Lillian Bannister

Lillian I. Bannister, 88, of Central City, died at her home in Central City on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.  Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at Solt-Wagner Funeral Home in Central City with Pastor Bill Stearns officiating.  Visitation will be held on Saturday, May 31 from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.  There will be a private family burial of ashes at Mamre Evangelical Free Church Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later time.  Condolences may be sent to the family at www.soltwagnerfuneral.com.
Lillian was born on September 16, 1936 to Floyd and Margaret (Anderson) Larson at their home near Marquette.  She attended District 94 for elementary school, then to Hordville High School graduating with the Class of 1954.  She was united in marriage to Ralph Bannister on May 24, 1959 at Mamre Evangelical Free Church near Marquette.  They moved to their farm near Hordville in 1963.  Lillian worked as a nurse’s aide in Columbus and Aurora for many years.  She also worked at Dairy Queen in Central City, the Merrick County Treasurer’s Office, and Wheeler’s until her retirement.  She remained on the farm until moving to Central City in September of 2020.
She was a member of Mamre Evangelical Free Church and served on the Ladie’s Aide at the church for many years.  She was also a member of Merry Mother’s Extension Club and was a Cub Scout Leader.  She loved to travel, including visiting all 50 states, as well as making quilts and crocheting afgans.  She enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles and playing Sudoku, but her greatest love was getting to spend time with her family.
Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, Ralph of Central City; her children, Dale (Tonya) Bannister of Marquette, Susan (Mark) Fitzgerald of Marquette, and Amy Bannister of Stromsburg; her sister, Marilyn Butt of Central City; sister-in-law, Margaret Hopwood of Columbia, MO; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Lorrie; her son, Gary; her daughter-in-law, Karen Bannister; her brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Carrie Bannister; brothers-in-law, Roger Butt and Rolland Hopwood; parents-in-law, Walter and Grace Bannister; granddaughter, Danielle Bannister and great grandson, Briggs Barton.