Mable Irene Pittman was born Nov. 29, 1923, to Fletcher and Gertrude Stancil Pittman.

She was raised on a farm in Kenly, North Carolina, with her brothers and sisters -- Harvey “HA” Pittman, Tom Pittman, Mac Pittman, Gertie Pittman Buchanan, Jenny Pittman Hinnant, Ruth Pittman Langston and Anne Viverette.

Her mom Gertrude, Harvey Stancil’s second child and a granddaughter of John Thomas Stancil, was also born in Johnston County.

Irene graduated from Glendale High School after 11 grades in 1940 and when another grade was added, she graduated again in 1941.

That year, Irene and Ed met at Cash Corner in Kenly, and it was love at first sight. This was a popular teen hangout in Kenly. This drive-in appealed to the teen crowd with loudspeakers blaring popular music that filled the parking lot. Car hops took orders for hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and pop.

Ed and Irene happily spent two months dating. He endeared himself to Irene’s family and especially to younger sister Anne, just 3. She happily recalled the packs of Juicy Fruit gum he always brought for her to share, a real treat in those days.

At the outbreak of World War II Ed enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps.

Following basic training, Ed was initially sent to Australia and New Guinea for several months. Then he was selected for pilot training for the B-17 bomber. Ed was sent to the Army Air Corp training center in Texas.

She moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in 1942. This is where her older sister Gertie Mae lived. Irene had many friends and stayed busy going to USO dances, movies and writing to Ed. She worked for Peoples Drug Store.

One day while still in flight school in Texas, Ed called Irene and proposed. He also mailed a letter to Irene proposing marriage and included a ring.

A close friend of Irene’s, Maybel Moore, placed the ring on her finger and took a photo to send to Ed. Irene and Ed arranged to meet in Louisiana and get married, but this trip was canceled when Ed’s squadron was ordered to immediately fly to England. A wedding date was put on hold. Ed went on bombing missions in Germany.

While at Peoples Drug Store, a customer told Irene about a job at an Insurance company. She was hired as a payroll clerk in the Norfolk office. While in school, Irene never liked math but grew to love it. She transferred to a new position and returned to Newport News, Virginia.

Irene and Ed continued to write regularly.

Ed, a B17 Flying Fortress pilot, was shot down on his 15th mission in 1944 and spent the remainder of the war as a POW. Ed was sent to Stalag Luft III POW Camp. This officer’s only camp was reserved for all captured Air Force Servicemen. It was 100 miles southeast of Berlin in Poland. During this time, few letters were exchanged and each one had to be carefully written to ensure delivery.

Irene and Ed. Family photo

Irene and Ed married on July 7, 1945; in a Christian Church in Newport News. Irene wore a two-piece white dotted Swiss suit. Gertie Mae and her husband, Buck Buchanan witnessed the ceremony.

Ed and Irene honeymooned in Washington, D.C., riding the train to Richmond and transferring to another one for D.C. They returned to Newport News on a ferry.

Irene wanted to live close to her roots. Ed took a job selling insurance for Interstate Life & Accident Insurance Company in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. This profession was not for him.

Soon they returned to Newport News. Ed began working for Remington Rand Business Machines in 1946. This was a perfect fit. After a few years he managed the Service Department.

Irene and Ed joined Parkview Baptist Church in 1947. They were active members. Ed taught Sunday School class for years and Irene served as church secretary and was treasurer of her Sunday school class.

When Ed’s mother, Ida, was 70, she became a widow. She was welcomed into Ed and Irene’s home. Ida wanted to work and was hired by High’s Ice Cream, a popular Ice Cream Parlor.

Irene stayed at home until two sons Billy and Bobby were finished with school. She had several careers, including at the lunch counter at the old Roses store in Newmarket Shopping center for a good while. Later she worked at Gulf Life Insurance and Interstate Life Insurance, working in the old Williams building across Warwick Boulevard from Huntington Park.

Ed was a member of the Ex-Prisoner of War James L. Hale Memorial Chapter, Hampton, Virginia, and a Past Commander of the James L. Hale Memorial POW Chapter. Ed and Irene attended several national POW Conventions. One was in St. Louis and they even enjoyed a St. Louis Cardinals game.

Ed and Irene attended many Stancil Reunions.

Each summer, the family would take a vacation to White Lake, North Carolina. Joan, Billy, Irene Wallace, Billy Pittman, Abby Farrell, Anne & James Viverette, Jackie Pittman, Marsha & Greg Farrell stayed in Stancil’s Cottages at White Lake, North Carolina, a popular resort. Emmette Stancil, first cousin of Irene’s mother, Gertrude, owned them.

Ed and Irene loved playing cards, bowling and camping out with friends.

Finally they decided to purchase a place on Lake Gaston for family outings. This became a favorite spot of Billy and Bobby’s. Ed and Irene kept a pop-up camper, a sailboat and ski boat there for more than 30 years.

Ed and Irene enjoyed dancing. For years on Friday and Saturday nights you could find them square dancing or ballroom dancing. They belonged to a square dance club and went to conventions. Irene wore custom dresses.

They took several cruises to the Bahamas, Nova Scotia, Mexico and the Caribbean. In Nova Scotia, they witnessed Tides in the Bay of Fundy where each day 100 billion tons of seawater flows in and out during one tide cycle.

On the cruises, they attended the formal dances. It gave them an opportunity to dress in formal attire, evening gown and tux. As you would expect, soon many dancers stopped dancing to watch Ed and Irene.

Their favorite vacation was a trip to LA to attend the Lawrence Welk Resort Theatre where they stayed in a time-share for two weeks.

Irene and Ed both had green thumbs. They grew an annual vegetable garden and flower garden. One year they had 50 beautiful rose bushes.

Irene lived independently after Ed's passing, enjoying good health and many friends. When COVID-19 hit, she moved in with Joan and Billy.

“Over time, mama began referring to our house as home,” Billy wrote. “When she was still able to live somewhat independently, we’d take her back to her house for a few days every couple of months. It had been her home for 50-plus years and she was reluctant to say goodbye to it. Toward the end she realized she was not able to stay by herself so did not return to the home much anymore. Even though her granddaughter, Katy, was living in the home, she worked every day so mama was alone most of the time.”

Mable Irene Pittman Wallace, daughter of the late Fletcher and Gertrude Stancil Pittman and widow of Ed Wallace, died July 12, 2022, in Gloucester, Virginia, at the age of 98. Since Ed died Nov. 23, 2013, she lived on her own until the COVID-19 pandemic started. She recently moved in with son Billy and wife Joan.

Irene is survived by sister Anne Pittman Viverette, two sons, William E. "Bill" Wallace (Joan), and Bobby G. Wallace (Nancy), and granddaughter, Katy Wallace; along with many nieces and nephews and her beloved Parkview Baptist Church family.

The family will receive friends at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at Weymouth Funeral Home, 12746 Nettles Drive in Newport News, Virginia. A funeral service will follow the visitation at Weymouth Funeral Home Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests expressions of sympathy be in the form of donations in Irene's name to Parkview Baptist Church, Newport News. Arrangements by Weymouth Funeral Home.

— Information from obituaries, Billy Wallace and previous interviews by Renn Stancil Hinton.