Memories of Wallace Heritage - Official website of Rev. JO Wallace

Onell, Glenn, Cleatus, Bonnie, Naomi Onell & Jimmy in front of Robertson Rd home
their venture, looked lovely at his side. All the children were married by now, and grandchildren
made the home place on Robertson Road ring with laughter. There was Marilyn, the first
grandchild, and the only child of Cleatus and Mildred who still lived in Bemis. Mary and J. 0.'s
Jimmy Jr., was born while J. 0. was still in service. Then came their Margie, Jack, Jeff, and
Rosemary and also Naomi's three boys, Johnny, Tommy and Jerry. Bonnie had one son, Alvin.
(Joe Glenn was the last grandchild and was born after his grandfather's death.)
But J. W. Wallace still dreamed of reaching the whole city, so while J. 0. was in army uniform,
the two of them held a revival in the small suburban town, Goodlettsville, east of town. Again
they pitched a Crown Tent and Awning tent in a pasture and preached. After the revival, J. 0. got
permission from his commanding officer to reside in Goodlettsville and pastor the little group of
fourteen souls. J. W. Wallace and the West Nashville congregation backed this effort with their
interest, prayers, and finance. They purchased a small Church of Christ building on Depot Street
for $1400. J. 0. and Mary pastored there until he was shipped out by the military. Then W. T.
Scott assumed the pastorate. "Well, Goodlettsville is our church in the east," said J. W. Wallace.
In 1943 the Southern District under the leadership of Brother Gurley purchased property for a
Bible school in Tupelo, Mississippi. C. D. Soper from Idaho served as president. After the war
was over and J. 0. was mustered out of the army, he went to Cleveland, Tennessee, to Bob Jones
College to study for the ministry. Later his father encouraged him to take a teaching position on
the staff at Pentecostal Bible Institute. After teaching there a year he returned to Nashville. "Son,
Sister Nina Meadows pastors a little church, Immanuel Church of Christ, (a small group of oneness
churches in middle Tennessee). She is building a new church and her old church on Rose and Sadler in
Woodbine is for sale. Why don't we buy it and you and Mary start a work out there in the south part of
town." J. W. and J. 0. Wallace signed another loan for $1800 and bought the building. Nine persons
attended the first Sunday. Soon Mary's seventeen-year-old brother, L. H. Hardwick, Jr. (Barney), who had