Mathilde "Hilda" Scharpf Banks

Canton - When reading the words of the poet, E. E. Cummings, “I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it…”, we are reminded of the immeasurable love we held for Mathilde “Hilda” Scharpf Banks, especially in the hearts of her family.

During the peaceful early morning hours of Tuesday, July 27, 2021 Hilda Scharpf Banks, age 81, left this life and entered into a glorious Heavenly place of peace.

Hilda was born November 20, 1939 to the late Josepf Scharpf and the late Centa Hartman Scharpf in Bad Wörishofen, Germany located in the heart of the Bavarian Alps and she often enjoyed sharing delightful memories of where she grew up with her family and friends.  This was her beloved home where she met the love of her life, Val Gene Banks, while he was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army honorably serving his country. This chance meeting began a true love story and an amazing life journey for these two special people.  In the year 1958, Val Gene returned to the States, bringing with him his beautiful wife Hilda and their precious first-born daughter to make their home in Canton.  Their lives were later blessed with three other wonderful children and together Hilda and Val Gene shared 64 ½ years of a happy marriage and life together.  A truly proud moment in Hilda’s life was becoming a citizen of the United States of America.  Our memories of Hilda remind us of the deep devotion to her family and the great pride and joy she had for each of her children and grandchildren. She was employed with Polly’s Florist in Canton for twenty dedicated years and she touched the lives of countless people with her charming smile, the sparkle in her eyes, and most importantly, her kind heart.  Hilda loved her home and she spent endless hours working in her garden among her lovely flowers. She enjoyed decorating for the holidays and she always had the perfect touch for making things extra special. She and Val Gene loved to travel, especially taking trips internationally but she was always delighted to return to her home in Canton. In the words of her family, “She was the unofficial Mayor of Canton” simply because she was so well-known and loved by everyone. Hilda held a strong faith and she was a member of Canton First Baptist Church. Our hearts are heavy as we feel the great loss of such a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. We shall miss her always. A sweet way to remember our precious Hilda would be to share a beautiful flower with someone, be kind and caring to others, and cherish each and every one of life’s special moments! She would be deeply pleased.

Surviving are her husband, Val Gene Banks; her children, Donna Cope and husband Michael of Canton, Sandra Lane and husband David of Talladega, Alabama, Doug Banks and wife Wendy of Asheville, and Teresa Swaringen and husband Kip of Zebulon; seven grandchildren that she cherished; brothers, William Scharpf, and Joseph Scharpf; sisters, Erica Wölfl, and Nanny Janisch; and also a multitude of dear friends.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, July 31, 2021 in the chapel of Crawford / Ray Funeral Home with Reverend Ray Shepard officiating. The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the funeral service. The Banks family request that guests practice all COVID-19 safety precautions to help keep everyone safe.  Burial will be in Crawford / Ray Memorial Gardens in Clyde. Serving as pallbearers will be Doug Banks, Bender Lowe, Jason Rask, Calvin Banks, David Lane, and Danny Gregg.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Leukemia Research Fund, 191 Waukegan Road, Suite 105, Northfield, IL 60093-2744.

Crawford/ Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service is honored to be caring for the Banks family.

The live stream of the funeral service may be viewed here

The Memorial Tribute Video may be viewed here