Dorothy Mae Wallace

Dorothy Wallace, 90, of Oskaloosa, passed away Tuesday evening, December 6, 2016, at the Oskaloosa Care Center in Oskaloosa. Dorothy Mae Spurrell Wallace was born on June 27, 1926, to Rufus Rossiter and Madge Mildred (Crawford) Spurrell in Codington County, South Dakota. Her parents established a Christian home in which they reared their two children, Stanley Crawford and Dorothy Mae. Bible reading, prayer, faithful Sunday School and church attendance, tithing, missions – all were part of her parents’ nurturing. A good rural school and Watertown High School provided her preparation for college. Dorothy was led to attend Christian colleges in Iowa where her faith was more deeply established and where she majored in music and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947 from Western Union College in LeMars, Iowa. During that time she met a ministerial student/vocalist, Emery Wallace, who needed an accompanist. Although he left for seminary in Kentucky immediately after college graduation and opportunities to be together were infrequent, correspondence filled the gap. Following Emery’s first appointment in the Minnesota Methodist Conference, they were married on September 7, 1947, in her home church in Watertown, South Dakota. During her years in Minneapolis, she spent several summers as a Christian education student and was graduated from the Minnesota Summer School of Christian Education. She also conducted curriculum workshops for Sunday School teachers in Minneapolis and taught sessions in laboratory schools conducted by the Council of Churches. While in Fergus Falls, she found opportunity to study pipe organ at St. John’s University. Through the years, Christian education, especially with elementary children and their choirs, women’s work, missions, and sewing for needs near and far have been priority areas of concern claiming her interest and time. At home a daughter Carolyn and son Charles enriched the lives of their mother and father. She was an accomplished seamstress and also enjoyed gardening, preserving fruits and vegetables, baking, and always music – the great hymns of faith- vocal, cello, piano and pipe organ. Dorothy’s family includes her daughter, Carolyn Wallace Nelson and her husband CAPT David Nelson, USN Ret. of Dumfries, VA; a daughter-in-law, LuOna (Bill) Goodwin of Prior Lake, MN; five grandchildren: Christine Lynn Nelson (Andrew) Last, Bradley David (Tricia) Nelson, Beth Anne Nelson (Nathan) Moorleghen, Matthew Logan (Nicole) Wallace and Christopher Owen (Sharon) Wallace. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren: Alexa James Last, Sienna Catelyn Last, and Austin Bradley Nelson; a brother, Stanley (Rose) Spurrell of Watertown, South Dakota, and a sister-in-law, May O. Wallace of Newberg, OR. In addition to her parents, Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Emery on Feb. 23, 2016, and her son, Charles Logan Wallace in 2000. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 10, at the What Cheer United Methodist Church in What Cheer with Rev. Vince Homan officiating. Burial will be in Indianapolis Cemetery near What Cheer. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., Friday, at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel; the family will be present from 4-6 p.m. to greet visitors. Memorial contributions may be made to the What Cheer United Methodist Church. Memories and condolences may be sent to the family by visiting the online guestbook at gvlfuneralchapel.com.

Dorothy Mae Wallace

June 27, 1926 - December 6, 2016