From The Winston Herald, January 18, 1894
Submitted by Robin Sterling

Mr. John A. Shank was born in Virginia in 1816 and moved with his parents when seven years of age to Wilkes Co., Ga. Where he remained until his twenty-first year when he removed to Troup Co. in that same state. While in this County, he united with the Missionary Baptist Church in the year 1841, and for fifty-three years has been an earnest and hard working member of the above church. In 1848, Mr. Shank was united in marriage with Miss Sallie Hogan of Hogansville, Ga. who also became a member of the Missionary Baptist Church at the age of 18 and survives her husband, having been a member of the church for forty-five years. During the Civil War, Mr. Shank was called into the service during the years 1863-64. Having ample means at the time, he distributed a great portion of them to those suffering from want and destitution caused by the war and was known to all as a protector of widows and the fatherless. Mr. and Mrs. Shank were blessed with a family of seven children, one of whom, William H., died at Milton, Ga. during the late war. In 1877 Mr. Shank and part of his family moved to Houston, then part of Winston Co., Al. On the 22nd day of Jan., 1886, another son, Christopher H., died in Houston. In 1893, Mr. and Mrs Shank removed to Natural Bridge in Winston Co., near the residence of their sons. Mr. Shank leaves two married sons, John and Benjamin Franklin, a pastor of the Baptist Church, and three married daughters: Mrs. Isora Scogin, Mrs. Celestia Rowe, and Mrs. Fannie Alford, also twenty-two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

[John Alexander Shank was born 24 Jan 1816 and died 13 Jan 1894; he was buried in the Union Grove Cemetery. Sarah Ann Hogan Shank was born 6 Nov 1829 and died 23 Apr 1910; she was buried in the Houston Baptist Church Cemetery.]