BANK OF MULLEN

Late in 1935 a group of local business men and townspeople approached C.J. Abbott and LeRoy Abbott about the need for a bank in Mullen. They applied for and received Charter No. 1635 from the State Banking Department. The Bank of Mullen opened for business January 2, 1936 offering complete banking service. Authorized and paid in capital was $25,000.00. Bank quarters were in the small brick building located on the southeast corner of the main intersection of the town where a small cooperative credit association was in business. This business was assumed by the bank. The small quarters were soon outgrown. In 1938 a larger brick building was built in the center of the block on the north side of main street.

The original Board of Directors were C.J. Abbott, LeRoy Abbott, R.C. Franke, Mac Osborne, J.H. Kime and Don E. Hanna. None are living today. This board elected the following officers: C.J. Abbott, President; LeRoy Abbott, Vice-President; Don E. Han-na, Vice-President; and John W. Sloss, Cashier. John W. Sloss resigned March 10, 1936 and the directors elected LeRoy Abbott, Vice-President and Cashier with W.H. Bram-er, Assistant Cashier. W.H. Bramer was elected Cashier at the first semi-annual meeting July 8, 1936. Soon after Sloss resigned Sarah T. Bramer joined the bank staff as bookkeeper-teller and was with the bank until here retirement December 31, 1968. She was elected Assistant Cashier January 25, 1967. Soon after the bank opened Elmo Gardiner was transferred from the Guardian State Bank and when Abbotts opened the Bank of Woodlake in October, 1938, he moved there. There were no changes in officers or directors until January 4, 1954, when W.H. Bramer was elected to the Board of Directors. January 8, 1951, R.C. Franke was omitted as director and LeRoy Abbott became Executive Vice-President.

C.J. Abbott died in a plane crash in Louisiana January 10, 1954. At their meeting January 18, 1954 the stockholders elected directors as follows: LeRoy Abbott, Mac Osborne, J.H. Kime, Don E. Hanna and W.H. Bramer. Officers elected were: LeRoy Abbott, President; Don E. Hanna, Vice-President; W.H. Bramer, Vice-President and Cashier; Daniel C. Diebler, Jr., who had joined the bank staff in 1953, Assistant Cashier. Deibler was elected cashier at the January meeting in 1959. W.D. Stroud was elected director July 7, 1952.