Shirley Janelle Josephine “Jo” Wallace, of Atkins, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, in the wee hours of Christmas Day. She got her Christmas gift early. She was 88 years old.

A quick-witted, independent and passionate woman, Jo was a community leader, writer, mathematician, genealogist, historian, florist, business owner, and world traveler as well as a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother and friend. During her life, Jo calculated the rotation of rockets for NASA; worked as an accountant for Winthrop Rockefeller; wrote for the Morrilton Headlight; introduced plumbing to the Ada Valley community; co-founded People for a Better Atkins; started the first Picklefest in Atkins; created the first local Angel Tree program; co-operated a travel agency in Russellville; restored a Victorian home in Morrilton, built her own log cabin; and co-owned Miss Scarlet’s Flower Shop for about 20 years. She traveled internationally to Mexico, Ireland and Scotland.

The oldest daughter of eight children, Jo grew up in Ada Valley, where she graduated high school at the top of her class, despite missing months of school to pick cotton with her family in South Arkansas. From a young age, Jo was an artist and creator, who loved music, painting and writing. As a teen, she saw Elvis Presley perform and later made friends with Conway Twitty’s band. She sat on the porch and listened to the Cash family play. Later, she wrote several books based on her life, family history and the War of Northern Aggression. She gave presentations for history and civic organizations. She also wrote poetry and songs, many of which were performed at local venues and churches, including Oak Grove Free Will Baptist Church. Her pastels and oil paintings are held in private collections.

Jo believed in self reliance and learning quickly. She could take the head off of a snake with a hoe as easily as doing accounting. An IRS agent once gave her money from his own pocket after he tried to audit her. Jo learned her resiliency early. As a child, she looked after her siblings. She survived a lightning strike and, as an adult, cancer. At 17 years old, her parents gave her $5 and dropped her off at a bus stop to start her adult life. She moved alone to Little Rock, where she lived in an all-women community and worked as a secretary. She then married Charlie Wallace, her high school sweetheart, and went to France during his deployment in the U.S. Army.

Jo spent time teaching her children and grandchildren independence and Ozark traditions, including how to harvest and cook polk salad, create poultices, milk a cow, plant tomatoes that grow sweet, crochet and quilt, and can food. She reused everything – from cloth remnants to oleo tubs. She was frugal and tough but also kind. While working in the flower shop, Jo kept coffee on hand so World War II veterans could stop by and chat every day. She secretly allowed families in need to trade or barter for flowers for funerals. Every Christmas, she donated poinsettias to all the churches in Atkins.

Jo was preceded in death by her parents, Aquilla “Squealer” Kendrick and Leonard “Cubby” Haralson; her husband Charles “Charlie” Wallace; daughter Charlene “Fidge” Sims Hickey; grand-daughter Alisha Langston; brothers Wayne and Mike Haralson; and sisters Betty Brown, Esther Brandenburg, and Sylvia Duke. She is survived by her daughter Candy Wallace Hazel, of Atkins; grand-daughters Misty Langston, of Atkins, Scarlet Sims, of Little Rock; brothers John and Lonnie Haralson, of Greenback, Tenn., and Tulsa, respectively; six great-grandchildren; and six great-great grandchildren.

Instead of a funeral, a memorial celebration is planned for spring 2026.

Arrangements by A Natural State Funeral Service 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076. 501-982-3400. Online guestbook available at www.anaturalstatefuneralservice.com