On May 16, 1927 a baby girl was born in Beggs, Oklahoma to Houston Brazil and Eugenia Shilo Brazil. They named her Erma Jean. She was the 7th of 11 children born to the family. Erma grew up surrounded by her brothers: Floyd, Lonzo, Oce, and Houston, Jr., and her sisters Venice, Mildred, Tut, Mary, Eulala, and Barbara. As a child, she was called Erma. She was always happy, and enjoyed making friends. She received her formal education in Beggs, where she graduated from Wheatley High School.

Erma was united in holy matrimony to Lloyd Banks. The couple met in Palo Alto, California where they resided until Mr. Banks passed way. She then moved to Denver, Colorado where she was a member of Macedonia Baptist Church and served under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Dr. Acen Phillips. Her parents became ill and she moved back to Beggs to take care of them, and her daughter Wonda Faye who lost her eye sight. When her parents passed away, she moved to Tulsa to help her daughter and son in-law.

She became ill in 2010 and lived at the Green Country Nursing Home. She departed this life on December 3, 2013 to the Lord's Embrace. Erma was preceded in death by her husband Lloyd, son Robbie, parents, three brothers, and five sisters. She leaves to cherish her memories: one daughter, Wonda Faye, and son in-law Jerry Hendricks, one grandson Adam Hendricks, three great-grandchildren, one sister Eulala C. James, Tulsa, OK., a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.

Her services will be Tuesday December 10, 2013 at 11AM inside our Chapel of Peace in Okmulgee.

Friends may visit her on Monday from 12Noon until 5PM in Okmulgee.