Miss Caitlyn Emily Banks, 17

Miss Caitlyn Emily Banks, 17, of Hazlehurst, passed away Oct. 1.
Miss Banks was born Dec. 6, 2004, in Macon.
She is preceded in death by her maternal great-grandmother and great-grandfather, Elizabeth and Gerald Weeks, and her paternal grandmother, Nellie Mae Davis.
She was a student of Jeff Davis High School, was employed with Trinity Therapy, and attended Hazlehurst Church of God and Baxley Church of God.
Caitlyn was a fun, vivacious, and loving young lady. She loved people and animals. Her smile was unforgettable and would light up a room. Her laughter was contagious. If you were down or upset, she would always make you smile and laugh. She has crossed paths and touched the lives of people all across the U.S. If you met her, you loved her. She had a personality, dedication, and intelligence, that was like no other. She loved playing softball, riding the river, and horses. She was dedicated in all pursuits to becoming a nurse. She was always helping others and lifting others up. Her favorite place to go was the beach. She looked forward to her summer family beach vacation every year. She always found her peace at the beach. Her family was most important to her. She cherished every minute spent with them.
Survivors include her mother and step-father, Jennifer and Ronnie Ballenger of Hazlehurst; father, Walter Edward Banks of Glenwood; sister, Madison Elizabeth Banks Odom (Chase); nephews, Carter Odom and Cullen Odom of South Carolina; step-sisters, Kristan Ballenger and Katie Cowart; maternal grandparents, Quinton and Kathy Farrer of Wadley; boyfriend, Riley Schuler of Hazlehurst; aunts, Willene Stewart (Timmy) of Macon and Francis Sammons (Leon) of Jacksonville, Fla.; uncle, Nicholas Quinton Farrer; cousins Kirsten, Dylan and Colton Farrer of Wadley; a host of cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Services were held Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. at Hazlehurst Church of God, and graveside services following in Wadley City Cemetery at 4 p.m. with the Rev. John Nunes and the Rev. Lamar Lee officiating.
Honorary pallbearers were Dylan Farrer and Colton Ferrer.
Active pallbearers were Ike Bohannon, Chase Odom, Kyle Kent, Nick Farrer, Cole Hughes, and Gabe Silas.
Music was rendered by Jennifer Cox and Charles Brantley.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the One Warm Coat Foundation (onewarmcoat.org) which Caitlyn loved.
Wainright-Parlor Funeral Home was in charge.