MONTGOMERY, Ala-- Former first lady Cornelia Wallace passed away in Florida.
She was the niece of two term governor James "Big Jim” Folsom, but made her mark on Alabama as the second wife of Governor George Wallace. They married just before his second term in January of 1971.
Just 16 months after their wedding Governor Wallace was shot.
The assassination attempt left Wallace paralyzed. Fifty-four days later, he left the hospital in a wheelchair and with a new reality: that his dream of becoming president was no longer possible.
The first lady encouraged Alabamians to plant vegetable gardens and become self-reliant all while remaining a strong support system for her husband. In 1976 she wrote a book C'nelia.
The marriage dissolved in 1978- over claims she bugged Governor Wallace phone.
In 1997 Turner Network made a TV movie about the controversial governor and his brunette beauty. One major dispute was the issue of the governor’s mental health. He maintained he was never suicidal. She said he was.
According to her cousin, cancer is what claimed Cornelia Wallace's life. She was 69 years old. Wallace leaves behind two sons from her first marriage and a brother. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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