Edward Wallace

Edward Lewis Wallace, Sr., died July 22, 2023, at the home of his daughter, Shirley Hardy, in West Valley City, UT, where he had lived the past 5 years. He was born in Manilla, Crawford County, Iowa October 30, 1923, the youngest of 5 children of Edward Andrew Jackson Wallace and Lucy Bell McKinney Wallace.

When Edward was 20 months old, his mother passed away after suffering a stroke. Soon after the State of Iowa took Edward and his 3 sisters, Martha, Ludie, and Glee and placed them in the Christian Home in Council Bluffs, Iowa, as their father could not properly care for such young children. The oldest son, Henderson, stayed with their father. Edward lived at the Christian home until he was 14, except for one year when he was placed as a foster child in the home of Arch Hamm. When he was 14, he was transferred to the Grand View Farm. At 16 he was transferred to foster care in the home of Wilbur and Maude Sim.

He graduated from Salem High School in May 1943 after which he had many adventures. He met Irene Margaret Meta Tipken in 1947. They were planning a December wedding, but he was seriously injured in a car accident while driving to Nebraska City to get the pre-wedding blood test. He was months recovering and the wedding was postponed until June 27, 1948. They were married in St. John’s Lutheran Church in Otoe, Nebraska.

They were the parents of 6 children: Shirley Hardy (Duane- deceased), Samuel Wallace (Kymm-deceased and Julie-deceased), Edward Wallace Jr.-deceased, Cynthia Nelson (Mark), Catherine Finley (Dave-deceased), and David Wallace (Velyn). They had a total of 21 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Ed and Irene lived on a farm the first seven years of married life but could not make a sustainable living there. In 1955 Edward got a job at Vicker’s Inc., a factory that made hydraulic pumps for heavy equipment. Here he worked for 33 years until retirement.

In January of 1957, Ed and Irene joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He and Irene lived their lives in Christ like service taking into their homes those who needed a place of refuge for a time, assisting families who were moving, doing laundry for those in need, delivering food to the needy through the church welfare program, and many other acts of service. One of the church leaders said that he knew Ed could be counted on to fulfill any assignment he was asked to do.

Ed and Irene were the caretakers of the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery for about 14 years from 1960 to 1974. The children often assisted there.

He and Irene worked side by side to plant a huge garden every year and they loved to watch and tend it and to see the fruits of their labors as they bottled or froze the produce for use during the winter months.

Ed also loved seeking his ancestors. He helped many of the members of his church also find their ancestors.

Having lived to 99 years and 8 months and 22 days, Ed has outlived the friends and family of his generation. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings; his wife, Irene; his son, Edward, Jr.; 2 sons-in-law, two daughters-in-law, one granddaughter Beth Wallace, one grandson Nathan Nelson and one great-grandson, EliJah Wallace.

The family will receive friends from 1000 to 1030 a.m at the Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 570l Center Street, Omaha, NE. Funeral services will be in the chapel at the same place from 10:30 to 1200 noon. Interment in the Westlawn Cemetery following the funeral.

Pallbearers are Micheal Wallace, Gary Wallace, Dylan Wallace, Beau Wallace, Chuck Finley, Andrew Finley, Eric Hardy and Kenneth Hardy.

Honorary pallbearers are Samuel Wallace, David and Gavin Wallace, Mark Nelson, Edward Wallace, lll, Neil Wallace, Gregory Hardy and those in memoriam: Edward Wallace, Jr., Duane Hardy, David Finley and Nathan Nelson.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.westlawnhillcrest.com for the Wallace family.