Ann Carolyn (Jenks) Wallace, 72, of Indianapolis, IN, passed away on Christmas Day, Sunday December 25, 2022, reuniting with her beloved parents, Tommy and Dorothy, and brother Bruce, in Heaven with her Heavenly Savior the Lord.
Ann was born in Mason, West Virginia on May 17, 1950, daughter to the late “Tommy” Harold Winston Jenks and Dorothy Louise (Brown) Jenks. She was a dedicated and outstanding mother to her three surviving children, the triplets: Heather Rae Wallace, Erin Melissa (Wallace) Lauderback, and “Tom” William Thomas Wallace; as well as a cherished grandmother known as “Granny Annie” to her granddaughter Finnley Wallace Lauderback, daughter to Erin and Justin Lauderback. She is also survived by her brother Scott Neal Jenks and his wife Toni Annette, and by her stepmother “Jenny” Virginia Ruth (Roberts) Jenks. She is also preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, William and Anna Brown, and her paternal grandmother Dorothy Porthan.
Ann grew up in Louisa, Kentucky where she graduated Valedictorian of Louisa High School in 1968. While there she was a cheerleader, editor of the Scarlack yearbook, and FHA president, while participating in various activities and clubs including Band and Track, as well as earning her nickname of ‘Olive Oil’ and Senior Favorite title of ‘Most Dependable’. During that time she also was named ‘Miss Congeniality’ at the Miss Big Sandy Valley Pageant and worked at Dee’s Drive Inn where she met her future husband Derek Wallace, a local minister from Kentucky Christian College. She then spent time at the University of Kentucky, even marching as part of the UK Marching Band in a presidential inaugural parade.
After her time at UK, she moved to Indianapolis, Indiana with then husband Derek, working at Meridian Insurance before later landing in the Indy Star Newspaper after delivering her triplets. She became a homemaker and stay at home mom then later returned to work as a teacher’s aide at Nora Elementary School. She was active in her church and neighborhood groups, especially women’s fellowship groups and the church choir, even singing with them at the Canterbury Cathedral in England. She was an ardent supporter at all of her children’s school activities, sports, and music programs.
Ann enjoyed spending time with her family, whether that be traveling together on vacations or day trips, going out to eat and a movie, or playing a rousing game of her favorite card game Euchre. She loved to take care of Heather and Tom’s dogs, Malachi and Yukon. She returned to her family home frequently in Louisa, KY with her children for school breaks and holidays any chance she had to see the parents and siblings she so treasured. Ann Wallace will be remembered for her caring selfless nature, her Christian faith, and her devotion to her family and the triplets, who are and will be her lasting legacy. She was beautiful inside and out and will be admired for her awe-inspiring strength as well as her outgoing personality that was embodied in her smile, laugh, and the “Jenks family” gift of gab.
The family would like to thank friends for their support, especially her friends in Hannah Circle, many who have known her for years, as well as her late parents’ church, First United Methodist Church of Louisa for their FUMC Women’s mighty prayer chain and being a second church home whenever her family was in Kentucky.
A Memorial Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, January 4 at 11 AM at Flanner Buchanan – Washington Park North 2706 Kessler Blvd West Drive Indianapolis, IN 46228 with Derek Wallace and John Samples presiding over the services. To send flowers for the service, to share a memory with her family, or to make a memorial donation in her name to the charitable organizations of First United Methodist Church of Louisa, the American Cancer Society, or to the Brain Injury Association of America, please visit her obituary online at www.flannerbuchanan.com
