Dora May Wallace, the oldest daughter of Chester and Mary Fox, was born on April 12, 1939, at Eunice, Mo., and passed away Oct. 8, 2022, at Licking, Mo.
She married Gerald Dean Wallace on Jan. 31, 1958. They had five children: Michael Wallace, Brenda Wallace, Jerry “JD” Wallace, Debbie Wallace and Bradley Wallace.
She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Debbie Sue; her parents; and a brother, John Fox.
She is survived by her husband, Gerald of the home; children, Michael of Licking, Brenda of Houston, J.D. of Houston and Bradley of Houston; sisters, Naomi Hayes of Ozark and Mary Katherine Collins of Houston; brother, Roy Fox of Tennessee; 19 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, and other relatives.
Mrs. Wallace grew up in the Eunice, Mo., area attending the Oak Ridge Country School near her home and graduating from Summersville High School with the class of 1957. While she was attending Oak Ridge School, she would work at the school to buy her brother John and her’s lunch. One of her favorite stories to tell was being on a school FHA trip to West Plains and getting to see Minnie Pearl.
Sometime in the area of the end of 1957 she was working at a restaurant in the Raymondville, Mo., area with a young lady, Glenna Wallace. A young man would come into that restaurant after returning from the U.S. Marine Corps and ask her to go on a date with him after eating some pie. The courtship lasted somewhere between six weeks to six months, depending on the day used. Even though they only dated for a short time their marriage lasted over 64 years.
Mrs. Wallace worked several jobs through her life, from the food service industry, teacher’s aide at Licking R-8 and as a cook at the Licking Nursing Home. She would eventually earn a degree as a dietitian assistant and supervise the kitchen at the nursing home. She won first prize in a cooking contest in the dessert category for her sugar cookies. After she retired, she was active in helping raise her grandchildren and cooking for her family. She was known for her homemade bread.
Early in life, Mrs. Wallace accepted Jesus Christ at Eunice Baptist Church during Vacation Bible School. She was a longtime member of Boone Creek Baptist Church, serving in its VBS programs and Sunday Schools when her children were young. In the later years she would attend church where her son was pastor, as long as her health allowed.
Services are 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, at Boone Creek Baptist Church with Bro. Phillip McGuire officiating. A visitation is one hour prior. Interment follows at Boone Creek Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Fox Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at www.foxfh.net.