Annie Louise Bankston Memorial Service
Wife of the late Ft Walton Beach, FL Civil Rights and Community Activist Dr. Willie H. Bankston. She was 93 years old.
Memorial service
August 1, 2025, 11:00 a.m.
Gregg Chapel AME Church
34 Carson Drive SE, Fort Walton, FL 32548
NAACP OF OKALOOSA COUNTY HOLDS TOWNHALL MEETING
In a news release, Chapter President Sabu Williams and members of the Fortson family, including the airman’s mother and father, will share stories about their son’s life and their ongoing call for justice.
2024 Mineral Wells, TX 41st Veterans Day Program Guest Speaker
Mary Creighton
Special Contributor
MINERAL WELLS—Mineral Wells ISD and American Legion Post 75 will celebrate its 41st program recognizing the importance of remembering our military veterans on Nov. 11.
We remember both those who have gone to their eternal reward and those who are still with us who fought bravely for the defense of our country.
This year the guest speaker will be a hometown retired U.S. Army retired Lieutenant Colonel. This young man is Lt. Col. Archie Wilmer, III. He graduated from Mineral Wells High School.
He was selected to go to West Point Military Academy where he graduated and served in several capacities before returning to West Point as a math professor. After retirement, he came to Fort Worth and served as a math professor for Tarrant County Community College and other offices.
Lt. Col. Wilmer is married to LaTressia Holliman Wilmer of Mineral Wells and the couple now lives in Keller. Their daughter, Sterling Alexandria Wilmer, lives in Baltimore, Md. She is a registered nurse in mental health.
Lt. Col. Wilmer’s parents are Archie Wilmer Jr. and the late Jeanette Wilmer. He attended Lamar and Travis Elementary schools as well as Lee Junior High School in Mineral Wells. In high school, he enjoyed mathematics, science, music, arts and athletics. He played football and ran track. During his summers he played baseball.
Lt. Col. Wilmer was a member of the high school marching band, the stage (jazz) band, and the symphonic concert band. He participated in drama. He said his favorite subject was (and still is) mathematics.
Here are career highlights of Archie Wilmer, III:
- Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1982
- Master of Science, Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., 1994
- Doctor of Philosophy, Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., 2003
Archie Wilmer, III served at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; West Point, New York; the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey, South Korea; Fort Johnson, Louisiana (previously named Fort Polk); and Fort Cavazos, Texas (previously named Fort Hood). He completed military education at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; and Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia (previously named Fort Lee).
Among the various assignments he enjoyed in the military, one of the most rewarding was teaching mathematics at West Point where he mentored cadets to develop reasoning power, independence of thought, and problem-solving skills for the Army of the 21st century. As the Program Director for Math Electives at West Point, he supervised over 20 officers and civilians providing instruction in 33 elective courses in mathematics.
In 2010, Archie Wilmer, III retired honorably from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ordnance Corps after more than 27 years of service. His highest military award is the Legion of Merit. After a successful career in the Army, he entered the education field to fulfill his personal mission to inspire others and change lives.
Lt. Col. Wilmer’s passion is to increase scholar recruitment and retention in STEM fields. He returned to Texas and joined Tarrant County College in 2011 teaching a variety of mathematics courses including college algebra and calculus. For several months in 2017, he served as an Interim Divisional Dean for Business, Technology, and Transportation. Afterwards, he served as an Interim Vice-President for Community and Industry Education.
Lt. Col. Wilmer is also the son-in-law of Clarence Holliman here in Mineral Wells. The Public is invited to attend this community-wide program at Ram Stadium on Nov. 11.
Seating will be on the west side. It will be good to be at the stadium by 10:30 a.m. so pre-ceremony music and activities can be enjoyed. The program will begin at 11 a.m.
Cartze Craig has been named by the City of Fort Walton Beach to coordinate Events and Activities. For information about upcoming events and activities FWB citizens can contact him at:
Cell Phone Number: 850-855-78 50
Chester Pruitt Park Events
May Day 2021
W. E. Combs 50th School and Community Reunion August 25-27, 2023
Come, let us celebrate our Alma Mater, W. E. Combs 50th School and Community Reunion Weekend on August 25-27, 2023, in beautiful Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Send RSVP Information, souvenir booklet, and T-Shirts money to:
Katren Parker Ford
777 Barley Port Lane
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
Mary Fuller McNabb
946 Southern Oaks Court
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
Send Scholarship money and Friday Night Participation Form to:
Jean Davis Curry
5651 Behm Drive
Fairfield, OH 45014
(513) 829-9527
Schedule of Events for the W. E. Combs 50th School and Community Reunion
Deadline for payments July 31, 2023
- Schedule of Events for the weekend, per person $75.
- Souvenir Booklet $10. 00 per person
- T-Shirts (Pick up T-Shirts on Friday night at the Get Acquainted) Note: Money not sent for T-shirts, ordered, by July 31, 2023, will be collected on Friday night.
Send All reunion payments as noted about by July 31, 2023. Makes checks or money orders payable to W. E. Combs Reunion.
RSVP and T-Shirt Form
