BANTA, Hugh H. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Judge Hugh H. Banta suffered a fatal heart attack Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 in the Rusk Cleaners Shop where he had called on his way home from his office. While the sudden death of such a prominent citizen is always a shock to the community, it was generally known that the judge's health the past few months had been seriously impaired. Having served a few days over one year of his second term, Judge Banta was 69 years old. He was born in Howard Twp, Parke County Dec 29, 1885, the son of Joseph and Armilda Allen Banta. He was reared in Sugar Creek Twp and on Oct 25, 1916. He was married to Beatrice Fisher. He practiced law in Parke Co. and was elected prosecutor for two terms. Following that, he was in the legal department of the Louisville land bank for 10 years and also for 10 years was with the Indianapolis office of the Internal Revenue Dept. During WWI he served overseas with the Salvation Army. Judge Banta was a member of the Rockville Methodist church, the local and state bar assoc, Kingman Lodge F& AM and the Scottish Rite. Survivors are the widow, Beatrice; a son, Capt. Hugh V. Banta, with the AF in San Antonio, TX; two brothers, Bruce of Rockville and Emory of Covington; two sisters, Mrs. Grace Martin of Pittsboro and Mrs. Effie Bowman of Veedersburg. The body was taken to the Branson funeral home and funeral services will be held in the funeral home at 1:00 o'clock Friday afternoon with burial in Memory Garden Cemetery, Revs. Chester Mahan and Hugh Craven will officiate.

Judge Hugh H. Banta, 69 years old, of the Parke Co. Circuit Court, died of a heart attack at 4:30 o'clock, this afternoon while at a dry cleaning plant. A former Parke Co. prosecutor, he was beginning his 8th year on the bench. Judge Banta, a Dem, was first elected to the Parke Co. Circuit bench in 1948 and as reelected to the judgeship 1954. A native of Parke Co he practiced law in Rockville for a number of years before serving two terms as prosecutor in the early 1920's. He was retained in the legal department of the Louisville Land Bank for about 10 years preceding 1936 when he accepted a post with the Internal Revenue Dept. at Indianapolis. After ten years he returned to Rockville and the practice of law. Judge Banta was a member of the Parke Co. 6th District and Indiana Bar Assoc., the Kingman Lodge F&AM; Indianapolis Consistory Scottish Rite Masons and the Rockville Methodist church. Surviving are the widow; Mrs. Beatrice Banta; one son, Capt. Hugh V. Banta with the US Air Force at San Antonio, TX; two brothers, Bruce Banta of Rockville and Emory Banta of Covington; and two sisters, Mrs. Grace Martin of Pittsboro and Mrs. Effie Bowman of Veedersburg. The body was taken to the Branson Funeral Home.

Rockville -- Judge Hugh H. Banta, 70, serving his 7th year on the bench of the Parke Circuit Ct died suddenly here at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday from a heart attack. Judge Banta had left his wife's abstract office on OHio Street on his way down town when the attack struck. He stopped in the Rusk Cleaners, across the street from his wife's office to rest after apparently becoming ill. He died moments later. Judge Bantas was elected to the Parke Bench in 1948 and was reelcted in 1954. He had just begun serving the second year of his second term. Prior to his election he had been associated with the Federal Land Bank in Louisville, Ky for about 10 years and had served as deputy collector of internal revenue at Indianapolis for a number of years. In the early 1920s he was prosecuting attorney of Parke Co. Born Dec 29, 1885 in Parke Co, he was the son of Joseph and Armilda Allen Banta. He married Beatrice Fisher on Oct 25, 1916. He was a member of the ROckville Methodist Church, the Kingman Lodge No. 8 F & AM, the Indianapolis Valley consistory of the Scottish Rite and Parke co. Sixth District and Indiana State bar Association. He is survived by his wife; a son, Capt. Hugh v. Banta, USAF, of San Antonio, Tx; two brothers, Bruce of Rockville and Emory of Covington; two sisters, MRs. Grace Martin of Pittsboro and Mrs. Effie Bowman of Veedersburg and a number of nieces & nephews. Funeral arrangements are incomplete pending word form Capt. Banta. The Branson Funearl Home is in charge.