Claude "Red" T. Wallace

Claude T. "Red" Wallace, 87, of Cleveland, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. He was born in Athens, TN on July 7, 1926 to the late Tom and Lizzie Rowland Wallace, both pioneer families of Charleston, TN. He joined the United States Navy after his parents signed for him because he was only 16 years old. He served his country in World War II and was in the South Pacific for 34 months and 18 days and was involved in three major battles. Claude was also a recipient of the Purple Heart, along with several other service medals. After his time in the Navy he returned home and was later employed as a Tennessee Highway Patrolmen. In June of 1950 the Korean War began so he went back into the Navy and was discharged in 1954. In 1976 he went to UT Knoxville and took a course in Real Estate and became a licensed real estate agent with Gentry Real Estate. In 1979 he went to the Missouri Auction School in Kansas City and received his auctioneer license. Claude auctioned a horse farm in Versailles, KY for Governor Julian Carroll and was the biggest and most successful auction. The governor also made Claude a Kentucky Colonel which is a prestigious honor. He also holds an Honorary Colonel from Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee. For the last several years he has been involved in Auctioneering and Real Estate as Wallace Auction Company, LLC. He was a member of Hopewell Baptist Church and was also a licensed Baptist minister. Claude was a writer and had a collection of over 10,000 poems. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Louise D. Wallace who passed away on February 10, 2014; seven brothers whom he had a special love for, Robert W. Sr., Clyde, Richard T., Creed, Loyde, James E. "Jim" and Hobert Wallace; and two sisters, Catherine Cavett and Mary Elizabeth Corvin. Survivors include several nieces, nephews and cousins and special friends, the Reverend William Walker, Jr., and his wife, Jean of Riceville. The funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, 2014 in the chapel of Fike Funeral Home with the Reverend William M. Walker, Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in Hopewell Cemetery military honors. William Mee, Everett Harris, Robert Wallace, Jr., James Chapman, Mike Wallace and Daniel Dixon will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends from 1:00 -2:00 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home prior to the service. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Wallace family guest book at fikefh.com.