Mildred Steele Wallis

Mildred Steele Wallis, 94, passed away on Saturday, December 28, 2024. She is survived by her son Frank (Sidney, OH), his wife Pam, and their children Faye and Jamie; her daughter Melissa Smith (Morganton, NC), her husband Randy, and their children Skye and Erin; her son Charles (Brevard, NC); her son Tom (Winston-Salem, NC) and his partner Alyson Watts; her brothers Bill and Ronald Steele (Dillsburg and Mechanicsburg, PA); and her sister Melissa Miller (Tyrone, PA). She also counted her beloved cousin Charles Fetterhoff (Harrisburg, PA) as her sibling. She is preceded in death by her husband Frank Jameson Wallis III, her brother Frank Steele, and her sister Ramona Steele.

Millie was fascinated by the moon. The sense of awe she felt gazing at the night sky wasn’t just about the magisterial beauty of a celestial body. She also loved the symbolism of people scattered in different places joined by their ability to look up and marvel at the same moon. Millie’s strong belief in the power of human connection shaped her life priorities around family and community for her 94 years on this Earth.

A country girl at heart, Millie first set foot on a farm in Huntington County, Pennsylvania on October 25, 1930, when she was born to Bruce Devore Steele and Freda Mertie Shue Steele. She spent much of her youth in Harrisburg, PA, but no matter where Millie lived, her heart always considered her maternal grandparents’ farm in Hill Valley, PA, her true spiritual home.

Millie earned her bachelor of science in elementary education at Shippensburg University and taught fourth grade at Marshall City School in Harrisburg for a few years.

Though formally trained in elementary education, Millie always considered family her life’s work. By all accounts, she excelled in this role. “I have learned that to love and be loved is the greatest joy ever,” she was fond of saying, and her husband Frank and their children were blessed to be the primary beneficiaries of that joy.

Millie met Frank while he was serving in the Army Chemical Corp. Their relationship began with a false start and a great distance between them, but once their love fully ignited, it burned brightly. They were married on September 24, 1955 and they remained fiercely dedicated to one another for more than 50 years until Frank passed away on September 30, 2009. They wrote poems for one another. Danced. Listened to opera. Worshipped. Played cards (“Low Profile Millie” was expert at pretending she was losing while holding a winning hand). Painted. Gardened. Stood together many times at the water’s edge on the North Carolina coast. Traveled across the US. Most importantly, they raised a family of four children, each with a different personality and lifestyle, but all united by a deep appreciation of their familial bonds and the loving spirit that Millie and Frank modeled for them.

Millie also shared her love generously with the community around her. She was active in the First United Methodist Church and felt a lifelong connection with the friends she made in the Aldersgate Sunday School class. Feeling strongly that Morganton should be as beautiful as the people living here, Millie was passionate about beautification efforts. As a member of the Clean City Committee, she worked with the city, schools, and local media to promote more collaboration focused on preserving Morganton’s visual appeal and charm. Inspired by her children’s creativity, she conceived and spearheaded Morganton’s Good Habit Rabbit anti-litter campaign. Over the years, she was also a passionate gun control and anti-pornography advocate.

Following Frank’s passing, Millie found new ways to share her loving spirit. She immersed herself in the community she found at Grace Ridge, and eventually became very close to Mr. Conley Mitchell. On August 20, 2016, she and Conley invited friends and family to join them in a commitment ceremony celebrating the love that had developed between them. Their companionship lasted until Conley passed away on September 14, 2020.

More than anything else, Millie Wallis relished every moment when friends and family could gather to share memories and stories with one another. In that spirit, a memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church on January 11, 2025 at 11 AM, with Rev. Dan Hester officiating. Following the service, the family will receive friends in the fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be sent to The First United Methodist Church Building Preservation Fund (200 N. King St., Morganton NC, 28655) or Amorem General Fund (902 Kirkwood St. NW, Lenoir NC, 28645).

Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.