William Bankester

Celebration of Life services for William Logan Bankester of New Richland, MN, will be held at 10:30 AM Saturday, May 25, 2019 at the Bonnerup Funeral Service in Albert Lea, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Private family interment will be in the Hollandale Cemetery.Military honors will be accorded by the Albert Lea Area Veterans Groups. William was welcomed into the kingdom of heaven on Saturday, May 4, 2019 from the New Richland Care Center in New Richland, MN. He was 96 years of age. William was born August 28, 1922 in DeQuincy, LA, the son of Warren and Hasseltine (Duck) Bankester. He lived his early life in Reeves, LA, the youngest of five children. William left LA, at the age of 18 to go to Chicago to the Moody Bible Institute where he met Alice Saha, they married in 1943. Together they went on to have three children, David, Anita and Philip. His education was interrupted by WWll when he enlisted in the US Navy serving until the end of the war. He spent two years in the South Pacific. After returning from the war he returned to Chicago and graduated from Moody and Wheaton College and Seminary. Upon graduation from Wheaton in 1952, William accepted a call to serve at the Conservative Congregational Church in Hollandale where he served as Pastor for 20 years. In 1972 they moved to Freeport, IL, serving at Zion Church for 20 years. In 1993 they moved to Mazeppa, MN for one year at the Woodville Chapel before returning to the Hollandale Church for another 20 years. His final six years were spent as a resident of the New Richland Care Center, but he continued to minister there to staff and residents. William is survived by his children Anita (Jim) Reagan of Apple Valley, MN, David (Jane) Bankester of Puyallup, WA, Phil (Dorene) Bankester of Carbondale, IL. There are 10 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Alice of 72 years in 2016, three sisters and one brother. Blessed be his memory.