Kelsey Gale Banister

Kelsey Gale Banister of Amarillo died October 22, 2009, at the age of 62.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 26, 2009, at Lifeway Fellowship Baptist Church with Dr. Randy Davis officiating. Burial was in Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Mr. Banister was born July 12, 1947, at Adair Hospital in Clarendon to Hollis and Mary Banister. He was the youngest of four children. He attended schools in Lelia Lake, Hedley, and Clarendon. All of his younger years were spent helping on his family farm. He graduated from Clarendon High School in 1966. Then he attended Clarendon Junior College. There he met his wife, Ann Huff. They were married in 1969 in Pampa.

Kelsey and Ann lived all over Texas until they settled in Big Spring, where their daughter, Traci Dawn, was born. The family moved to Amarillo in 1978. Three years later, they had a son, Douglas Neal. Mr. Banister worked for Amarillo Linen for 15 years and then at Pantex for 16 years.

His passion was serving Christ. He was a member of Lifeway Fellowship Baptist Church. He was a deacon at his church. He led the men’s ministry breakfast, taught Sunday school, and helped in any capacity where he was needed. Other hobbies included Geocaching, surfing the Internet, and doting over his only grandchild, Nealey. Nealey will dearly miss her “Popa”. He was preceded in death by his parents; his mother-in-law, Audry Huff; and his son, Douglas.

Survivors include his wife Ann; one daughter, Traci Fredman and husband David of Amarillo; three siblings, Sue Leeper of Clarendon, Basil Banister of McKinney, and Patricia Johnston and husband Jim of Cannon City, Colo.; in-laws Virginia and R.E. Horton of Amarillo, Judy and Larry Loter of Amarillo, Monty and Robert Schaub of Pampa, Mellvinia Stocking of Pampa, George Huff of Pampa, Rusty Huff of Pampa, Diane Smith of Denver, Colo., and Norma Mitchell of Geronimo, Okla.; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; a host of friends; and his church families at Lifeway, South Georgia Baptist Church, Southlawn Baptist Church, and Lamount Drive Baptist Church.

Memorials may be sent to the Douglas Banister Scholarship c/o Lifeway Fellowship Baptist Church 3315 Hancock Amarillo, TX 79106. Send condolences to www.mem.com.