George Wallace
George has lived in this area all his life. He grew up in Donelson, TN where he attended Donelson Elementary, Donelson High School and Battle Ground Academy. He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Martin. He was a C-130 flight engineer in the Air National Guard. He spent 30 years with South Central Bell/BellSouth and retired in 2001. He has worked several part-time jobs since, but now he is just retired!
George hasbeen married to Judy Wallace for 47 years now. They live at Sycamore Ridge Ranch, a 40-acre farm in Tuckers Crossroads, TN. which is about 8 miles east of Lebanon, TN. This is where his interest in wildflowers started. He was walking around the farm one day and saw a very small, insignificant wildflower. It really piqued his interest. He went and got his camera to take a picture. From there he tried to identify this flower. Having successfully identified this flower, he went to look for more. And here we are today. He is not an expert by any means, it's just a hobby. He does have a lot of fun doing it.
He lives in a botanical region called the Cedar Glades. Cedar Glades (also known as limestone glades) are open, grassy, rocky natural areas surrounded by eastern red cedar and other trees and shrubs. Such ecosystems occur primarily in middle Tennessee. Many glade plants are endemics-rare plants that are found only in cedar glades. Others are typical of glades but are also found in other places. He is often found wandering the roads, trails, and paths in various state parks through out Tennessee. The major blooming time is April and May.
Judy Wallace
Judy Wallace
Judy was born in Nashville. While in elementary school, she lived only a few miles from her future husband, George, but because he went to Donelson Elementary and she went to Stanford, they didn't know each other. Her family moved to Shelbyville, TN and a few years later, Bowling Green, KY. She moved back to Nashville in 1971 where she was finally to meet George who lived in the same apartment complex. They were married on June 16, 1973.
She has two passions in life, companion animal welfare, and Vanderbilt University athletics. She started volunteering in the fall of 1999 with the Humane Association of Wilson County, now known as New Leash on Life. She and George have personally rescued several dogs & multiple cats over the years. They now have 1 dog and 1 cat.
She started going to Vanderbilt basketball games around 1974-75. She thinks she got her first season ticket in 1976. She has seen the Magic of Memorial many times over. She got her first football season ticket in the 1979-1980 season and has been going ever since. Her sister, two nieces and herself were named 2012 Football Fans of the Year. You'll find them tailgating across from Vandyville before every home game and often at road games too.
She has always enjoyed photography but she really got interested when George and her started hiking. Now, with a very nice camera and lens George got her, she loves taking pictures of waterfalls, landscapes, mushrooms, flowers, wildlife and of course dogs and cats. Their enjoyment of hiking and photography has led them to camping so that is quickly becoming her third passion. Their favorite destinations are Tennessee state parks which are gorgeous but, maybe soon, they will even venture out of state!
