WALLACE FAMILY

by Diane Wallace Green and Nic Swanson

I would like to start by thanking all of you for honoring my family, the Wallace family, as a part of the 100th birthday celebration of our church. We are humbled and overjoyed to join the families that have been honored before us: the Browns, the Rebergers, the Wardens, and the Boydstuns. I am very proud to be a member of this wonderful church and consider it, Pastor Char, and all of you, family.

Patty Boydstun Hovdey said last month when her family was honored, that it is very unusual in this day and age to find people that were born into a commu-nity, grew up, and lived their entire adult married life in the same hometown. My sister, Deb Wallace Fereday and I fit into the same mold as Patty. Deb and I have received blessings beyond belief, as we each have some of our children living and working in the same hometown in which they were raised. “Hometown” being the key word, with the little “hometown” white church on the corner being a fixture in all of it. Deb’s son Scott and his wife Fallon were both born and raised in thicommunity and have chosen to make a life here.

I would like to introduce my son, Nicolas Swanson. Many of you know him from being one of those local boys that grew up here in McCall or his time at church during his high school years, and others may recognize him as the newly elected McCall City Council member, for which I am proud. Nic is going to introduce you to a bit of history our family has in Valley County and McCall and the bonds and ties we have to this wonderful church. Nic is a sixth generation Valley County resident.

Here is how it all came to pass. It was 1891 when my grandma Fay’s grandfather, John Francis Coonrod, traveled to Long Valley from Kansas. He farmed in both Roseberry and Gold Fork. He and his wife, Jancy Jane, had ten children, three girls and seven boys. Robert Squire Coonrod, sixth of the ten children, was born in 1879 and married Lesta Linden Coonrod in 1908. On July 3, 1909, Grandma Fay, as she was lovingly known by everyone in Valley County, was born in Van Wyck, a town now submerged under Cascade Reservoir. Grammy Faye lost her father at a young age, leaving Lesta to support her and her sister Eenie, doing so by teaching school. She taught school in Valley County for the better part of 40 years.

Robert and Lesta (my great-great grandparents) filed land claims in 1901 and 1908 in an area known as Beaver Meadows, located at the base of West Mountain. Recognized for its rich soil, luscious grasses, and beautiful flowers, it was an ideal place to settle, and begin the Idaho lifestyle. Lesta held onto this land as long as she could, however with the construction of the dam in the ‘40s, she had to concede in the name of progress.

Those of you who remember Grandma Faye will recall her tenacious pursuit of huckleberries and huckleberry patches. She undoubtedly adopted such a passion being raised at the base of West Mountain. I’m sure many a church potluck has been graced with a huckleberry dish from Grandma Faye’s kitchen over the years.

My grandfather, Francis Wallace, was born to Pete Wallace and Faye Coonrod Wallace February 16, 1934 in McCall. He was the middle child of five. His great grandparents, Judge Franklin H. Wallace, and his wife, Sarah Wallace, finally settled in the Meadows Valley in 1911. Shortly after, they moved over the hill to Roseberry, where they raised their five boys. One of those five boys was Stanley Wallace, but everyone knew him as Pete, or Uncle Pete if you were one of his grandchildren. Grandma Faye and Uncle Pete were wed August 6, 1027 in Council. They resided in Roseberry and Donnelly for some time, but moved to McCall in 1948. The home they settled in is located one block east of here. Built in 1934, it was originally a jewelry store, but has been added onto many times since to accommodate the family. The Wallaces began attending and participating in the church life here shortly after moving to McCall.

My grandma, Dolores Roberson Wallace, moved to McCall with her family from Star in 1950, and graduated from McCall-Donnelly High School in 1952 with Grandpa Francie. She is the daughter of James Roberson and Opal McDougal, who swears she saw Sharlie from the windows of Shore Lodge while she was waiting tables there in the ‘50s.

My mom’s family memories of the church begin with her childhood, as do mine, but she had an opportunity to review the historic records of the church while doing research for this project. Through her research, she found entries pertaining to funerals for members of the Coonrod family dating back to the ‘40s. She also discovered baptism dates for Grandpa Francie, 1952, and Aunts Joy and Jane, 1956 and ‘57, respectively. There are records of Grandma Faye and Uncle Pete holding offices within the church in the 1950s as well.

Aunt Joy recalls Grandma Faye being involved in many activities with Betty Harwood – potlucks and Womens’ Fellowship to name a few. Aung Jane recalls Sunday School in the basement as a tot, and also as a teen, when she helped teach Sunday School.

October 16, 1955 brought the marriage of my grandparents, Francis Elmer and Dolores Rae. They were married in the old sanctuary, which now serves as the library. In 1956, sadly, was the funeral of their firstborn, Penny Elizabeth, also held here at the church. Their children, my Aunt Deb, Uncle Brad, and mother, all attended kindergarten, as well as Sunday School, in the basement. My mom recalls a time when there were monkey bars down there to keep the kids occupied during the winter. Aunt Deb also recalls teaching Jazzercize and adult nutrition classes in the basement during the 1980s and ‘90s. All of Francie and Dolores’ children were married in this church. Dolores was the church treasurer for four years in the 1990s. My mom is a deacon and will be one until she can’t be one anymore. This great congregation honored me by sponsoring a Young Life trip to Mexico, where we built homes for impoverished families. You also honored my cousin, Scott Fereday, and myself when we graduated from high school. My mom and stepfather were baptized and became members in 2001. All of these events under the same roof and they all play a tremendous part in our family memories. Think of all the memories the walls of this church hold.

Pastor Char tells us, “Where two or more are gathered in My Name, there will I (God) be also.” This church gives strength, love and faith to all, through both good times and difficult times.

