Wheeler Henry Walls was born the 22nd day of July in 1935 to Robert William & Lora Bell Walls. Growing up on Gunters Mtn, Wheeler had 5 siblings. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Army. Upon his age being found out, they required him to wait and at 18 he enlisted in the Air Force. During his time in the Air Force he was stationed in Arkansas, Delaware, California, Louisiana, Guam, Greenland, Bangkok, and Korea. Around 1961, while in Delaware, he met Doris Betty Wiley. Together, they had three girls: Starlene, Shuntele, and Sonia. Affectionately known as Daddy to his girls, he believed in hard work and often included them in whatever was going on around the house. Later after much persuading, he allowed three sons-in-law to enter the family. As the family grew, he took on a new title, PopPa. The family has continued to grow and today 25 people are a part of this lineage.
PopPa believed a man should not be idle. He lived this out, retiring 3 times. After his retirement of 20 years in the Air Force, he spent 8 years working at Dunlop before opening up Walls Tire in Big Cove. Here he was proud to serve the people by supplying a quality service to the surrounding communities. After 12 years, he once again retired and sold his business. Soon thereafter he went to work for AutoZone, completing his third retirement after 20 years with the company.
A proud serviceman, PopPa didn’t shy away from his military career. On December 29, 1969 he had a dream of a plane crashing. This worried him so, as his family was set to take flight the following day. While on the plane, PopPa, MomMa, and their three girls were pulled off the plane to make room for another family. They later found out that the plane had crashed and all who were onboard had perished. At this point, his raising in the Holiness Church came back and he began to make promises to the Lord. With 20 years of service, he retired from the Air Force and returned home to Alabama. Then on November 29, 1975 he received the best gift he ever could have ever received in a little holiness church in Fyffe, AL – the holyghost. Soon thereafter, they made the Big Cove community their home and were proud members of Big Cove Holiness Church for over 45 years. Throughout the years, this salvation has kept, guided, and brought sweet consolation that a home in heaven was awaiting on the other side.
PopPa is survived by his loving wife, Doris Betty Walls; children, Starlene & Rickey Byrum, Shuntele & Scott Dean, and Sonia & Richie Cothren; grandchildren, Derick & NeKeshia Byrum, Heath & Ashlie Cothren, Ethan & Emily Dean, Autumn & Layton Holman, and Emily & Zack Manley; great-grandchildren, Brett & Bella Cothren, Garrison, Griffin, and Anderson Byrum, and Addilyn and Kingston Holman; and his siblings, Mary Jo Lackey, Earl Walls, and Kenny Walls. Wheeler is preceded in death by his parents, Robert William Walls and Lora Bell Yates; and his siblings, James Walls and Robert Edward Walls.
Visitation will be on Wednesday, January 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Big Cove Holiness Church. Funeral service will follow directly after at 1 p.m. with Brother Mark Warren and Brother Josh Trotman officiating. Interment will take place at Green Valley Cemetery.
Pallbearers will include: Derick Byrum, Heath Cothren, Ethan Dean, Layton Holman, Zack Manley, and Brett Cothren. Tyler and Mitch Smith will be honorary pallbearers.
