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

Memories by the J. W. Wallace Family
Following are emails about his early life by J. O. Wallace (son of J. W. Wallace)
Friday, April 2, 2004 America Online: Jamesowallace
Subj: Re: TOP SECRET REGARDING UPCOMING BIRTHDAY PARTY!
Here I am again. 1 AM, Apr 2, 2004. Yesterday was Dad's birthday. He would have been 115 yrs
old. He's been gone nearly 40 years. Mom would have been 119, they were distant cousins. We
lived in Decatur county, west TN in those days. I was born in a share cropper cabin, beside a
spring creek. Our cabin had four rooms with a wide "dog trot" hall between the living area & bed
rooms. The bed rooms were without heat. When you went to bed, we would race across the hall,
jump in bed, crawling deep in a feather bed, just our nose showing from under cover of several
home made quilts. Our poor hound dog had to sleep in the hall open to the weather. We used a
cistern for our water supply. It was hand dug through the floor of our back porch. Our water was
channelled in from the house top. We couldn't catch rain water during most months. Anyway,
you can know these were rough times. We grew most our food stuff. On bad crop years it
became tougher. A share cropper had to share his harvest with the owner. I won’t dwell on that
bit of Wallace history. We did finally move into town, Bemis, near Jackson, in West TN. From
then about 1924 our mode of living was much different. I graduated from High School in 1936,
working at a full time job the last two years, in a class of 18, 6 boys & 12 girls. You see a lot of
kids had to work, dropping out of school. But, I was determined to get above average in Bemis.
Then, it was off to college 80 miles away in Memphis. I finished my accounting course by June
1940, got a Job with a town accounting firm. But guess what, the military draft came along in
August 1940. So, I had a low draft number, 340. The draft board secretary informed me I'd be
called up in about 3 months. So, I resigned my job in November, caught a greyhound bus for
Bemis, 80 miles away, without even notifying my folks, I walked in on them.
At this very time I met my father at the Bemis bus stop returning from Nashville investigating
starting a new PENTECOSTAL church there. He inquired, "why are you coming home" as I had
my suitcase and my personal possessions. "The military, Dad, Uncle Sam has a job for me." He
said, "you can go with me Monday back to Nashville to start a new church”.
So, it turned out I was not called until May, at which time I had a letter from the President
Roosevelt to report for induction in Memphis the 21st of May 1941. I was sworn in for one year
training (this was before war was declared the Dec 8 th ). We were issued our equipment the next
day. The 3rd day we were marched to a troupe train headed west. About a week later we arrived
at San Diego, Cal. for Coast Artillery training. We didn't know where to until we got there.
From that, four & one half years later I was discharged from the Military at Ft: Jackson, SC, a
Master Sgt. I was a married man, with a family, with a new direction as a Minister of the Gospel.
In the Fall of 1946, I enrolled in Bob Jones U. So life goes on. I'm coming up for my 89th
birthday, Oct 8 th. Mary Martha, my companion for near 62 years, together we have six children
& twelve grand children. God has been with me thru many wonderful life experiences. And it's
not over yet. We are now planning to build a new retirement home here in Nashville, Pray for us.
MUCH LOVE TO ALL OF YOU, popa Wallace