir member.
Surviving are a sister, Alvah Wilbanks Aiken, and her husband, Harold W. Aiken Sr., of Gray Court; a brother, James Thurman Wilbanks, of Greenville; three stepchildren, Jack Williams, of Greenville, Angie W. Stacks, of San Rafeal, Calif., and Betty W. Moore, of Columbia; two nephews, Bill Aiken and Larry Bunyan Aiken, of Gray Court; and three nieces, Ann Wilbanks Jones, of Atlanta, Martha Wooten Wilson, of Anderson, and Jeri W. Brown, of Greenville. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Ruth Wooten, Clara Wilbanks and Blanche Cooksey.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Augusta Heights Baptist Church, 3018 Augusta Road, Greenville, SC 29605; or to Martha Franks Retirement Center, 1 Martha Franks Drive, Laurens, SC 29360.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown Chapel, with visitation prior to the service from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Burial will be at Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family is at the residence of Alvah Aiken, 985 Piney Grove School Road, Gray Court.
Published in The Greenville News on August 20, 2003
Born in Greenville, she was a daughter of the late John Bunyan and May McMahon Wilbanks and was the widow of George W. Williams.
She was a graduate of Parker High School, class of 1925. Raised in a musical family, Etta, Clara and Blanche were the Wilbanks Trio who sang for funerals for Thomas McAfee Funeral Home and other funeral homes since 1929. After the deaths of Clara and Blanche, a sister, Alvah Aiken, and a friend who Clara had taught, Eva Davis, joined Etta, and they kept singing until Etta became ill. Etta also served as organist at City View Baptist Church, where she was also church secretary. The trio also gave programs at other churches, especially at Christmas. Etta was a part of the Martha Franks Singers. Before her illness, she was a faithful member of Augusta Heights Baptist Church and was a former choir member.
Surviving are a sister, Alvah Wilbanks Aiken, and her husband, Harold W. Aiken Sr., of Gray Court; a brother, James Thurman Wilbanks, of Greenville; three stepchildren, Jack Williams, of Greenville, Angie W. Stacks, of San Rafeal, Calif., and Betty W. Moore, of Columbia; two nephews, Bill Aiken and Larry Bunyan Aiken, of Gray Court; and three nieces, Ann Wilbanks Jones, of Atlanta, Martha Wooten Wilson, of Anderson, and Jeri W. Brown, of Greenville. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Ruth Wooten, Clara Wilbanks and Blanche Cooksey.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Augusta Heights Baptist Church, 3018 Augusta Road, Greenville, SC 29605; or to Martha Franks Retirement Center, 1 Martha Franks Drive, Laurens, SC 29360.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown Chapel, with visitation prior to the service from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Burial will be at Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family is at the residence of Alvah Aiken, 985 Piney Grove School Road, Gray Court.
Published in The Greenville News on August 20, 2003
Etta Wilbanks Williams, 94, formerly of 118 Rice St., died Aug. 19, 2003, at Martha Franks Retirement Home in Laurens.
Born in Greenville, she was a daughter of the late John Bunyan and May McMahon Wilbanks and was the widow of George W. Williams.
She was a graduate of Parker High School, class of 1925. Raised in a musical family, Etta, Clara and Blanche were the Wilbanks Trio who sang for funerals for Thomas McAfee Funeral Home and other funeral homes since 1929. After the deaths of Clara and Blanche, a sister, Alvah Aiken, and a friend who Clara had taught, Eva Davis, joined Etta, and they kept singing until Etta became ill. Etta also served as organist at City View Baptist Church, where she was also church secretary. The trio also gave programs at other churches, especially at Christmas. Etta was a part of the Martha Franks Singers. Before her illness, she was a faithful member of Augusta Heights Baptist Church and was a former choir member.
Surviving are a sister, Alvah Wilbanks Aiken, and her husband, Harold W. Aiken Sr., of Gray Court; a brother, James Thurman Wilbanks, of Greenville; three stepchildren, Jack Williams, of Greenville, Angie W. Stacks, of San Rafeal, Calif., and Betty W. Moore, of Columbia; two nephews, Bill Aiken and Larry Bunyan Aiken, of Gray Court; and three nieces, Ann Wilbanks Jones, of Atlanta, Martha Wooten Wilson, of Anderson, and Jeri W. Brown, of Greenville. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Ruth Wooten, Clara Wilbanks and Blanche Cooksey.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Augusta Heights Baptist Church, 3018 Augusta Road, Greenville, SC 29605; or to Martha Franks Retirement Center, 1 Martha Franks Drive, Laurens, SC 29360.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown Chapel, with visitation prior to the service from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Burial will be at Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family is at the residence of Alvah Aiken, 985 Piney Grove School Road, Gray Court.
Published in The Greenville News on August 20, 2003
Born in Greenville, she was a daughter of the late John Bunyan and May McMahon Wilbanks and was the widow of George W. Williams.
She was a graduate of Parker High School, class of 1925. Raised in a musical family, Etta, Clara and Blanche were the Wilbanks Trio who sang for funerals for Thomas McAfee Funeral Home and other funeral homes since 1929. After the deaths of Clara and Blanche, a sister, Alvah Aiken, and a friend who Clara had taught, Eva Davis, joined Etta, and they kept singing until Etta became ill. Etta also served as organist at City View Baptist Church, where she was also church secretary. The trio also gave programs at other churches, especially at Christmas. Etta was a part of the Martha Franks Singers. Before her illness, she was a faithful member of Augusta Heights Baptist Church and was a former choir member.
Surviving are a sister, Alvah Wilbanks Aiken, and her husband, Harold W. Aiken Sr., of Gray Court; a brother, James Thurman Wilbanks, of Greenville; three stepchildren, Jack Williams, of Greenville, Angie W. Stacks, of San Rafeal, Calif., and Betty W. Moore, of Columbia; two nephews, Bill Aiken and Larry Bunyan Aiken, of Gray Court; and three nieces, Ann Wilbanks Jones, of Atlanta, Martha Wooten Wilson, of Anderson, and Jeri W. Brown, of Greenville. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Ruth Wooten, Clara Wilbanks and Blanche Cooksey.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Augusta Heights Baptist Church, 3018 Augusta Road, Greenville, SC 29605; or to Martha Franks Retirement Center, 1 Martha Franks Drive, Laurens, SC 29360.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown Chapel, with visitation prior to the service from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Burial will be at Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family is at the residence of Alvah Aiken, 985 Piney Grove School Road, Gray Court.
Published in The Greenville News on August 20, 2003
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