Hildegard Wallace

Hildegard Geckle Wallace

93, beloved mother and grandmother peacefully passed away on Saturday, December 19, 2020.  Hildegard (Hilde) was a Christmas Eve baby born in 1926 to Eugene and Wihelmina Geckle in Freudenstadt, Germany. Hilde faced many obstacles throughout her life but was able to persevere using her faith in God and innate toughness. She was soft spoken and had a warm genuine smile. Most of her adolescence was spent in war-torn Stuttgart, Germany. She lost her only sibling, her brother, "Willie," at age 18 when a German merchant supply ship he was serving on was attacked and sunk by the Royal British Navy in the North Sea.

Upon completion of her formal education, she headed to work at a resort in Switzerland. She loved to travel and took every opportunity to see Europe. Hilde spoke fluent English. She returned to Stuttgart and while working at Patch Barracks, a United States armed forces base met the man she would spend the next 55 years with. Hilde and "Bobby" were married in 1956. It was a union of opposites attracting. Hilde enjoyed the arts especially opera and ballet and Bobby was an athlete and eventually coached football. They welcomed their first daughter, Debora while Bob completed his army service and then headed to the United States. She tearfully said," Auf Wiedersehen," to her family and homeland but acclimated step-by-step to her new surroundings despite the stigma of coming from Nazi Germany.  Hilde became a devoted wife, homemaker, and mother of four children She enjoyed cooking, especially baking. She was ahead of her time in knowing homeopathic methods for health and taking yoga classes. Hilde was a resident of Jackson for nearly 50 years. One of her proudest moments was becoming a United States citizen in 1969. She returned several times to visit Germany, with the most memorable trip in 1992 with her adult daughter Lisa.

A memorial service and private burial will be held when it is safe to gather.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Robert C. Wallace Jr, Bobby, her parents and brother, Eugene Wilhelm Geckle.
Survivors: Son, Michael Patrick Wallace and daughters, Debora Benn (Chris), Patricia Anne Dible (Rick), Lisa Virginia Wallace-Plante (Steve). Grandchildren: Sandra and Christopher Wallace, Scott, and Matthew Benn, Nathan Garcia, Trevor and Keaton Dible, Michael and Sara Plante, and two great grandchildren.

Memorials are suggested to: Any Veterans Organization or St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 120 E, Wesley St. Jackson, MI 49201.
A special thank you to the staff of Mission Point Health Campus for their expertise, compassion and attentiveness in caring for "Hilde."

Desnoyer Funeral Home - Family Owned For 130 Years