Joseph Allen Wallace

September 30, 1948 - June 17, 2017

Joseph Allen “Joe” Wallace, 68, of Washington died Saturday, June 17, 2017, in Washington. A celebration of life service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thurdsay, June 22nd at the United Methodist Church in Washington. Calling hours will begin noon Wednesday at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Interment will take place in Elm Grove Cemetery. A general memorial has been established. Online condolences may be sent for Joe’s family through the web at www.jonesfh.com Joe was born September 30, 1948, in Washington, the son of Stanley and Catherine (Little) Wallace. He married Kathy Nordyke on July 3, 1975, in Washington at the United Methodist Church. He graduated from Washington High School in 1966. He started working at McCleery-Cumming Company soon after graduation and worked there for 35 years. Joe was known as having a strong work ethic, always having several jobs at the same time. From 1970-1979, he worked at the Blue Note. He also helped his dad insulate houses for 20 years then took over the business in 1983. After McCleery’s closed, he drove a delivery van for Sitler Electric delivering to many towns in Iowa. Joe figured income taxes with the Washington Bookeeping Service for more than 20 years. He helped mediate contracts between McCleery’s and it’s employees.. He was secretary of the union at his work for several years. He was also a founding member of the George Washington Credit Union of which he was president/secretary from its founding in the 60’s to its new merger in the 90’s. He and his wife also cleaned the Iowa Southern Store which is now the Alliant Energy building from 1979-1994. Joe also really enjoyed bowling. He was secretary of his bowling league for 40 years. He was devoted to his job and family and could best be described as a “quiet character”. He liked to joke around and he liked to be around kids as well as help older people. His hobbies were being around his grandchildren, going to the cabin on the Iowa River to go boating, bowling, being outdoors, and helping others. Surviving are his wife Kathy of Washington; one son Joey and friend Stephanie Heisdorffer of Washington; one daughter Jill (Jeff) Moore of Washington; Eleven grandchildren, Jordan Wallace of Keota; Joshua Wallace, Alexis, Landyn, Layne, Jaedyn Moore of Washington; Chase Messamaker, Ethen Mesch, Tristen Heisdorffer of Washington; Teresa Moore of Webster; Jake Moore of West Des Moines; one brother Roger of Davenport; one sister Kathy (Bob) Breuer of Burlington; sister-in-law, Connie (Gary) Pence of Washington; four nieces and two nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Stanley and Catherine Wallace; father and mother-in-law, Bill and Doris Nordyke; one sister-in-law, Colleen Wallace; grandchildren Courtney Moore and Deztiny Heisdorffer.