Wilhelmina Wallace Bracey

Wilhelmina Wallace Bracey died peacefully at home, Thursday, February 10, 2022 after a combination of complications both from a series of strokes over the previous three years and simply having reached the grand age of 94. The embodiment of unconditional, gentle and selfless, Wilhelmina was a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, teacher, pianist, organist, choir director, librarian, peace activist, prolific letter writer, wildflower lover, birdwatcher and friend to many. She gave life to five children and encouragement and love to many more. She is survived by her children Alice, John, Bill, David and Mary, Braceys all, her beloved sister, Alva Culpepper, grandchildren, Roy Bracey, Patrick Murdoch and Jewel Gardner and great grandchildren Charlotte and Amos Bracey.

Wilhelmina graduated from Wake Forest College, she was a proud Demon Deacon. After being inspired by the Baptist missionary doctor to China, Bill Wallace, she entered Wake with the intention of becoming a missionary doctor herself. Missions would in fact inspire much of her work for the rest of her life, but upon discovering that chemistry wasn’t her cup of tea about the same time she met her husband to be, Jack, her plans changed significantly. She and Jack, who predeceased her, were married for 63 years. Of her time at Wake she said, “I treasure the years at Wake Forest for many reasons. I was challenged to search for truth and to be tolerant of those with whom I did not see “eye to eye”.”

Wilhelmina was a magician at running her household feeding five growing children on modest means in near loaves-and-fishes fashion, seemingly without effort, a stellar homemaker. She made clothes for the kids; sport jackets, blouses and dresses, which were, quite honestly, pretty snappy. Christmas meant vast quantities of pralines and nuts of all kind, sugared, spiced and otherwise deliciously prepared and distributed to family and friends.

Wilhelmina’s faith guided her every move. Missions, Peace and Teaching would become but three of the many ways that her faith revealed itself. An 80’s trip to the Soviet Union with the Baptist Peace Fellowship led to a remarkably dear friendship with a woman from Novosibirsk, that would inspire Wilhelmina to organize “Food for Russia” in Elkin in 1994, resulting in a whole container load of goods shipped to post-Soviet Russia at a time when things were desperate, food and other necessities scarce. Sometime after the invasion of Iraq, Wilhelmina became a weekly fixture on the corner of Bridge & Market Streets in Elkin, proclaiming to the world that peace is always the first and best option. Every Thursday at a peace vigil, (NOT a protest) she made her statement that the Christian path is through peace. She taught a Sunday School Class until she was 91 and spent countless hours studying, praying and preparing for each class. From being a deacon, tireless work in the WMU, choir member, to finance committee, every aspect of church was vitally important to her.

Music was a major joy in Wilhelmina’s life that revealed itself from simply being a choir member to being choir director for choirs of all ages in churches across North Carolina. She provided accompaniment for countless services, both from organ and piano, even while enduring multiple carpal tunnel surgeries without complaint. In her “retired” years she taught local children and adults piano and had annual recitals at her home treating all attendees with her signature lime sherbet and ginger ale punch. To honor her love of music donations can be made in her name to “The Music Fund” of First Baptist Church in Elkin, N.C. A flexible fund used to help local music students with various interests in a variety of ways.

A memorial service will be conducted Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Elkin. The family requests that those attending the service wear a mask.

At their request, Wilhelmina’s ashes will be commingled with her beloved Jack’s and scattered at a favorite Blueridge Parkway spot in a private family gathering.