As I relay these memories, there is a developing message – this church is the foundation, the roots, for many families – not just ours and not in only this time frame. Our family is just one of the many that has been drawn through its doors. The 100th birthday will be celebrated this coming August. This church has been and is the lasting heritage for our family and the community. It is the “hometown” church.

Pastor Char’s message to people that walk through the doors is: “Our doors are always open. We believe with our heart and soul, no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” That’s what makes this church so wonderful and inviting. It embellishes the feeling of home where faith is love and love comes from God.

And talking about hometown reminds me of another thing Pastor Char gives thanks for and shares her love for – our surroundings – this beautiful glacial valley that is filled with God’s wonders, the pines, the lakes, the wild flowers, the animals and the four seasons (if you look quick). And our little white church sits right in the middle of all that beauty. It is so easy to thank God everyday for the landscape and beauty around us, which includes the walls of this church.

Phyd Huffman had a dream that one day the sanctuary would have stained glass windows. “O ye Sun and Moon, O ye Stars of Heaven.” This one has special meaning to our family. If you know where my mom always sits during service, you will find it. It is the Wallace window and is in memory of our grandfather, father, husband and brother, Francis Wallace, a man who followed the heritage of the community; a city and county leader, a logger, a skier, a hunter and fisherman, a mechanic and member of the Commu-nity Congregational Church. The church was filled with the music of bagpipes for Grandpa Francie’s memorial back in 1996. It filled a person’s entire soul and sent tingles down your spine. I can feel them today.

We all know about the gift of music this church provides its members and the community. The walls of the church with its architectural structure where sounds abound and the gift the church has received to have Tyler Vance as our musical director makes this church stand out. The Wallace family was blessed to have Tyler play for my Uncle Brad’s life celebration in 2006. We were blessed to have the comforting walls of the church surrounding us during this time of loss.

My mom has this thing about Christmas. She and my stepdad, Dan, have been getting the church Christmas tree for, well, my mom can’t remember when they started. It is one of those memories that she will hold forever. Both she and Dan work in jobs that allow them to find trees to fill the church with that wonderful smell of a fresh-cut tree. Mom keeps telling Dad his is going to have to deliver a tree on one of their logging trucks, but then again, she has been told to keep it to only 15 feet. Maybe next year one will come on one of the D&D Green Trucking logging trucks.

In closing, the Wallace family is proud and honored to be a part of the family of this community and the celebration of the 100th birthday of this awesome Community Congregational Church.

The Wallace Family: Heritage of Love

by Charlottie Havlicak

When we come to worship together as a family of God, we come week after week celebrating the marvel of God’s infinite and unending love. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall have everlasting life.

God gave His Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior, to die for us and in His death on the cross, Jesus paid the price to purchase our salvation and grace. In the shedding of His blood we are redeemed.

By the Spirit of the Holy, Jesus was born of Mary. Joseph, who was His human father taught Him the beauty of carpentry. Jesus lived with His family that loved and cared for Him until it was time for Him to begin His public ministry. Our loving God knew how important families were in the development of a child.

When I began my ministry here at the church, the Wallace family was well established. I looked up in the old records to find that Pete and Faye Wallace became members of this church by confession of faith on April 18, 1957. Pete Wallace then was elected and served as a deacon in this church during the years 1958 and 1959.

I started visiting with Grandma Faye when I began my ministry here. The Wallace home is the big white house across from Sterling Bank. When McCall was a young village, homes filled the area where the Wallace home sits. Now we have banks and businesses.

Faye’s home was a house of the ‘50s and Faye had the house filled with her mementoes and treasures. As you drive by on Park Street, you can still look up at her windows and see all her collection of glass – red and orange glass.

For many years Dolores Wallace served faithfully as our church treasurer and Maggie Crum was our financial secretary. Dolores kept all our church records with a ledger, a ruler and a pencil. Francis Wallace loved his work in the woods, but he also had time to serve on the city council and as a county commissioner.

It was in December of 1996 I received a call to come to the McCall Memorial Hospital. Francis Wallace has suffered a heart attack. We gathered around his bed in the emergency room and had a family prayer. A few days later, on December 22, his memorial service was held here at the church.

This church family was in the exciting process of selecting and ordering our stained glass windows, and the Wallace family decided they would put their memorial gifts toward a window in honor of Francis E. Wallace.

The windows were designed by Hauser Glass Company of Minnesota. The Wallace family chose the window design representing the out-of-doors, the elements of nature, the sun, moon and stars, because Francie has always worked in the woods and his children learned about the beauty of our forests and they knew all the different types of trees found in our forests. Diane always sits by her father’s window.

Grandma Faye died in March of 2000, but the family decided to have the celebration of her life in July, when all the family could join together to honor her long and gifted life.

Faye had a favorite saying: “Ask for more than you can do – and do it! Bite off more than you can chew – and chew it! Hitch your wagon to a star – hold onto your seat and there you are!”

Brad Wallace died suddenly in December of 2006 and his celebration of life was held here at the church on December 14, 2006.

Diane has worshiped here at the church almost all of her life. She has served faithfully as a deacon for many years. Dan and Diane are the ones who supply us with our beautiful Christmas trees, and on Christmas Eve the Green family comes always to light the Christ Candle.

It has been a joy to watch Nic and Hailey grow up. This Christmas Eve when Diane and her family lighted the Christ Candle, I was drawn back in time. Back when Nic and Hailey were young children.

I think we sometimes forget the beauty and the value of families. God loves us. We are part of the family of God. Families were created to take care of one another and this is the reason we celebrate our founding families, and our families who have made a profound difference in our community and in this church.

This year we have been a vital part of this community for 100 years. As I say to the Green family, “Well done good and faithful ones.” So may our mission and ministry lead folks in the future to look back at what we accomplish and say, “Well done, good and faithful servants.” Amen.