I have a very rare lineage at Tech: one that involves women. I graduated from Tech in 2005 and my sister, Molly, graduated from Tech in 2007. Our Michigan Tech lineage starts back in, I believe, the 30s with my great Aunts, Mary Banks Woodruff Krohn and Ester (Eddy) Banks Brodeur '36. There is (at least used to be) a picture of Aunt Mary in the Career Services building on Houghton Ave. as Winter Carnival Queen. Unfortunately I don't know a lot of graduation dates or majors. I looked up what I could find on the alumni directory. Most of this came through email conversations with my dad.
George H. Banks was my grandmother's father (and Aunts Mary and Eddy's father). He was originally from Sandusky, Ohio, and lived in Park City, Utah. My dad did not know exactly how George Banks ended up in Houghton. He married Gertrude Lange, who was either from Houghton or the immediate area. He worked for the Corps of Engineers and was head of the Portage waterway. He must have gotten some education some where, but I don't think that he ever went to Tech.
In the Banks family there were 5 kids. The oldest was Robert Banks, and four girls: my grandmother Grace Banks Bush, Coie Banks Kerschner, Aunt Eddy, and Aunt Mary (in that Order).
My dad wasn't sure where Robert Banks went to school--he could have gone to Tech. He ran a sprinkler company in Detroit, possibly Ace Sprinkler Co, putting fire Sprinklers in buildings. My dad was thinking (but is not 100% sure) that he may have invented his own sprinkler head. My dad remembers that Robert Banks was connected with Tech to the extent that when they were building new buildings he would come up and install the sprinkler systems.
My grandmother, Grace, was the oddball and went to MSU to become a teacher.
Coie Kerschner's husband was Lewis (or Louis) Kerschner. I don't know if/where Coie and/or Lewis went to college. Lewis ended up working in Detroit for the Corps of Engineers.
Aunt Eddy's husband (who she probably met at Tech) was Alvin (Nap) Brodeur '34, who was also from the Houghton/Hancock area. Nap's sister was Alice Brodeur Sullivan '45 and her husband went by the Sullie. According to the Alumni directory, there is a few male Sullivans that graduated from Tech in the 40s, and her husband could have been one of them.
Aunt Mary's first husband (who she probably met at Tech) was Frank Woodruff '39. He was a mining engineer and worked for several mining companies all around the country. At some point Frank was also on the Tech Board of Control. Frank died quite suddenly, at a relatively young age. We have a family scholarship at Tech that was started by Frank Woodruff, the George H. Bank's Endowed Scholarship. It is given to any family member that goes to Tech. If no family goes to Tech, I believe it is rewarded to a graduating senior.
The other members of the family who went to Tech were the Brodeur (Aunt Eddy's) kids. At least James Brodeur '68 graduated from Tech before he went to medial school. He is or used to be a part of the Portage Health System in Hancock. His Brother Dan and sister Jonie may have also gone to Tech, but my dad was not sure. Jonie's husband is Chuck Matrosic '63. He was in the military and for a while he was teaching either ROTC or some type of engineering at Tech. He later taught at Ferris State. Jonie and Chuck now live on Torch Lake.
My Aunt Mary celebrated her 90th birthday this summer. My parents were able to make the trip to Arizona for her party, but I was not able to. I know this is pretty long winded for the newsletter, but it was really fun researching my family!