Gloria Ann Wallace was born on July 27, 1946, to Lee Mack Wallace Sr. “Buck” and Lula Mae Sims Wallace. At the time of her birth, her father’s baby brother, Benny Wallace Sr., passed away. Gloria passed away February 10, 2026, in Oklahoma City at the age of seventy-nine.

She was first a member of Bethany Baptist Church in Fallis, Oklahoma, where Rev. Samuel Simon baptized her. She later joined Wellston Mt. Calvary Church under Pastor Hunter and eventually became a faithful member of St. Paul Community Church in Chandler, Oklahoma, under Pastor W. I. Brown.

Gloria graduated from Wellston High School in 1965. While raising two children, she later moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She worked as a Data Control Clerk and attended Rose State College to become a Correctional Officer and later decided that path was not for her.

She then joined the Oklahoma National Guard, where she faithfully served for twenty-four years. During her time in the Guard, she began as a Data Control Clerk, later became a Food Service Specialist, and eventually served as Dining Facility Manager until her retirement.

Gloria married Ernest Carter Sr., and from that union four children were born. The marriage later ended in divorce. She later married Carl Byars, which also ended in divorce.

Gloria was blessed with seven children: Sidney R. Wallace, ReDonna L. Jenkins, Ernest M. Carter Jr., Tammy L. Carter, Regina A. McConnell, Corlina J. Canty, and Tina L.C.L. Jenkins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lee Mack and Lula Mae Wallace; two children, Tina Jenkins and Ernest Carter Jr.; her sisters, Cora Mae Wallace, Victoria Ealom, and Deloris Briggs; and her brothers, Sidney Vickers, Leon Wallace, Emmit Wallace, Jimmy Leory Wallace, Lee Mack Wallace Jr., and Wilbert Wallace Sr.

Gloria believed in speaking her mind and did not care whether you liked it or not. If you never received a few of her “choice words,” you were truly blessed. She was happy and outgoing — unless you pushed that button. She loved the casino, fishing, softball, and basketball. She enjoyed cooking and trying different types of food. But most of all, she loved her family (well… most of them).

Yes — I am writing my own obituary. Did I mention that?

She loved to dress up — jewelry, high-heeled shoes, and wigs — and she was always ready for just about anything.

Lastly, know that I will meet you on the other side. Remember, God will not put more on you than you can bear. Just look unto the hills from which your help comes. And when you see a butterfly, it is only me watching over you and keeping you safe. She leaves behind five children, along with a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren — too many to count.

A funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 21, 2026, in the Lehman Funeral Home Chapel with interment following in the Clearview Cemetery in Chandler.  Arrangements are under the direction of Lehman Funeral Home of Wellston.