CATHERINE BARKER ALLISON, age 90, died Dec. 21,
2005 in Abilene, TX, with burial in the Garden of
Memories Cemetery at Sweetwater, TX.
Catherine was born on Nov. 9, 1915 in Big Spring,
TX. She married George Edwin Allison (RHS-1933) in
Aug. of 1937 at Ranger, TX.
She started her banking career at the age of 17 at the
Ranger Community State Bank; she graduated from Ranger
High School & Ranger Jr. College and attended South-
western Banking School at SMU; she was the first
woman to serve on a financial board in Nolan County.
She was employed by First National Bank on July 11,
1954; she had been Executive Vice President of the
First National Bank in Sweetwater and started their
Trust Department 50 years ago on Feb. 10, 1956; she
was a member & secretary of the Board of Directors
for the bank from 1980 until 2000; she was an officer
for the Texas Banker's Association; lived in Sweetwater
since 1945 and was a member of the First Baptist Church.
She was a member of the Baptist Memorial Ministry of the
Southern Baptist Convention for 26 years and served as
chairman several years. She was on the committee that
developed Sagecrest.
Survivors include: sister, Elizabeth Barker Ball (RHS-
1942) of Arlington, TX; several nieces and nephews and
several great-nieces & nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, George Edwin
Allison, on October 6, 1998; two sisters; Hazel Barker
Harris (RHS-1936), Clara Barker Singleton (RHS-1930);
& three brothers, Edgar Barker (RHS-1930), Gates Barker
(RHS-1937), & Robert Lee Barker (RHS-1944).