MARY ALICE PETTY WALLIS
September 4, 1942 - August 21, 2025
On September 4, 1942, Mary Alice Petty was born at home in Stringtown, in rural Richland County, IL, where her parents owned a General Store, She was named for her two grandmothers, Mary, whose birthday was September 4th and Alice, whose birthday was September 5th.
When she was less than a year old, her parents sold the store and relocated to Oklahoma City, where her father had taken a job as Chemist at an Oil Refinery. She started first grade at Prairie Queen Elementary School. It was an old two-room frame building heated by a coal-burning stove in the middle of the room with toilets outside.
She graduated from U. S. Grant Highschool in Oklahoma City in 1960, and then graduated from Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, TX in 1962. She passed the Texas and Oklahoma State Boards, was licensed as a Registered Dental Hygienist and returned to Oklahoma City to practice.
On November 25, 1967, Mary Alice married John E. Wallis. He was one of her patients. A year later, in 1968, they moved to Sacramento where she was required to pass another Board for the State of California and then worked as a Dental Hygienist in Sacramento until 1977. She earned a Credential for Vocational Education and taught one summer term as Clinical Instructor of Dental Hygiene at Sacramento City College and continued to substitute there for several more years.
From her earliest years, she loved to travel. She and John traveled to the seven Continents, fifty States, many National Parks, Presidential Libraries and other historic sites, collecting "Cancellations" in the Passports issued by the U S Park Service. She filled three of these Passports. In addition to travel, she was an avid reader and later in life, Genealogy became another passion.
She was a UC Master Gardener and a member of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) with ancestors from both sides of her family having been Patriots in the Revolutionary War She was one of the Charter members of Fortune 20 Investment Club formed in 1987.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Estel and Judith Brookhart Petty, as well as her husband, John E. Wallis, her brother Thomas E. Petty and his wife, Tima Bilbrey Petty, her brother-in-law Paul Gilbert, and sister-in-law, Helen Wallis Pummill. She is survived by her sister, Ellen Petty Gilbert of Frisco, TX; nephew, Ryan Gilbert (Deet) of Charlotte, NC; niece, Emily Gilbert Myhre (Nick), and grand-nephew and niece, Luke and Rachel Myhre of Allen, TX.
In 2022 she and John moved to Tulsa to be closer to family in Tulsa and north Texas.
Mary Alice was the 6th Generation of Pettys to live in Illinois and her remains will be buried in Petty (Pleasant Hill) Cemetery, Petty Township, Lawrence County, IL. The Cemetery is located on land donated by her 3rd Great-Grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Petty.
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 11:00am in the Chapel at Trinity Woods in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Sacramento Library Foundation or to a charity of your choice.