The Office of the Courts sent out this press release:
Former Mississippi First Lady Carroll Waller died Oct. 28
October 28, 2014
Former Mississippi First Lady Ava Carroll Overton Waller, 87, of
Jackson, died Tuesday, October 28, at Manhattan Nursing Home after
a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, October 31, 2014, at First Baptist Church, Jackson. Visitation will be in the
Fellowship Hall of the church from 11 a.m. until the funeral service that day.
Carroll Waller was the widow of former Mississippi Governor William L.
(Bill) Waller. They were married for 61 years.
The former Mississippi First Lady leaves a legacy of historic
preservation. She spearheaded efforts to restore the Governor’s
Mansion.
The executive residence, built in 1842, had fallen into such disrepair
that former Gov. John Bell Williams and his family moved out in 1971.
Gov. Waller was in office 1972-1976. During that time, Carroll Waller
led efforts for the architecturally correct
restoration of the Governor’s Mansion and the construction of the
neoclassical gardens which surround the Mansion. Although the Waller
family lived in the executive residence for only a few months, their
efforts preserved the landmark for the enjoyment
of future generations. Carroll Waller spearheaded efforts to have the
Mansion designated a National Historical Landmark, which was the second
executive residence in the nation so designated. She also provided
leadership for the purchase and restoration of
the historic Manship House in Jackson. For these projects, she
received an Award of Merit from the Mississippi Historical Society in
1980. Carroll and Dr. David Sansing co-authored the book
The History of the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion, with the proceeds used for the upkeep of the Governor’s Mansion.
As First Lady, Carroll was also instrumental in securing passage of
legislation which designated Mississippi’s state animal as the
white-tailed deer; a state fish, the large-mouthed bass; a state water
mammal, the porpoise; a state sea shell, the oyster; and a state water
fowl, the wood duck. At her request, a beautiful red rose known as the
Mississippi Rose was hybridized for the state.
The Carroll Waller Camellia was hybridized especially for her. These
and native plants of distinction are part of the landscape of the
Mansion grounds.
She gave leadership to the creation of a learning resources system in
the Department of Education, including provisions for the evaluation
of all children suspected of having learning disabilities. She served
as National Library Week chairman and sponsored the Mississippi Library
Commission’s bicentennial project, the collecting of autographed books
by Mississippi authors for the Mansion. She
served as chairman for numerous organizations across the state. Her
service included two five-year terms on the Mississippi Arts Commission,
Keep Mississippi Beautiful Committee, Board of the Municipal Art
Gallery, the Board of the Mississippi Historical Society,
the Board of Bookfriends of the University Press, and Regent of the
D.A.R. Rebecca Cravat Chapter of Jackson. She was a former member of
the Board of the Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission and the Board
for Christian Conciliation Service.
In 1974, she received the Centennial Award of Excellence from Blue
Mountain College. Mississippi College awarded her the Service
to Humanity Award in 1976, an Honorary Doctorate Degree in 1978, and
the Order of the Golden Arrow in 1980.
Carroll Waller was born in McComb, Mississippi, on August 8, 1927, to
the late Dr. Clayton Justice Overton and Edith Watkins Overton.
She graduated from Central High School in Jackson, and from
Mississippi College, with distinction.
She was an instructor at Belhaven College and a sales associate at the
House of Overton until devoting her full-time attention to
her growing family and the political career of her husband.
Carroll was a third generation member of First Baptist Church,
Jackson. It was there that she met her future husband. She was a
member of the Hope and Joy Sunday
School class for almost 60 years. She also served as President of the
Women’s Missionary Union and the Ava Burton Watkins Circle.
She is survived by two sisters, four sons, and 14 grandchildren. Her
sisters are Joy Overton Holmes of Madison, Mississippi; and
Gloria Overton Martin of Madison, Florida. Her children and
grandchildren include: Chief Justice William L. Waller, Jr., and his
wife, Charlotte, of Jackson, and their three children, William L.
Waller, III, M.D., Jeannie (Jon) Zieren, and Clayton J. Waller;
Robert O. Waller and his wife, Margaret, of Jackson, and their six
children, Joy Waller, Robert O. Waller, Jr., Madeline Waller, Millie
Waller, Ava Burton Waller, and Maggie Waller; Edward C. Waller, and his
wife, Bae, of Jackson, and their two daughters,
Emma Carroll Waller and Dannie Waller; Donald E. Waller and his wife,
Yonnie, of Jackson, and their three children, Anne Overton Waller, Lucy
Waller, and Don Waller, Jr.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, former Governor
Bill Waller, her beloved daughter, Gloria Joy Waller, and
her brother, Clayton Justice Overton, Jr., M.D.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Gloria Joy Waller Scholarship Fund at Mississippi College, P.O. Box 4005, Clinton, MS, 39058, or the web address www.alumni.mc.edu/waller_
5 comments:
A lovely lady. She will be missed.
Sadly when her generation is gone so is what made this country great. I challenge everyone here to name anyone they know in our generation today who may come close to what Mrs. Waller accomplished in her lifetime. She obviously lived a very fulfilling life.
I noticed that her daughter Gloria Joy Waller died young. What was the cause of her death? Thanks!
What happened to Joy was tragic - both for her and her parents. I knew Joy in college when she was at the W in Columbus. Beautiful and sweet girl. It was a dark and private matter for her friends and family.
thank you @7:59AM..you are right. I too knew Joy through a close friend of mine that was dating her. She was indeed sweet and beautiful.
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