Ione Banasik

Ione Mary Banasik, 82, of Langdon, ND, entered into rest July 21. Following two strokes, she passed away at the Maple Manor Care Center at Langdon.



Ione Mary Wilhelmi, the daughter of Louis and Stella (Shelley) Wilhelmi was born April 1, 1928, at the family farm in Loma, ND. She attended grade school at the Loma country school and graduated from St. Alphonsus High School in 1946. She later received a teaching certificate from Valley City State Teachers College and taught in the country school near the Wilhelmi farm.



She married John H. (Jack) Banasik on June 18, 1949, at St. Alphonsus Church. Following their marriage, they lived in Langdon where Jack worked as a mechanic for Ramage & Son, General Motors and eventually started his own business, Banasik Motors, in 1972. Ione lived in the Langdon area all of her life except for two years spent in Libby, MT.



Ione is survived by her husband, five children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Her children are: Patricia (Tony) Lorenz of Kennewick, WA, and daughters Angela (Tom) Rothrock of Liberty Lake, WA, and Tracy (Calvin) Stewart of Pasco, WA; Joan (Tom) Dodd of Westlake Village, CA, and daughter Jenne (Riley) Finnigan and son, Casey John “C.J.” Skyberg, Spokane, WA; Raymond Banasik and son, Brent Banasik and daughter, Brianne Banasik, Spokane, WA; Ronald Banasik; and Janis Banasik of Bismarck, ND, and daughters Elizabeth (Klein) Anderson (Lucas), Minnetonka, MN, Ruth (Klein) Thomas (Kyle), Issaquah, WA, and Austin Klein, Bismarck, ND. Her great grandchildren are Brennain, Kaeden and Kaylee Finnigan and Preston and Kali Rothrock.



She is also survived by eight siblings, Edward Wilhelmi of Maple Manor in Langdon, Jeanne (John) Hoiland of Denver, CO, Charlotte (Leo) Haggerty of Lakewood, CA, Betty (Bob) Bata of Langdon, Louis, Jr. (JoLeen) of Anoka, MN, Arlene (John) Leisen of St. Cloud, MN, Sharon (Vern) Wick of Grand Forks, ND, and Gerald (Marcia) Wilhelmi of Badger, MN. She is also survived by three Wilhelmi sisters-in-law, Sue (Alvin) Wilhelmi of San Jose, CA, Janet (Wally) Wilhelmi of Placentia, CA and Kenny's second wife, June, of Lincoln, NB. On the Banasik side, she is survived by sisters-in-law: Eva Banasik of Fargo, ND and Donna Foreman of Tulsa, OK; brothers-in-law Gordon (Joan) Banasik of Watervleit, MI, Allyn (Laurie) of Fargo, ND and Gene Lowery of Tulsa, OK.



She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers Daniel, Kenneth, Wallace and Alvin; three sisters Kathleen Wilhelmi, Colleen Loff and Lucille Waltz; twins Joseph and Mary, who only survived for nine hours, were born between Ione and Charlotte; and in-laws Edward Waltz, Robert Loff, and Lanetta (Brooks) Wilhelmi (Kenny's first wife).



Next to her steadfast faith, Ione cherished her family, friends and loved being a good neighbor and an active part of the Langdon community. She took pride in preparing meals and enjoyed cooking and baking. Ione was known for being a welcoming, kind-hearted, sharing person who always had the coffee pot on and a helping hand extended. She was a talented seamstress who was taught to sew by her mother-in-law, Frieda (Banasik) Green. She also loved to knit, crochet, embroider and complete complex afghans, cross-stitch creations and lace doilies among other things. Ione spent many hours writing letters, gathering memories, scrapbooking, watching sports either on television or in person, and fishing/camping throughout North Dakota, Canada, Lake of the Woods and at Cass Lake, MN. Ione and Jack have spent the winter months in Yuma, AZ, for the past 15 years. Ione served as a member of the St. Alphonsus Altar Society and the Hospital Auxiliary for many years.



A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, July 24, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Langdon.

Visitation will be on Friday, July 23, at the Brooks Funeral Home of Langdon, ND, from 2:00 to 7:00 with a Vigil at 7:00 p.m.

Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Langdon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Cavalier County Memorial Hospital.