RIPPEY, Oct. 1, 2017 — Nancy Bardole Hanaman and Cindy Anderson Cole grew up as daughters of the competing bankers in the town of Rippey. They’ll come together to share the fascinating banking history of the community in a Greene County Historical Society program on Friday, Oct. 6, at the United Methodist Church in Rippey.
Hanaman, an East Greene High School graduate in 1964, now lives just outside Rippey. Cole, a 1972 East Greene graduate, lives in Omaha.
Hanaman’s father Clark Bardole was at the old First National Bank, which was the predecessor of today’s Peoples Trust & Savings Bank in Rippey. Cole’s father was Walt Anderson at the old Rippey Savings Bank, which preceded today’s Rolling Hills Bank & Trust.
“The earliest bank connected with the First National Bank was founded in 1884 by Charles Suyham,” Hanaman said. “The Rippey Savings Bank and First National Bank were both chartered in 1905, the Savings Bank under state regulation and the First National under the federal government. We will be sharing some banking history, including the experience of these two banks during the ‘Bank Holiday’ in 1933.”
And they’ll tell of bank robberies in 1896 and 1967.
She noted that while the bankers were competitors during the business day, “they and their families were involved together in many community, school and church events.”
A lunch at 12 noon in the church hall is $8 for historical society members and $10 for non-members. The members should phone reservations to their community contacts by Wednesday, Oct. 4. Others can RSVP for lunch by calling Hanaman, the vice-president of the historical society, at (515) 436-7684. The program at 1 p.m. in the church sanctuary is free.
