Ernest Banks (1931 - 2015)

Born 31 Jan 1931 in Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mollie Louise (Ector) Banks — married about 1952 (to about 1959) in Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States

Husband of Eloyce Benton (Johnson) Banks — married 23 Jul 1959 (to 15 Feb 1983) in Nevada, United States

Died 23 Jan 2015 at age 83 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Ernest Banks is Notable.

Ernest Banks was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Ernest Banks was a professional baseball player who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 and regarded by some as one of the greatest players of all time. In 2013, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to sports. His uniform number 14 has been retired by the Chicago Cubs.^[1][2]

Ernest Banks was born on January 31, 1931, in Dallas, Texas, United States. His parents were Eddie Lee Banks (1894 - 1978) and Vanessa "Essie" (Durden) Banks (1912 - 2009).^[3] He was the second of twelve children, and was raised by his parents in Dallas.^[4][5] He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1950, lettering in basketball, football and track; the school did not have a baseball team.^[1] Ernest was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951, and served in Germany during the Korean War. He served as a flag bearer in the 45th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion at Fort Bliss,^[6] where he played with the Harlem Globetrotters on a part-time basis. He was discharged in 1953.^[1]

Ernest began his major league baseball career when he signed with the Chicago Cubs in late 1953, making his major league debut on September 17 at age 22. He was the Cubs' first African-American player. Ernest had a long career with many achievements. He retired in 1971 with a total of 512 home runs; his 277 home runs as a shortstop were a career record at the time of his retirement. As of 2022, he still holds Cubs records for games played (2,528), at-bats (9,421), extra-base hits (1,009) and total bases (4,706). In addition to his batting excellence; he won an NL Gold Glove Award for shortstop in 1960.^[7]

He married four times; his first wife was Mollie Louise Ector whom he married in 1953 in Dallas, Texas.^[8] They divorced in 1959.

Ernest married Eloyce Benton Johnson on July 23, 1959, in Nevada.^[9] They had twin sons and a daughter before divorcing.

He married Marjorie Marie Wardlaw on June 14, 1984, in Los Angeles, California.^[10]

And he married Liz Ellzey in 1997 in Barbados.^[11] Liz adopted an infant daughter in 2009; at the time Ernest and Liz were separated. Ernest consented to the adoption but did not himself adopt the girl.^[12]

Ernest was a Freemason, Fidelity Lodge No. 103, Chicago, Illinois.

He was a member of the Prince Hall Masons, Fidelity Lodge No. 103, Chicago, Illinois.^[13]

Ernest died on January 23, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois, aged 83. He is buried in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois.^[14][15]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Wikipedia: Ernie Banks
2. ↑ https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/2013/11/22/2013-medal-freedom-recipient-ernie-banks
3. ↑ "Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6LJ-W52 : 4 April 2020), Ernest Banks, 30 Jan 1931; citing Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States, certificate 2055, Texas Department of Health, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,281,312
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4QB-2JZ : accessed 24 January 2015), Earnest Banks in household of Edna Mae Banks, Tract 17, Dallas, Justice Precinct 1, Dallas, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 255-80, sheet 11A, family 263, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 417
5. ↑ 1950 Census: "1950 United States Federal Census"
   United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll: 428; Sheet Number: 17; Enumeration District: 259-200
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #191579559 (accessed 20 October 2022)
   Earnest Warren (19), single son, in household of Eddie Banks (55) in Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
6. ↑ Veteran of the Day Ernest Banks
7. ↑ Baseball Hall of Fame bio for Ernest Banks
8. ↑ Marriage: "Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1837-1965"
   Dallas County Clerk's Office; Dallas, Texas; Dallas County Marriage Records
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 9168 #131256473 (accessed 20 October 2022)
   Mollye Ector marriage to E??nest Banks on 6 Apr 1953 in Dallas, Texas, USA.
9. ↑ Marriage: "Nevada, U.S., Marriage Index, 1956-2005"
   Page: I02
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1100 #9394734 (accessed 20 October 2022)
   Earnest Banks marriage to Eloyce Johnson on 23 Jul 1959.
10. ↑ Marriage: "California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985"
    State of California. California Marriage Index, 1960-1985. Microfiche. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1144 #3535412 (accessed 20 October 2022)
    Ernest Banks (52) marriage to Marjorie M Wardlawholm on 14 Jun 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
11. ↑ Ebony Magazine, Feb 1998, p. 120
12. ↑ Ernie Banks Estate Controversy
13. ↑ https://phaohio.org/famous-prince-hall-masons
14. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 12 July 2020), memorial page for Ernie “Mr. Cub” Banks (31 Jan 1931–23 Jan 2015), Find A Grave: Memorial #141714254, citing Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA; Maintained by Find A Grave.
15. ↑ Obituary

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q3051017, en:Wikipedia
• http://wgntv.com/2015/01/23/cubs-legend-ernie-banks-has-died/