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the story of henrietta wallace

Updated: Sep 13

If you ask anyone who has grown up in Statesville which family surname has made the biggest impact on the Jewish community, chances are the response would be the Wallace family. Brothers Isaac and David Wallace who arrived in Statesville in 1859 and 1861, respectively, were instrumental in establishing Congregation Emanuel in 1881, which was the second Jewish synagogue in the state of North Carolina. The brothers built an empire in the herb industry in western North Carolina and fostered a monopoly in the trade that would last well into the 20th century. The Wallace name is also attributed to the acquisition of land in Statesville for a Jewish burial ground that would be the beginning of Oakwood Cemetery; the largest cemetery in Iredell County. This is the prominent family into which Henrietta Wallace was born.

The Wallace Bros. Herbarium building was demolished in 1944. Photo from Statesville Record & Landmark, 5 Nov. 2016

May is Jewish American Heritage Month and I wanted to recognize a woman whose family name opened doors of opportunity, but whose personal determination and compassionate personality drove her to make her own way in the world. Unfortunately, her story ends in tragedy, but the legacy she left behind is one that should never be forgotten.


On July 31, 1910, Henrietta and Frances Wallace were born to Sigmond and Viola Bear Wallace. Yes, you read that correctly; the couple welcomed twin girls that day. As in most cases of twin siblings, Henrietta and Frances were extremely close. They seemed to do everything together. Being born into a prominent family, members of the Wallace family were frequently seen in the society pages of the local newspaper. Henrietta and Frances' names were always together during their childhood. Sigmond, or Sig as we was called, was the youngest son of Isaac Wallace, the co-founder of the Wallace Brothers Company. Isaac died in 1902 and was therefore unable to greet the birth of his twin granddaughters, but they no doubt would have been raised hearing his name and of the great legacy Isaac and David left behind, which was being carried on by their children.


By 1921, Henrietta and Frances were establishing themselves as leaders in their community by joining social groups. They were reported in the paper as leading a meeting of the Children of the Confederacy of which they were members. The girls were also accomplished musicians by a young age. Henrietta was a talented pianist and Frances played the violin. They would often perform together in recitals and concerts with various organizations. There are many references to them in recitals between 1924 and 1927. The sisters headed off the the Women's College of Greensboro (the predecessor of UNC Greensboro) in the fall of 1929. Henrietta studied music and later, library science. After they graduated, they toured Europe together in the summer of 1931.

Henrietta (left) and her twin sister Frances (right) as featured in the 1930 yearbook of the Women's College (which would eventually become UNCG).

After she returned from her European trip, Henrietta began teaching fourth grade at the Union Grove school back in Iredell County. Beginning in the 1930s, the paths of the devoted twins started to diverge from one another. Henrietta stayed local while Frances went off to see the world. In 1936, Frances married Leonard Edwards from New York and that is where she relocated. The sisters stayed in touch and were mentioned in the local papers over the next few decades visiting each other. There is a mention in a later newspaper article that Henrietta earned her Master's degree in library science from Syracuse University, but I have not been able to verify this.


During the 1940s, Henrietta stepped into the role of a community advocate and volunteer. She was president of the Council of Jewish Women, an officer for the Ladies Auxiliary of the United Commercial Travelers, and a member the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Statesville Women's Club, Statesville Garden Club, and Statesville Poetry Society. There are over 170 references to her in the Landmark in the 1940s for various contributions to the community including a funds drive for cerebral palsy which she orchestrated. For many of these organization meetings and events she is accompanied by her younger sister, Viola Constance (Connie) Aronson.

Connie Wallace Aronson, 1948 Photo from Stimson Photograph Collection Iredell County Public Library

Henrietta Wallace, 1948 Photo from Stimson Photograph Collection Iredell County Public Library

In the early 1960s, she relocated to Pennsylvania for reasons I could not discover. The newspaper reported that she was a school librarian at Havelock High in Havelock, North Carolina in 1961. The next reference to her is that she is visiting from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Papers from Lebanon, Pennsylvania reported that she was promoted to head of the Children's Division at Lebanon Community Library in 1966. Wherever she went, she was always involved in her local Jewish community and synagogue. In 1969, she returned to North Carolina and became the reference librarian at Sacred Heart School in the Belmont community of Charlotte.

