Edna Marie Wallace

Edna Marie Whiteaker Wallace was born in the Staggs community of Izard County, Arkansas, on December 2, 1921, the first daughter of Henry Whiteaker and Addie Paralee Hively Whiteaker, and passed away on December 23, 2018. After their mother died when Edna was about fourteen years old, she essentially raised her younger siblings, Bernice, Thad and Norma. After leaving school to help care for her family, she later returned to graduate from Calico Rock High School. She married Forrest Lee Wallace in 1945 when he returned from US Army service in Europe following World War II. They were married for 63 years at the time of his death in 2008.

The Wallaces were blessed with two children, Richard O. Wallace and wife Donna of Mountain Home and Patricia K. Irby and husband Steve of Fort Smith. Edna was adored as “Mom” by four grandchildren, David L. Wallace and wife Jeana and Dana S. Wallace of Mountain Home and Stephanie Irby Randall and husband Larry of Fort Smith, Amanda Irby Stevens and husband Kurt of Greenbrier, Arkansas, and twin great-granddaughters Sydney and Catherine Randall.

Many Calico Rock residents knew Edna because she worked as Doctor Merle Grasse’s clinic nurse at the White River Medical Clinic for many years. Then Edna became widely known in Mountain Home by the many patients she served over thirty years as Doctor William R. Snow’s nurse at the Cheney-Snow Clinic before retiring at age 80 in 2002. Edna was a devoted Christian all her life, a skilled seamstress, successful gardener and excellent cook- much to her family’s enjoyment, but she truly excelled at being a loving wife, mother and grandmother. We all benefited from her talents through the quilts, blankets, and clothes she made us, the family dinners she cooked, her support with grandchildren, and the very welcome meals she was known to bring to our homes. She took great delight in all her family members, mentioning many times how lucky she was to have Donna and Steve as a daughter-in-law and son-in-law. She, Dana and ‘Papaw’ were quite the trio, forming an affectionate, protective bond. When the great-granddaughters Sydney and Cate arrived, Mom was at it again, helping them learn to roll pie dough as they quickly bonded with her as we all did. She will be missed so much but always remembered in our hearts.

Edna’s family extends gratitude to the staffs of Hiram Shaddox and Good Samaritan for providing care and comfort during her final years.

Edna is also survived by one brother, Thad Whiteaker, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sisters Bernice and Norma and by brothers Tob, Bernard, Lecel, Dale and Hays.

Visitation followed by services for Edna will be at 1:00 PM on Friday, December 28, 2018 at the direction of Eddie’s Family Funeral Home in Calico Rock with interment following the service at the Staggs Cemetery, Calico Rock. Pallbearers will be David Wallace, Larry Randall, Kurt Stevens, Rex Whiteaker, Darrell Killian, and Glen Whiteaker.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Mountain Home Challenged Athletes Booster Club at 55 Cornett Lane, Mountain Home 72653.