Marie Wallace, descendant of Kunde founders, dies at 85

Santa Rosa native Marie Wallace, a granddaughter of the German immigrant who founded Sonoma County’s Kunde Family Estate winery, died Sept. 3 in Los Angeles.

Wallace, a respected law librarian known for making art into the clothes she wore, was 85.

Through the course of her long career, the 1946 graduate of Santa Rosa High School worked at the UC Berkeley library, the UCLA Law Library and the Los Angeles County Law Library, then as head librarian for several Los Angeles law firms.

The American Association of Law Libraries awarded her its highest honor and in 2010 inducted her into its Hall of Fame.

She was born in Santa Rosa in 1929 to farmers and bake-shop owners Fred and Emma Gerhardt. Her mother’s father was pioneer winegrower and vintner Charles Louis Kunde, who began growing grapes in Sonoma Valley in 1904.

Marie Gerhardt attended the one-room Green Valley School in Sebastopol, then Santa Rosa High. She met her future husband, Everett Wallace, while studying at Cal. They married in 1951 and five years later both took jobs in libraries at UCLA. They would live in Southern California the rest of their lives.

In 1960, the Wallaces became founding members of the Westside Village Civic Association. Marie Wallace also was active in the Toastmasters.

Her daughter, Linda Wallace of Los Angeles, said she was a literary omnivore, a dynamic speaker, prolific writer and the creator of an entire wardrobe that favored floral prints and unique buttons.

Marie Wallace retired as a law librarian in 1995, and since then carried a business card that read, “Life in Progress.” She continued with her art, played the piano, practiced Tai Chi and competed in masters swimming.

In addition to her daughter, she is survived by her younger brother, Bud Gerhardt of Santa Rosa.

A celebration of her life will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Palms-Rancho Park Library, 2920 Overland Ave. in Los Angeles.

Her daughters suggests memorial donations to Friends of the Palms-Rancho Park Library, the Lewy Body Dementia Association or the UC Berkeley Library.

Chris Smith