Frances Alene Wallace

Frances Alene Lawrence Wallace, 89, passed away on Friday, December 26, 2025, after a protracted decline due to various cardiovascular incidents. Frances was born on Monday, November 23, 1936 to Chester & Gladys (Bruce) Lawrence in Sedalia, Kentucky. Frances faced tragedy early in her life, losing her mother then her father consecutively within five months’ time at the age of 15 years old. Whereas Frances was the only child left at home, she moved to live with her aunt Bertie who helped to continue to raise her, and to whom she maintained a loyal relationship the rest of Bertie’s life. When some people would have been shattered by the tragedies that she faced, Frances would not be held down. Frances graduated from Sedalia High School in 1955 then quickly moved to Memphis, Tennessee to pursue secretarial school. Frances thoroughly enjoyed life in the “big city” and befriended sisters Sara & Shirley Wallace in the boarding house where she resided. These friends introduced Frances to their brother Jerry who had moved to town shortly before. These two hit it off immediately, dating for just over a year before being married on June 21, 1957 at Jerry’s family homestead in Monette, Arkansas. The newlyweds soon moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas, and welcomed their first child, Ronald, on October 16, 1958. They shortly thereafter all moved to Los Angeles, California, for just over a year. In early 1960 they moved back to Memphis where they lived the rest of their lives.

Their second son, Stanley, to be born on May 30, 1961. Once settled back in Memphis, Frances worked as a secretary first in church work, then in various businesses, finally retiring from Rohm & Haas in 2002. Frances really enjoyed going to work each day, as she described that she loved driving around and feeling the vibrancy of so many other people up and going about life alongside her. While she was raised on a farm, Frances truly loved urban life more than most.

Frances was very active in church, which remained a very important part of her life until the end. For around sixty years she was a member of Getwell Church of Christ, where she raised her sons, and where eventually her grandchildren grew up as well. While working as a church secretary there, she gave aesthetic input into the Spiritual Sword Lectureship that had impact for decades thereafter. She taught Sunday school classes for many years (developing curriculum and assundry class materials from scratch), mentored young people, and was eager to help in any effort that the church undertook.

A light in Frances’ life were her grandchildren: Jacob, June, & Noah Wallace. She supported them in various efforts, attending concerts, games, and other assorted activities in which they were engaged. She often hosted them at her house after church on Sunday afternoons. The kids loved spending time with Gran & Gran & Gramps playing games, going to the park, cooking, or watching television. Even though this habit lessened as the children grew older, the memories of these Sunday afternoons are so abundant as to be able to fill books.

Frances’ hobbies included gardening and learning about a wide assortment of topics. Her gardens were always well maintained and beautiful. She was blessed with a strong mind and certainly never let it go to waste. A philomath at heart, Frances avidly read news, followed current events, had a strong understanding and informed opinion on many topics. Frances truly enjoyed following the stock market, reading many books on the topic, often highlighted and watched particular stocks in newspaper daily, watched business news reports, and applied this knowledge in investing shrewdly, navigating a field that to some seems esoteric. Frances loved reading about a number of topics and discussing them with others particularly her grandchildren. Frances would be eager to discuss geography, anthropology, natural history, literature, grammar, or really anything she found interesting. Many more words could have been said about her, but the life of Frances Wallace could best be summed up in that few people can be found with as much passion, energy, love of people and life as she had.

Frances was predeceased by her husband of over 55 years, Jerry Wallace, her parents Chester & Gladys Lawrence, her aunt Bertie Clapp, her brothers Ollie & Waylon Lawrence, and her son Ron Wallace. She is survived by her son Stanley (Dawn) Wallace, daughter-in-law Karen Wallace, grandchildren Jacob E. (Becky) Wallace, June (Carter) Ashby, and Noah Wallace, great grandson Franklin Ashby, and multiple nieces and nephews.

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026 from 11 am until 12 pm in the North Hall of Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38119. A funeral service will follow at 12 pm. Interment will be in Monette Cemetery in Monette, Arkansas.