Lena R. White Wallace
Lena Wallace was an extraordinary woman of her day. She was the oldest of ten children born to Judge James Bamford White and Cecilia Locknane White. Her brothers and sisters were Ida, Elmer, Randolph, Betty White McConkey, Carlisle “Carley”, Rodney, Nell White Kash, Margaret and Tennie White Davis. She was born on February 27, 1871 in Clark County, Kentucky and died on November 20, 1956. She is buried in Oak Dale Cemetery in Irvine. Lena grew up in the big white house on Broadway now owned by Dr. Charles Terry and Family.
Lena married David A. “Bunk” Wallace on February 2, 1981. They lived in the large home at the south end of Court Street overlooking the railroad and the Kentucky River which is now owned by Ron Newlin. Known as “Sister” to family, her nieces and nephews liked to visit this home where they could sleep on a screened porch. They would awaken in the mornings with cinders and soot on their clothing and bedding from the trains that had passed in the night.
Soon after she married, Lena (a business owner and a noted collector of antiques) started a millinery shop on Main Street in Irvine. Bunk had his own general merchandise store on down the street. Lena’s shop evolved from just ladies’ hats into an exclusive boutique for all kinds of feminine apparel. Her window had a simple, gold-lettered plaque with “Lena Wallace” to identify the store. These windows were renowned for their lovely, elegant displays, especially at Christmas. A lover of antiques, Lena furnished her shop with beautiful pieces and even sold some small glass items and furniture to her valued customers. Surprisingly, her shop also carried casket handles and material to line caskets. Evidently, this was a joint venture with the Bergman store down the street, according to Tennie Ohr, who heard the story from her mother, Edwina. The most memorable item in the store was a floor to ceiling gilt mirror on the front side wall. It was free standing and had a wide shelf at the bottom just right for small children to sit on, if they dared. Lena was a tall, thin woman with a crisp and abrupt manner of speaking which was scary to visiting little ones. She and Bunk had no children. In the late 1950’s the store was bought by A.W. and Cecilia Bonny who enlarged it.
Lena owned the first car in Irvine, however, she never did learn to drive. Her brothers and sisters did learn and were her chauffeurs. Lena loved to go places! Her father would ride in the car only reluctantly and on the condition that the door stayed open just in case a problem developed and he needed to escape.
Lena was a member of the first Garden Club organized in Estill County and held an open house for them as a fund raiser on Christmas. After her death in 1956, her sisters, Betty and Margaret, who helped her run the store, continued to live in the house at Estill Springs. The house (now owned by Jimmy and Kay Ann Barnes) was one of Irvine’s most gracious homes located on land that was once Estill Springs Hotel and Spa. After the hotel burned in 1924, the land was purchased by Lena and the house was built by her brothers, Rodney and Elmer.
Mildred Barnet remembers Lena Wallace’s store. She commented, “She was a ritzy woman with a good business, but it wasn’t for the ‘common folks.’”
Lena married David A. “Bunk” Wallace on February 2, 1981. They lived in the large home at the south end of Court Street overlooking the railroad and the Kentucky River which is now owned by Ron Newlin. Known as “Sister” to family, her nieces and nephews liked to visit this home where they could sleep on a screened porch. They would awaken in the mornings with cinders and soot on their clothing and bedding from the trains that had passed in the night.
Soon after she married, Lena (a business owner and a noted collector of antiques) started a millinery shop on Main Street in Irvine. Bunk had his own general merchandise store on down the street. Lena’s shop evolved from just ladies’ hats into an exclusive boutique for all kinds of feminine apparel. Her window had a simple, gold-lettered plaque with “Lena Wallace” to identify the store. These windows were renowned for their lovely, elegant displays, especially at Christmas. A lover of antiques, Lena furnished her shop with beautiful pieces and even sold some small glass items and furniture to her valued customers. Surprisingly, her shop also carried casket handles and material to line caskets. Evidently, this was a joint venture with the Bergman store down the street, according to Tennie Ohr, who heard the story from her mother, Edwina. The most memorable item in the store was a floor to ceiling gilt mirror on the front side wall. It was free standing and had a wide shelf at the bottom just right for small children to sit on, if they dared. Lena was a tall, thin woman with a crisp and abrupt manner of speaking which was scary to visiting little ones. She and Bunk had no children. In the late 1950’s the store was bought by A.W. and Cecilia Bonny who enlarged it.
Lena owned the first car in Irvine, however, she never did learn to drive. Her brothers and sisters did learn and were her chauffeurs. Lena loved to go places! Her father would ride in the car only reluctantly and on the condition that the door stayed open just in case a problem developed and he needed to escape.
Lena was a member of the first Garden Club organized in Estill County and held an open house for them as a fund raiser on Christmas. After her death in 1956, her sisters, Betty and Margaret, who helped her run the store, continued to live in the house at Estill Springs. The house (now owned by Jimmy and Kay Ann Barnes) was one of Irvine’s most gracious homes located on land that was once Estill Springs Hotel and Spa. After the hotel burned in 1924, the land was purchased by Lena and the house was built by her brothers, Rodney and Elmer.
Mildred Barnet remembers Lena Wallace’s store. She commented, “She was a ritzy woman with a good business, but it wasn’t for the ‘common folks.’”