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Excerpt from the 1947 obituary of Dr. William H. Banks, published in the Juniata Journal, and reprinted in "When the Doctor Rode in a Gig."
Dr. William Hamlin Banks passed away at his home, Main Street, Mifflintown, on Wednesday, December 24, 1947, at 12:30 p.m., aged 85 years.
Dr. Banks was born on his father's farm in Fermanagh Township, Juniata County, on November 16, 1862, and was the oldest son of William and Jane Hamlin Banks.
He was educated at Happy Hollow and later taught at that school for several terms.
He attended the Lewistown Academy, where he was graduated in 1882. He returned to Mifflintown to read medicine with his uncle, Dr. Lucian Banks, later entering the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, and was graduated with the Class of 1889. He returned to Mifflintown and entered upon the practice of medicine with his uncle in an office above the L. Banks & Company Drug Store, where the United Telephone Exchange is now located.
On October 27, 1892, Dr. Banks was united in marriage with Bessie Jacobs Parker, daughter of Robert Evans and Catharine Jacobs Parker. To this union were born Dr. Robert Parker Banks, a practicing physician if Mifflintown; Mrs. Albert (Jane) Ely, Mrs. John (Catharine) Richardson, both of Glasgow, Ky.; William Hamlin Banks Jr., and Hugh McAlister Banks of Mifflintown. Ten grandchildren and the following brothers and sisters also survive him: Mrs. Ella Neely, Mrs. Ezra Parker, and Mr. Andrew Banks of Mifflintown. Mrs. Banks preceded him in death, having passed away May 19, 1934.
Dr. Banks was an active practitioner in Mifflintown for 58 years. He had a keen active mind and his service was much sought after by many persons. A man of lofty principles and high ideals. His head was clear and his heart warm. His faith in the rightness of things was firm and his courage high to the end. Long will his memory be cherished by all whose lives were happily touched by his.
He was alert to the advances of medicine and kept up on the latest developments. Early and late he responded to the calls of those in need of help, and many will attest to his kind and sympathetic manner. …
He remained active until 24 hours before his death when he was suddenly seized with severe abdominal pain, for which there was no cure. On November 14, two days before his 85th birthday, while crossing the street, he was struck by an automobile and, even though he returned to his practice a few days later, he never fully recovered his full vigor of mind and body.
Under President Cleveland's second administration, he held the office of examining surgeon for United States Pensions. He was a director and one of the organizers of the Mifflintown and Patterson Electric Light Company, and was Health Officer under Dr. Lee, who was the founder of the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
He served as county medical director from 1890 to 1938.
During World War I, he acted as examining physician for the Juniata County Draft Board. He was surgeon to the Pennsylvania Railroad for over 45 years, retiring only last year when the superintendent of the railroad requested because of his faithful service that he remain in and advisory capacity.
He was president of the committee which staged the Juniata County Centennial in 1931. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Mifflintown, the Juniata County Medical Society, serving several terms as its president. The Pennsylvania State Medical Society and the American Medical Association in which he was a "fellow."
He has been president of the Mifflintown Water Co. for many years, and was also a trustee of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, Mifflintown. It was solely through his efforts that the stone wall and wrought iron gates were placed around the Presbyterian Cemetery. …
He is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery.