Carrie Pope Banks was born in Champaign, Illinois at 808 North
Prairie Street, the daughter of Cecil and Carrie Lee Pope. She
attended the Gregory School, the Champaign Junior High School
(now Central) and graduated from the Champaign Senior High School
(now Edison Middle School) in 1940. She attended the University
of Illinois for two years.
During WW II, Carrie took and passed the Civil Service Exam,
entered and completed a brief training period in Chicago after
which she worked until the War was over. Meanwhile she became
engaged to Mr. Nathaniel Banks who was stationed in Germany as
Army Personnel and upon his discharge on December 7, 1945, they
planned for a wedding on June 2, 1946, in the Bethel A.M.E. Church.
To this union were born three children, Nathaniel C. Banks, Deborah
Banks and David Banks. Carrie was a stay-at-home Mom until 1962
until their children were at an age when she could apply for and
accept employment outside the home.
Carrie Pope Banks started her career with the Illinois Power
Company in 1962 and retired in 1987 after 25 years of service.
Her late husband spent more than 30 years as an employee of the
University of Illinois, retiring in 1984. He died in 1998. They
were married for 52 years.
Carrie belonged to the Bethel A.M.E. Church where she was a member
of the Choir; the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Lay Organization
and the Lou Anna Riley Missionary Society; she also was a member
of the Deborah Chapter #27, Order of Eastern Star (founded by
her Grandmother Louetta Smith Lee) and the Committee on African-American
History in Champaign County.
Carrie Pope Banks was the proud Grandmother of three wonderful
grandsons, the children of Nathaniel and Lisha Banks.
Carrie Pope Banks
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denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.