Wallace Edward Roberts

On Sunday, July 22, 2018, Wallace Edward Roberts passed away. Those who knew him considered him a local legend, an avid lover of the outdoors, and a truly nice man.

Wallace was born in Jasper County on March 15, 1934, to George and Elise Roberts, in a tiny wooden house in the woods of Calf Pen Bay. This area would be the place he would call his home for the next 84 years. Like most boys who grew up in the deep South during the Great Depression, Wallace learned to hunt and farm early on for practical reasons. However, he learned to love both hunting and farming, and these activities brought him great pleasure. He worked for West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (later Mead Westvaco) for 46 years and retired in 2000. He retired from the South Carolina Army National Guard as a Master Sergeant. In addition, he continued to work as an overseer of a tract of land in the Savannah River swamp until the day he passed away.

Wallace’s work ethic and dedication to the woodlands spoke volumes about his character and his love of nature. His friends often described him as “six o’clock: straight up.” He was the type of man whose word was sufficient, and a written contract was never necessary because his word was gold. He loved to follow the cycle of a tract of land by preparing the land, planting trees, maintaining the crop, harvesting the timber, and re-planting for the cycle to continue. His philosophy was that man should follow nature but not the other way around.

Although Wallace enjoyed many kinds of hunting, his favorite was turkey hunting. He was known far and wide for his ability to call turkeys. He collected different types of turkey calls and mastered them all, but always favored one that was handcrafted in 1909 and willed to him in 1958. For many years, he participated in an annual youth turkey hunt which was designed to teach children how to call turkeys. He loved to help young people and their parents find a passion for hunting together, just like he loved to hunt with his father and later his grandson.

Another passion Wallace had was cooking and eating good food. He had a list of people who shared his love of cabbage, rutabagas, boiled peanuts, and catfish stew, and he would always share when he cooked. He took special care when cooking for others to remember if someone didn’t like certain ingredients like onions or corn, and never minded making special batches to please everyone.

Wallace was married to Audrey Roberts and they have two daughters, Vicky (Mike Mingledorff) and Vandy (Eddie Amason). They have three grandchildren, Travis (15), Emma Grace (11), and Natalie (11). If you saw Wallace, you likely saw one or three grandchildren. He supported them in academics and sports, and took great pride in the way they live their lives. Even when he was very sick and in extreme pain, you could find him in the bleachers cheering them on.

Wallace was preceded in death by three siblings: G.W. Roberts, Grace Cope Riles, and Marcellus Roberts. There is one surviving sister, Nancy Roberts Davidson of Beaufort. There are many nieces and nephews who loved “Uncle Wally,” and he leaves behind a void that cannot likely be filled.

There is a poem, The Village Blacksmith, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, that Wallace loved and could recite in its entirety. The last stanza echoes the values that he held to be true: all people should learn the lesson of hard work, be grateful, and have determination in order to live a purposeful life.

A celebration of Wallace’s life will be held on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Great Swamp Baptist Church in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family invites you to join them at 10:00 am until the hour of the service in a reflection of story tales of Wallace’s life. Sauls Funeral Home will officiate the ceremony. Memorials may be made to Great Swamp Baptist Church, 9009 Tarboro Road, Ridgeland, SC 29936, or to The Blue Heron Nature Center, 321 Bailey Lane, Ridgeland, SC 29936.