OUR BANKING TRADITION

Citizens State Bank of Lankin was chartered in 1905 with Mr. James H. Vorachek beginning his banking career.  The bank has had the same family ownership and management since that date.  Mr. Vorachek guided the bank through the height of the Depression when bank failures became every day occurances.  During those days, only 20 percent of North Dakota banks were able to survive.  Mr. Vorachek reluctantly elected to single-handedly assume the bank's obligations.  He felt a responsibility to his depositors to keep the bank open despite the advice of a friend that he "slip out of town in the middle of the night."  Not only did the financier have to guide the bank during the Depression but he also had to contend with a severe drought and the unstable farm economy which resulted from the drought. 

To avoid financial defeat, Vorachek put everything he owned including his life insurance policies into the bank to meet its liabilities.  Because of his actions, the bank maintained sufficient working capital and avoided operating in "the red."

In 1937, under the same charter as Citizens State Bank in Lankin, branches were opened in Edinburg and Edmore.  The bank expanded into Park River in 2001.

In 1911, James Vorachek married Mayme E. Swartz.  They were the parents of 10 children.  A son and daughter died in infancy.  The remaining eight children were more or less reared in the bank.  Over the years all of the Vorachek's eight children served as officer's/directors of the bank.  Today, LaVerne (Vorachek) Gaarder serves as the bank's CEO/Chairman of the Board.  Keeping with the "family banking" tradition, LaVerne's daughter, Marjie Jonasson is currently the bank's Vice President and serves on the bank's Board of Directors.  LaVerne's son, Dr. James Gaarder, also serves on the Board of Directors.  Mara Jonasson (great granddaughter of James H. Vorachek) is employed as a Customer Service Representative for the bank and Jerry Jonasson (great grandson of James H. Vorachek) worked in the Edinburg branch as the Processor.  The bank has 14 full-time employees and 1 part-time employee and continues to serve the communities of Lankin, Edinburg, Edmore and Park River, ND.