Henrietta's faculty photo in the Sacred Heart College yearbook, 1970

In 1978, the Charlotte Observer featured Henrietta in an article about the importance of volunteering. The article highlighted the joy she experienced in her volunteering jobs. Volunteering is hard work and the volunteer does not receive anything in return. Often thankless work, volunteering is not for everybody, but Henrietta felt a calling to serve no matter where she went. In May 1981, Henrietta is featured yet again for her association with the Congress of Senior Clubs in Mecklenburg County. She received an award for her outstanding contributions to her community. It is her last appearance in the newspaper as an active member of the community. The years that followed featured her name and photo in a much darker perspective.

Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug 1878

Charlotte News, 20 May 1981

The night of October 31, 1981 began like any other. Henrietta did some grocery shopping before coming home to her Charlotte apartment to await the children that would come trick-or-treating at her door that evening. Having worked with children for decades in some capacity, Henrietta had a passion for sharing joy with the upcoming generation. Although Halloween is supposed to be fun and innocent for children, it would quickly turn into a nightmare for Henrietta. Around 7:30, two teenagers knocked on her door. Thinking they were innocent trick-or-treaters, she opened the door. The teenagers would be her killers.


Henrietta was found on Tuesday, November 3 after a concerned friend requested a welfare check. She had not been seen since Saturday evening. When police arrived, they found the previous three days' newspapers piled up at her door. The grisly scene that met them inside the apartment would surely stay with the officers for a very long time. She was partially clothed and had been severely beaten about her head and face. The coroner later reported that her cause of death was strangulation and that she had also been sexually assaulted by her killer. The devastatingly violent manner of death shocked the community and Henrietta's family. Her sister, Connie Aronson, offered a reward for any information that would lead to an arrest. The charges started coming on November 6.


Initially, four teenagers were arrested in connection to the murder, but only two would face murder charges. The evidence would prove overwhelming. Michael Fincher (17) and Terry Wright (18) were arrested and charged. Fincher received the most charges as he was believed to be the most guilty and Wright was described as a "follower" in the court proceedings. A coat was found in Fincher's apartment bedroom. He claimed it was his and forensic investigators matched the blood found on the jacket to the same type as Henrietta. It was not the same blood type as either defendant and was therefore ruled to be the victim's. Experts also found fibers on the coat that were microscopically consistent to a pillow found at the crime scene. Both Fincher and Wright were convicted. Fincher is still behind bars today, serving a life sentence.


The hysteria that took place in the aftermath of this violent crime had the Charlotte communities reeling. Henrietta's murder was followed by a string of other high-profile killings, including the shooting death of a police officer who walked in on an armed robbery. Fear dominated the minds of neighbors, especially those who were elderly. A Charlotte newspaper reported that at the beginning of 1981, there were 75 neighborhood watch groups. By January 1982, there were 234. Violence in the community in which the defendants lived escalated, too. Louvenia Montgomery, mother of Fincher was murdered in a domestic assault by her live-in boyfriend. Fincher's brother was charged with assault against one of the other boys who was arrested but not tried in the Wallace case. Reform was called for by community advocates, residents, and political figures. The panic was so high that prior to the trial, the defense team filed a motion with the judge to ban all press from the criminal proceedings, claiming it would be unduly prejudicial against their clients who were already being found guilty in the court of public opinion. The judge disagreed and declared that the defense did not have enough adequate evidence to support the claim and the motion was dismissed. The press subsequently followed the case like hawks after prey.


Henrietta was laid to rest in her hometown of Statesville, North Carolina in Oakwood Cemetery. Almost one hundred years earlier, her family had purchased property to push the city into acquiring new land for a cemetery because the existing cemetery had filled up. The portion of Oakwood in which she and her other Wallace relatives rest is the portion reserved for the Jewish community. Stones are adorned with the Star of David, the Hebrew language, and rocks and pebbles, which is Jewish tradition. Here lies some of God's chosen people. A people who for generations have been persecuted and doubted. During Henrietta's lifetime, one man even tried to wipe out the entire race. But the Jewish people are resilient and strong. Henrietta's personal character attests to that. Her life ended tragically, and in the end she became another statistic of violent crimes in cities across the country, but her legacy speaks louder than the actions against her. She stood for kindness and generosity and selflessness. Let's all try to exemplify those traits. Regardless of religion, race, or creed, let us stand together and remember Henrietta, her family, her people, and the legacy they leave behind.




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