First State Bank of Greens Bayou. 1420 Federal Road, Houston, Tx… 77015
I’m sure I have the info correct even though the bank is long gone. During the 10 years of blogging, I have named it several times, shared some very good memories from these days, and wish I owned more of the “memorabilia” that was often used to promote the bank.
One of the great things about sharing life’s memories, I’ve made myself available to be touched by others who have similar connections. From places I’ve lived, jobs I’ve had, and travel experiences, I’ve reached many who have reached back to me from their lives around the world.
My FSB of GB History
In 1971, my principle at Channelview High School (Troy Cooper) asked me to be on the Youth Advisory Board that First State Bank of Greens Bayou had set up for 8-10 local school districts. It was an honor reserved for seniors, and especially those who may be headed into careers where banking knowledge would be possible. However. I was a Junior. Was it an accident? Or providence?
As a board, we would meet in the bank’s conference room, discuss how banking impacts the community, and even tour facilities of other banking establishments, including the Federal Reserve Bank branch in downtown Houston. Our facilitator was Elmer DeHart, and I will say he did a marvelous job keeping all of us focused.
At the ending of our assignment, we shared a nice dinner…and though my mind cannot remember the restaurant’s name, it had a terrific Chicken Fried Steak. And, we were given a nice plaque honoring our involvement and achievement. I still own mine. It’s hanging in my office. Scarred and scratched from nearly 50 years of moving around, it still brings good memories to mind and heart.
Then, I was asked to work as a summer hire. I did a multitude of tasks, including stuffing bank statements and checks into envelopes, printing customer checks, counting buckets of change, organizing the stock room, and a host of other things. I was able to keep the job into my senior year because I changed schools and only needed one class to graduate. Government! 7:30-8:30 a.m., September through December! I exited Public School 6 months early and never looked back.
The Stage is Set
It was this first year of working at a bank that seemed to set my life in motion!
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- I met my future mother-in-law, and she trained me to be a drive-in bank teller.
- I met my future bride selling cookies or something in the entry of the building. We celebrate 46 years of marriage this July!
Wedding Day, Mike and Brenda Gurley (I still own the tie!) - It was here I started learning about computers and how they played a vital part in the future of banking.
- While in high school, I took my first American Institute of Banking class. It was hosted at a bank in Baytown and Lee College. I taught this same class 10 years later while working for a bank (National Bank of Alaska) in Anchorage, Alaska.
- It’s from here that I took my first “tech” job at Bank of Texas in downtown Houston. We went through several mergers and name changes, and I think the final name that stuck was Allied Bank. I balanced banks daily processing in the evening and went to college in the daytime. Too many late nights squeezed sleep out of the schedule! College suffered… I never remember work having the same problems!!
- Oh Boy! This was the time period that I moved out of home!
- It was during this time that I bought my first car from a car lot… 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger! And with it, I drove in my first snowfall!
I owe Troy Cooper and Elmer DeHart a debt of Gratitude. They were supportive of me and my world as I began stepping out into corporate America. Banking. Technology. Career. Marriage. Family. Life.
Out of the Blue
A few months ago, I received an email message from a person in the Houston area. She could name enough of my history that I knew she had read my blog! Through her, I received a piece of history.
The Penny is 1964. I never remember seeing something like this! Equally, I’m not sure when it was created except that it had to be after 1964 and before I first connected with the bank in 1971.
Through the years I’ve collected other memorabilia from other jobs… Coffee cups, pens, pencils, rulers, and things of an advertising nature, but nothing like this ever shown up on my radar! I want to thank the Plata family for sharing this with me. I have something boxed up that will be in the mail for you and your family next week.