Mention the name Carol Stallings

to almost anyone in Tyrone and they'll know who you are talking about.

Mention her name to anyone who has lived in Fayette County for any length

of time and chances are they will have heard her name also.

Stallings has lived in Fayette County since 1970 "when Willowbend

was 'it' in Peachtree City," she quips. In those years, when the

Stallings family wanted to eat out locally, they had two choices. The

Flat Creek Country Club had a restaurant, and there was the not-quite-so-upscale

Pac-a-chic with the walk-up screened order window. Hanchey's Gas Station

was the only station in town and there was, to the best of her recollection,

one barber shop and a beauty shop.

"Glenloch opened and then, boom, things took off," she said.

Fayette County has gone through some changes through the years, and so

has Stallings. She has raised two children she is extremely proud of.

She has transitioned from Peachtree City to Tyrone, a town "I always

wanted to live in,"

and has made a few career changes along the way.

She's also left her mark on the community.

In a community filled with transplants from other states, Stallings is

one of a fast decreasing number of native Georgians. She was born at Ft.

McPherson and, as an "Army brat" spent some time outside of

Georgia, but ultimately ended up back on the south side of Atlanta. She

graduated from Sylvan High School with "the kids I went to grammar

school with." She has lived in Washington D.C., Florida and Maine.

After graduating from Sylvan High, Stallings worked as an office medical

assistant for a plastic surgeon in Atlanta. She married into the Navy

and soon found herself living in Florida and Maine. When her husband's

term of service ended the family returned to Georgia and Stallings went

to work for an oral surgeon.

In 1968 her son Kevin was born and Stallings once again "changed

careers." In 1970 daughter Kim joined the family. Life took a difficult

turn when Kevin was diagnosed with a form of pediatric kidney cancer called

Wilms Tumor. It was almost a stroke of luck that the 22-month-old's cancer

was caught early he developed a hernia at 18 months that resulted in an

operation. The doctors speculated that putting him to sleep might have

sparked the rapid growth and early detection of the tumor.

In spite of the early diagnosis, Kevin was given a 26-percent chance of

survival. Stallings beams and says her "million-dol lar

baby" is now 32 years old and has been completely cancer free since

the early run-in.

With money a little tight and the need for a flexible schedule, when a

position opened with Garden Cities, which later became Peachtree City

Development Authority and is now Pathway Communities, Stallings gladly

went back to work. Stallings had been a competitive diver during her youth

and had always wanted to work in recreation. She started as the facility

supervisor at Glenloch Pool in Peachtree City and later became the aquatic

director and facility director for Peachtree City.

She started the well-known Pacers dive team and was the dive coach for

the group. Daughter Kim, her "water baby," swam with the Pacers

for eleven years.

In 1986 she opened her own business, Stallings Frame Shop. "I probably

got into framing because I wanted to frame some of my cross-stitching

for gifts and couldn't afford to," she noted. "I liked to work

with wood and had been framing at home."

Shortly after starting the business, Stallings took on another job, working

as a night auditor for the then Peachtree Executive Conference Center.

Unfortunately, she hurt her back badly during that time period and was

unable to frame for an extended time. Thinking she might be able to do

engraving, she added a new service at the shop.

Stallings Frame Shop now offers a wide variety of services including trophies,

plaques, certificates, building and office signage, name badges, gift

items and other related

items. Recently, always on the "grow," Stallings has added the

ability to do dye-sublimation. She's excited about the new addition, as

it will allow full-color imprinting at a very affordable cost for those

without the budget, or item volume, to print multi-colored promotional

items.

Stallings Frame Shop has been in Tyrone since it opened. However, it has

had three locations in the town. Her first shop outside of her home was

located in the building that now holds Mundy's Pharmacy. When more space

was needed, she moved the shop across and down the street near the current

post office. Later she moved to her current space in the shopping area

across from the Tyrone Police Department.

In 1988 Stallings opted to follow her shop and move to Tyrone. "I

had always liked Tyrone," she said." I thought it was a neat

little town and wanted to be a part of it. I liked the size and the people."

She smiles as she talks about being able to look out her window and watch

the deer in the mornings.

In 1993, feeling it was important to give back to the community, Stallings

helped start the Tyrone Rotary Club. As a charter member she has seen

club growth fluctuate and is hoping to see more growth. Although there

are currently only about 15 members, each week they have many visitors

doing "make-up" meetings.

Rotarians commit to attending a meeting each week.

Stallings has had perfect attendance during her 7 years and has served

as President and Secretary.

She was the 1994 - 95 Rotarian of the Year and during her year as President

the Club was named the Best All-Around Club.

Stallings was also a member of the McIntosh Chapter of the American Business

Women's Association for four years. She served as president one year,

was named the 1992 Business Associate of the Year, and was honored as

the Woman of the Year.

Stallings was a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Peachtree

City. In 1988 she moved her membership to National Heights Baptist Church.

She is active in the church, singing soprano in the choir, serving as

a deacon and attending regularly. She has chaired the Deacon Board, served

as Personnel Chair and been a member of the Personnel Committee. She also

chaired the Worship Committee.

Stallings has also had the honor of singing the National Anthem at four

Braves games. She jokes, "I sang when they weren't the best ball

players around." She also sang the Anthem at a Hawks play-off game

in the 80s.

In addition to being the proud mother of her two children, Kevin and Kim,

Stallings is a very proud grandmother. Daughter Kim Embres has two children,

Scott, 9 and Sierra, 6. They live in California. Son Kevin, an electrician,

is married and lives in Newnan.

Stallings 79-year-old mother also now lives in Tyrone. She moved to the

area to be close to her daughter around 8 years ago.