Effie A. Banta

Effie A. Banta of Lyons, Colorado passed away June 20, 2015 at Longmont United Hospital. She was 92 years old.Effie was born on December 18, 1922 in Skiddy, Kansas to Reuben Peter and Alice (Flood) Hughes. She grew up on a farm without electricity and lived through the dustbowl in Oklahoma; graduating as valedictorian at the local one room school house near Wakita, OK.She attended nursing school at the University of Oklahoma and Vanderbilt University. She met and married her husband, Bill Banta, at the University of Oklahoma. Together they moved throughout the Western United States for Bill's job as a geologist. They moved from Norman OK, to Lewiston, MT, to Sterling, CO, to Casper, WY, to Denver, CO, to San Diego, CA; Effie settled in Lyons, CO in 2009 to be closer to her family. She was very good at making friends and fitting into a new community.Effie was a nurse and a homemaker and she ran her husband's oil and gas investment business from the time of his passing in 1994 until her death.She attended the Lyons Community Church. She joined the Geowives club in her early married life, where she developed friendships that lasted for more than 60 years. She was proud of her involvement in the Blue Envelope program she initiated in Casper, WY to test school children for strep throat, greatly reducing the incidence of rheumatic fever. She and Bill traveled the world taking month-long trips to explore many countries and continents. Together they went to Europe, Australia, the South Pacific, Africa, South America, China, and many other exotic locations across the globe. Effie loved playing bridge, reading mysteries and doing crossword puzzles.Effie was preceded in death by her husband Bill; her son Peter Banta; her daughter Teresa Banta; one grandson John Banta, Jr.; her parents; and a sister Jane Mahoney.She is survived by her sons Lloyd Banta and his wife Sandy, and John Banta, Sr. and his wife Sharon; her grandchildren Kelly Saville, Lisa Banta and spouse Jim Heinrich, Benjamin Banta and Lucille Banta; her sister Nancy McDade and husband George; and nephews Pat, Mike, Bill, and Jim Mahoney, Chuck and David McDade.A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Friday June 26, 2015 at the Lyons Community Church, 350 Main St., Lyons, CO. Cremation entrusted to Ahlberg Funeral Chapel and Crematory. Memorial contributions can be made to the Lyons Community Foundation or Habitat for Humanity, Longmont. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.