Obituary for Elton "Wally" Wallace
Elton “Wally” Wallace, 87, of Tucumcari, NM, passed away January 15, 2021, with his wife of 48 years at his side. He was born in Roy, NM on September 7, 1933 to Elbert and Alida (Laumbach) Wallace. He grew up in Mosquero on his grandparents’ ranch on the edge of a canyon twenty miles from Roy. During the summer months, he cowboyed on the ranch and when school started again, he moved back to town. He started school in Mosquero and transferred to Roy so he could play football, basketball, baseball and run track. He continued to cowboy on the Wagoner and Bell Ranches until he hired out on the Santa Fe Railroad in Las Vegas, NM.
Elton was laid off the railroad and so he headed west to Oregon and once more did more cowboy work for the Chewauken Land and Cattle Company in Klamath Falls. He eventually left the ranches behind and hired out as a clerk on the Great Northern Railroad. He then transferred to the Southern Pacific in California. He spent many years in Southern California and finally jumped at the chance to work in Roseville, CA. He married Patricia Stadler in Las Vegas, NV in 1972. Besides working as a conductor on the railroad, he and Pat operated a bait and tackle store in Clear Lake, CA in the middle of wine country. After many years in California, he was able once again to come home to New Mexico in 1981. He retired from the railroad in 1994 with 43 years of service.
Although Elton retired, he stayed busy keeping bees and selling honey to local restaurants and everyone else. He loved helping all the kids in 4-H and FFA, especially at the County Fair. He and Doyle Frasier started a Buyers Club to buy animals at the livestock sale. He helped cook the briskets and roasted corn to help adding on to the kids’ animals that may not have made the sale. Elton was a member of the Rural 2 Fire Department in Tucumcari and enjoyed driving to Nebraska to pick up a Class A fire truck that he helped design.
Elton was a man that could do anything he set his mind to. He enjoyed being around all his family after being away for so long. He loved the many dachshunds he had, watching high school and college football, listening to good old country music, camping and fishing.
Survivors include his wife, Pat; his son, Emmet Wallace and wife, Charlene Zion; his daughters, Jessica and Ashley Wallace and Sandra Mackey and husband, Marlin, and their daughters, Kim and Lacie; brother-in-law, John and Anne Stadler and their sons, Aaron and Eric; sister-in-law, Catherine and Greg Jones and their son, Steve Jones and wife Sarah and their children, Chase and Cassidy; niece, Lori and Eli Martinez and their son, Jordan. He is also survived by many cousins and friends.
Elton was laid off the railroad and so he headed west to Oregon and once more did more cowboy work for the Chewauken Land and Cattle Company in Klamath Falls. He eventually left the ranches behind and hired out as a clerk on the Great Northern Railroad. He then transferred to the Southern Pacific in California. He spent many years in Southern California and finally jumped at the chance to work in Roseville, CA. He married Patricia Stadler in Las Vegas, NV in 1972. Besides working as a conductor on the railroad, he and Pat operated a bait and tackle store in Clear Lake, CA in the middle of wine country. After many years in California, he was able once again to come home to New Mexico in 1981. He retired from the railroad in 1994 with 43 years of service.
Although Elton retired, he stayed busy keeping bees and selling honey to local restaurants and everyone else. He loved helping all the kids in 4-H and FFA, especially at the County Fair. He and Doyle Frasier started a Buyers Club to buy animals at the livestock sale. He helped cook the briskets and roasted corn to help adding on to the kids’ animals that may not have made the sale. Elton was a member of the Rural 2 Fire Department in Tucumcari and enjoyed driving to Nebraska to pick up a Class A fire truck that he helped design.
Elton was a man that could do anything he set his mind to. He enjoyed being around all his family after being away for so long. He loved the many dachshunds he had, watching high school and college football, listening to good old country music, camping and fishing.
Survivors include his wife, Pat; his son, Emmet Wallace and wife, Charlene Zion; his daughters, Jessica and Ashley Wallace and Sandra Mackey and husband, Marlin, and their daughters, Kim and Lacie; brother-in-law, John and Anne Stadler and their sons, Aaron and Eric; sister-in-law, Catherine and Greg Jones and their son, Steve Jones and wife Sarah and their children, Chase and Cassidy; niece, Lori and Eli Martinez and their son, Jordan. He is also survived by many cousins and friends.