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Milton "Tom" Thomas Wallace
© Fairview Funeral Home Inc.
Submitted by: Glenn
© Fairview Funeral Home Inc.
Memorial services for Milton Thomas "Tom" Wallace, 82, of Fairview, will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 10 am in the Fairview Cemetery. Arrangements by Fairview Funeral Home, Inc.
Milton Thomas "Tom" Wallace was born on December 17, 1939 in Yuma, Arizona to Carroll "Buck" and Freida (Mullins) Wallace and passed away peacefully in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with his family by his side.
He was the youngest of three children in a family that followed migrant farm work, working in the orchards and produce fields. They would follow the work up into California and then north to Oregon. On the way to Washington to work the apple orchards, Buck saw all the fruit and vegetables in the San Joaquin Valley, and he decided to settle his family in the Stockton area. Tom grew up helping the family in the produce business that his dad started. He enjoyed riding motorcycles as he got older. Tom decided school was not for him so he quit school and joined the United States Army. He served in Guam between the Korean and Vietnam conflicts as a machinist. After being honorably discharged he returned to the Stockton area and continued to help the family.
Tom had met Betty Martin while in school and after he returned home from the Army the couple was married on January 18, 1961. Tom and Betty relocated to Rockford, Illinois to work as a machinist. While living at Rockford, two sons were born, Thomas Craig and Curtis Bruce. They later decided to return to Stockton, California and a third son was born, Trace Edmond. Tom worked in the railroad and other union labor jobs but he wanted to be his own boss and work for himself. So he went back to night school and got his high school diploma.
In the spring of 1968, Tom and Betty decided to move to Oklahoma. With help from Betty's uncle Jack, Tom bought a C-2 Gleaner Combine and started a custom harvesting business. From 1968 to 1983, summers and falls were spent following the wheat, corn, and milo harvest from southern Oklahoma north thru Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Tom had two combines, two trucks and for the most part, Betty and the three sons were all the crew he had. During the winter months, Tom worked in the oilfield and at Mabar Manufacturing until it was time for harvest the next year. In the mid 80's, Tom owned and operated a trucking business hauling cattle, and also a refer trailer hauling meat and dry freight. Tom and Betty purchased a farm north of Fairview, Oklahoma and grew wheat, alfalfa, and hay and raised cattle. It was more of a hobby farm but he enjoyed it and every cow was given a name. He truly enjoyed milking Bossie the milk cow. He also had a team of Belgian draft horse and an Amish buggy horse named Dolly that he enjoyed working with and hitching up.
Tom also worked at Waldon's as a machinist and later in life as a jailer and dispatch for the Major County Sheriff's until he retired. After retiring from farming and the Sheriff's office, moved to the family home in Fairview where he lived the rest of his life. Next to his home was and old house that he tore down and he designed and built an impressive shop and yard to continue his hobbies.
Several years ago, Tom accepted the Lord Jesus as his savior at a Billy Graham Crusade in Oklahoma City. This was one of the proudest moments for Betty.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife Betty, his son Thomas Craig Wallace, his parents, one daughter-in-law Daisy and one grand daughter-in-law Audry.
He is survived by his sons Curtis and his wife Pat and Trace and his wife Patricia, two sisters, Carolyn Davenport and Betty and her husband Harold Watkins, several grandchildren and great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
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