Palestine High School Alumni Association

10 / 20 / 1930  –  12 / 30 / 2006

Nelda Jewel Hudson Wilbanks was called home to be with her Lord on December 30, 2006. She passed away at Cartmell Home for Aged with her family by her side.

Services celebrating her life will be held at 10 a.m. Monday under the direction of Herrington/Land of Memory Funeral Home at Tennessee Colony Church. Officiating will be Paston Ken Dodson and Pastor Kevin Wilmott. Burial will follow at the Tennessee Colony Cemetery.

Mrs. Wilbanks was born on October 22, 1930 in Anderson County to Henry L. and Ashley Calloway Hudson.

She was preceded in death by her parents and sister Virginia Hudson Cross Taylor.

She is survived by her husband of 48 years, W.L. Wilbanks of Tennessee Colony; daughters Kay Wilbanks and Karen Klein, both of Tennessee Colony; a brother and his wife, Harold and Helen Hudson of Tennessee Colony; sister-in-law LaVeda Norris of Longview; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her loving grandson Erich Klein IV of Tennessee Colony, whom she dearly adored and loved.

Mrs. Wilbanks was a 1948 graduate of Palestine High School. She went on to attend Nixon Business College in Palestine.

She loved people and enjoyed working with the public. She happily served the public while being employed with the Anderson County Tax and Automobile Department. She was employed with the department under the offices of Carrie Pryor, Agnes Rogers, Betty Broyles and Connie Rose. She retired from the Tax and Automobile Department after many years of faithful, dedicated service.

In her retirement, she was a homemaker. She was an honored member of the Tennessee Colony Improvement Association. She is remembered for her dedicated service to the Association as she is recognized on the Wall of Honor of the Community Center.

In 1983, Nelda Wilbanks was declared the “First Lady” of the Tennessee Colony Volunteer Fire Department, an honor that is still upheld today. Mrs. Wilbanks was a long-time Christian member of the Tennessee Colony Church.

Serving as pallbearers will be nephews Mark Hudson, Wayne Cross and Dale Cross; cousin Harry E. Hudson; and friends Carl White and Joe Radford.

Visitation will be held at Herrington/Land of Memory Funeral Home from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Tennessee Colony Volunteer Fire Department or to the Cartmell Home for Aged, 2212 W. Reagan St., Palestine, Texas 75801.

Nelda Wilbanks lived a life full of love — love for God, love for her family and love for her friends.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her…Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (Proverbs 31:26-31)

Source: Palestine Herald-Press 12-31-2006