John Charles Banks

Woodland Hills Funeral Home 507-387-5504

John Charles Banks, age 91, of Mankato, Minn., died Sunday, March 6 in Edina, Minn., from the complications of vascular parkinsonism.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Mankato with Fr. Andrew Whiting IVE, Celebrant. Immediately following mass, military honors will be held outside in front of the church, with a lunch and time of fellowship to follow in DeSmet Hall. Interment will be at Woodland Hills Memorial Park in Mankato. Visitation will be at the church one hour before the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred. Woodland Hills Funeral Home of Mankato is handling arrangements.

He was born on Nov. 23, 1930, in Spring Valley, Minn., to Mark W. and Kathleen C. (Ures) Banks, and was raised primarily in Mankato. He attended Loyola High School and served his country honorably with the U.S. Army. He was a veteran of the Korean War. He married Rosleen Dallmann on Dec. 27, 1954, in Mankato, and they adopted a son in 1967.

John worked as an insurance adjuster in the Twin Cities area before buying an independent insurance agency in Kasson, Minn., in 1974. After his retirement in 1995, he worked as a substitute teacher and volunteered as a driver for veterans needing a ride to the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis. He was active in numerous organizations, including the Civil Air Patrol, the Chamber of Commerce, and Dollars for Scholars. He was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

He loved to fly and was a private pilot for much of his adult life. Other hobbies including beekeeping, fishing, hunting and golf. He was a man of faith and integrity, and was an active member of the Catholic Church. By turns quiet and jovial, he was a keen observer who kept a repertoire of lighthearted one-liners at the ready.

In 2011, he and Rosie returned to the city of their youths, Mankato, where they remained until 2021, when they moved to an assisted-living facility in the Twin Cities area, closer to their son.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Rosie; his son, David, of Minneapolis; his sister, Gloria Huss, of Roseville; and many dear nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Bill; brother-in-law, Steve Huss; sister-in-law, Elfern Haefner, and her husband, Jerome; and brother-in-law, Arvid Dallmann, and his wife, Darleen.