Wallace Wade Wartick's Obituary
Wallace Wade Wartick of Grenola, Ks passed away Monday, March 24, 2025, at Montgomery Place in Independence Ks. He had lived with his daughter, Elaine, for a number of months before being moved to the care home for his last two months.
Wallace was born on the family “home place” outside of Grenola, on the southwest side of town, on December 9, 1932. He had a very happy childhood there playing in the creek, riding his horse, hunting, and doing chores. He said he never minded doing chores. He loved to work and help his parents. Pleasing them also pleased him. He grew up helping his dad with farmwork, and he planned to continue farming as an adult. In his teens, he met a girl named Wanda Ruth Wilson who was attending his sister’s (Colleen) birthday party. They didn’t date until a few years later, but after high school graduation they married. They had three children and Wallace continued farming. That had been his life’s plan, but God had other plans for him!
He had an opportunity to work at Boeing for five years until layoffs ended that. During that time, he started preaching at a small church in Council Hill, Ks. However, he decided he wasn’t educated enough to preach well, so the family moved to Joplin, MO so he could attend Ozark Bible College starting the spring semester of 1960. After a few months, he also started preaching at the Jasper Christian Church in Jasper, MO. He preached there for six years while attending college. He also managed the college bookstore from 1963-1968. In 1963 he began teaching Greek while still attending as a student. After graduating as Valedictorian in 1965, he began teaching full-time as well as assisting in managing class schedules and other responsibilities in the academic area.
In 1972, dean Seth Wilson took a year’s leave to write, and the trustees chose Wallace to be the acting dean in his absence. From 1972 -1979 he became assistant academic dean. When Seth returned to the classroom, Wallace continued to preside at faculty meetings and oversee many of the academic administrative matters. He was named academic dean from 1979-1981. During his years at the college, he wrote several books: New Testament History-The Christ; New Testament Evidences, and studies of Acts I and II, Corinthians, and Hebrews. Also, during his college years, he spent many weekends traveling, taking along student musical groups, to represent the college to churches all around the country. He also taught Life of Christ, Romans, Hermeneutics and Linguistics. He traveled to Budapest, Hungary in 1994 with Karla and Jim McElroy and their group, to teach English using the book of John as an evangelistic outreach to folks there, plus they had a short side trip to Vienna. After retiring from the college, he continued preaching at the Christian Church in Reese, Ks, He had been preaching there on weekends for a few years. Then he and Wanda moved back to Grenola, Ks, and Wallace spent twenty some years preaching at his home church, Grenola Christian Church.
In November of 2023, Wallace traveled to Williamstown, Kentucky with daughter Elaine and husband Dan. He enjoyed the ark exhibit and was particularly pleased to see a small display within the ark of very old Bibles and their history.
In Wallace’s lifetime, he ministered in churches for 38 hear He published 6 books, immersed over 100 people in Christ and conducted nearly 200 weddings. In his years since retiring from full-time ministry and teaching (including these past couple of years in declining health) he has served the Lord faithfully as he has done all his life, by writing and mailing monthly NT study sheets to many preachers, teachers and Christian friends throughout the country. One of his final privileges was to be able to baptize his great granddaughter, Amelia Joy Okerson into Christ in 2023.
He is survived by his children: Paula Elaine Colon of Independence, KS and husband Dan, Paul Duane Wartick of Joplin, MO and wife Karen, and Dwight Wade Wartick of Tulsa, OK. He also leaves behind grandchildren: Scott Okerson and wife Esther, Kyle Wartick and wife Amy, Adam Wartick and wife Tifini, Jodee Lea Wartick, Braden Wartick, Gerren Wartick, and Devante Wartick as well as six great grandchildren.
Wallace was preceded in death by his wife, Wanda Wartick, parents Delno and Ruby Wartick, brother Vance Wartick, and sister Colleen Bennitt.
A Memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at the Grenola Christian Church, Grenola, KS
Memorial contributions can be made to the Grenola Christian Church and can be mailed to or left with the funeral home.
A special thanks to Meredith Williams, Karla McElroy, and Lynn Gardner for dates and history of Wallace’s time with OBC.
Services entrusted to Countryside Funeral Home, 206 E. Washington, PO Box 1233, Howard, KS 67349
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