In Memory of Granny

Juanita Bailey Wallace

BURNSVILLE — Mrs. Juanita Bailey Wallace, 81, after touching thousands of young lives through her 38 years of teaching, went to be with her Lord and Savior Monday, July 28, 2008, surrounded by her loving family at her daughter's home in Stokesdale.

A service to celebrate of her life will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, at Bethel United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge, with the Reverend Danny Miller and Reverend Keith Edwards officiating and again at 2 p.m. on Sunday August 3, at Bald Creek United Methodist Church in Burnsville, with the Reverend A.J. Moore and Reverend Keith Edwards officiating. Burial will be in the Peake-Wallace Family Cemetery in Green Mountain, N.C.

Juanita was born in Yancey County, to the late Erskine B. and Gladys Honeycutt Bailey. She graduated from Clearmont High School in 1943, Mars Hill College in 1945, and Carson Newman College in 1947. Mrs. Wallace later received her master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1974. On January 31, 1948, she married Lee Wallace with whom she spent 60 wonderful years. She was a member of Bald Creek United Methodist Church in Burnsville.

Mrs. Wallace's illustrative career of influencing and developing young people in the classroom has taken her in many directions. She taught at Pensacola Elementary School, Tipton Hill High School, Clearmont High School, South Toe Elementary School, Burnsville High School, East Yancey High School, Stokesdale Elementary School, and Northwest Guilford Middle School. Fittingly, she also served as guidance counselor at Northwest Middle School for several years. Her legacy of shaping the character of young people and motivating them to be all they can be will long continue in the lives of her students.

Surviving Juanita is her loving husband, Lee Wallace of Burnsville; daughter, Cathy Gauldin (William) of Stokesdale; son, Ray Wallace (Michelle) of Oak Ridge; sisters, Ada Lee Hipps (Hershey) of Green Mountain, and Karen Bengtson of Franklin; brothers, Claude Bailey (Deanna) of Pasadena, Texas and John Bailey (Lila) of Sumter, S.C.; six grandchildren, Michael Gauldin (Shay), Laura Moore (Chad), Douglas Jones (Rebecca), Corey Gauldin (Amanda) and Wyatt and Nathanael Wallace; four great-grandchildren Brent, Brittney and Blane Gauldin, and Matthew Jones; sister-in-law, Helen Bailey of Spruce Pine; uncle, Wayne Honeycutt (Faye) of Cary; several special nieces and nephews; and son-in-law, Doug Jones.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Wallace was preceded in death by her daughter, Dotty Wallace Jones; brothers, Ed and Earl Bailey, brother- in-law, Bob Bengtson, and sister-in-law, Nita Bailey.

The family will receive friends from 5 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at Forbis & Dick-Brooke Chapel in Stokesdale, and other times at her daughter's home, 8583 Belews Creek Road. A visitation will be from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 2, at Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home in Burnsville, and other times at 102 Mountain View Road in Burnsville.

Memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27405 or Bald Creek United Methodist Church Building Fund, c/o Nan Proffitt, 29 Bald Creek School Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.

This AM when we told the little ones I asked Brittney was she said. Her answer was a testament to the faith of a child. "Why would I be sad? Granny is in heaven with Jesus and Dotty and does not have to use a cane anymore."