San
Joaquin County
Biographies
BENJAMIN C. WALLACE
It is interesting to chronicle the
story of the successful man, one who, by his own ability, energy and industry
has accomplished his ambition, and by his generosity, integrity and honesty of
purpose has acquired the esteem of his fellowmen and become highly respected
and influential. Such a career is that
depicted in the biography of B. C. Wallace, the head of the oldest funeral
director establishment in Stockton, a prominent and progressive citizen who has
long been identified with San Joaquin County’s affairs and people. He was born near Lockeford,
twelve miles northeast of Stockton, May 24, 1876, and comes of the Civil War
inflow of settlers in California. His
parents are M. Turner and Martha (Harrington) Wallace, the former born in
Randolph County, Missouri, May 27, 1842, and Van Buren County, Iowa, July 26,
1844, respectively. They were married in
Davis County, Iowa, September 24, 1863, the ceremony being performed in
Bloomfield by Rev. Peak, a Baptist clergyman.
The year after the marriage the young couple decided to come to
California. On April 6, 1864, they left
their old home in Iowa in an ox team train, making the overland journey without
any serious mishap, except having their cattle stampeded by the Indians, but
were fortunate in their recovery. They
crossed the Nevada line into California September 2, 1864, remaining in Honey
Lake Valley, Lassen County, until May, 1865, when they crossed the Placerville
grade and arrived at Chinese Camp June 1 and in Stockton June 5. Here they remained until September, 1866,
when they removed to Sonoma County and followed farming. On July 4, 1874, they moved to Harmony Grove,
San Joaquin County, and on November 14, ten years later, they went to Lodi,
residing there for seventeen years. M.
T. Wallace was a well-known and reliable man, serving six years as justice of
the peace in Lodi.
In 1901 M. T. Wallace with his wife
removed to Dinuba and soon afterwards was elected justice of the peace and has
been re-elected every four years, the last time in 1922, without opposition,
and is now entering his seventeenth year in that office in Dinuba. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace in 1913 celebrated their
fiftieth wedding anniversary and expect to celebrate their sixtieth wedding
anniversary in 1923. They are devout
Methodists and Mr. Wallace is a local minister of no mean ability and has
preached throughout this section of California.
This worthy pioneer couple was blessed with eleven children, five of
whom are living, our subject being the oldest son; the others are Mrs. Laura
Pope, Mrs. B. F. Patterson, Earl E. Wallace and Miss Pearl Wallace.
B. C. Wallace attended the schools
of Harmony Grove and Lodi up to the age of thirteen years, when he started out
to make his own livelihood. His ambition
from a youth was to become a funeral director and he began the study under
Andrew Ruttaige, the Lodi funeral director, and
making rapid progress he was soon his able assistant, continuing with him for a
period of five years. He then formed a
partnership with F. O. Hale under the firm name of Hale & Wallace, in Lodi
for a year at the close of which Mr. Wallace sold out and dissolved
partnership. In 1900 he went to San Jose
where as embalmer he worked for the W. B. Ward Undertaking Company for one year
when he returned to Stockton and in 1901 he began business in Stockton as
Rogers & Wallace, but in 1906 Mr. Wallace purchased Mr. Rogers’ interest
and since then has built up one of the largest and most complete funeral
director establishments and he is now the oldest in his line of business in
Stockton.
Mr. Wallace is a licensed embalmer,
having taken a course with the Hennessey School of Embalming in San Francisco,
from which he was graduated in 1899. He
believes in being abreast of the times and in 1912 he was the pioneer in
securing the first automobile equipment for conducting funerals in
Stockton. Seeing the need of a larger
and more modern cemetery for the rapidly growing city he was one of the
organizers of Park View Cemetery, located about seven miles southeast of
Stockton. Mr. Wallace has taken a most
active part in its development and is secretary of the corporation. Individually he built and owns the crematory
and also a community mausoleum with 312 crypts, both located in Park View Cemetery. The funeral chapel is located at the corner
of Stanislaus and Channel streets in their own building, formerly the residence
of John N. Woods, which was purchased by Mr. Wallace in 1910.
Mr. Wallace’s marriage united him
with Miss Elsie Wheeler, a native of Stockton, descendant of an old pioneer
family, the daughter of Lewis and Amanda Wheeler; the former is still living
and the mother has passed away. Mr. and
Mrs. Wallace’s marriage has blessed with two bright children, La Verne and B.
C., Jr. As an official of San Joaquin
County, Mr. Wallace served two terms as county coroner from January, 1907, to
January, 1915. During the World War he
was active in Liberty Loan and allied war work, being captain of one of the
drive teams, doing herculean work in aiding in the raising of funds. He is very prominent and popular in fraternal
circles. He is past master of San
Joaquin Lodge No. 19, F. & A. M.; is a member of Stockton Chapter, R. A.
M.; Stockton Commandery No. 8, K. T., and as a 32nd
degree Scottish Rite Mason is a member of San Francisco Consistory No. 1, as
well as a member of Aahmes Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.,
Oakland. He is a past patron of Home
Chapter No. 50, O. E. S., and past grand of Charity Lodge No. 6, I. O. O. F.,
Stockton. Besides he is affiliated with
Charter Oak Castle, K. of P., Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W., Woodmen of
the World, Modern Woodmen of America, Foresters, Red Men, Junior Order of
American Mechanics, Eagles and the Loyal Order of Moose, the Anteros and Rotary Clubs, all of Stockton. He is past president of the California
Funeral Directors’ Association, a member of the National Funeral Directors and
National Select Morticians’ Association.
He is a prominent member of the Central Methodist Episcopal church, has
been a member of the official board and has been chief usher and plate
collector for sixteen years. He is
assistant superintendent of the Sunday school, a position he has held for ten
years and takes an active part in the benevolences of the church. Mrs. Wallace is also active in the Methodist
Church and its societies; she is also a member of the N. D. G. W. and Homo
Chapter No. 50, O. E. S. Mr. Wallace has
a host of friends who appreciate him for his true worth. Optimistic for the great future of the county
he is enthusiastic in his support of movements that have for their aim the
development of this wonderfully rich section.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
404. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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