Selma Glades (Coleman) Wylie

The Family of Mrs. Selma Glades Coleman Wylie, formerly of Blair, South Carolina announce her passing. Mrs. Wylie passed on April 14, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas.  Please keep the Wylie Family in your prayers. The Family is asking in lieu of flowers to please donate to the charitable organizations listed below. The services may be viewed on the funeral home's Facebook Page: Chris King MemorialChapel

Selma’s Story…

Selma “Thelma” Glades Coleman Wylie was born in Blair, South Carolina on September 19, 1941, to the late Dave and Mildred Coleman.  She was the eleventh of twelve children.  She was named Selma by a midwife, but due to a miscommunication with the family, everyone thought she was named Thelma.  As a result, her family and friends called her Thelma.  Siblings Leroy, Marion, David (Willa Mae, dec.), Abraham (Gladys), Mattie Belle Williamson (Grady), EdithSimpkins (George, dec.), and Willie James (Thelma, dec.)preceded her in death.  

During her childhood, Thelma helped her parents on the farm.  She did everything from gardening to picking cotton to milking cows.  She even steered the cows back to the pasture when they strayed onto the road.  Thelma accepted the Lord Jesus Christ at an early age and joined the Weeping Mary Baptist Church of Blair, South Carolina where she developed a strong relationship with the Lord, which she would carry with her and lean on throughout her life.  She attended McCrorey-Liston High School where she enjoyed playing on the basketball team, singing in the Glee Club, being a member of the New Homemakers of America (NHA) Club, and excelling academically to be named the 1959 Class Salutatorian.  

On December 15, 1963, Thelma married Rev. Sam Wylie, who preceded her in death on December 19, 2017.  After the wedding, they boarded a Trailways bus and moved to Baltimore, Maryland where they remained for a year before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  From their union, they were blessed with two daughters, Mildred and Marilynn.  

Thelma was a “Stay at Home Mom” dedicating all her time and energy to taking care of her daughters.  They were her life and her heart.  Once Marilynn was old enough to start elementary school, Thelma began volunteering as a Lunchroom Aid at the Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School where her daughters attended.  

Eventually she was offered a paid position as a Lunchroom Aid,which she accepted.  Later in her career, she accepted a clerical position at Treegoob’s Furniture Store.  When the store permanently closed, Thelma began selling Avon where she earned several Mrs. Albee figurines for achieving high sales volumes.  In 1981, Thelma began working as a Cashier at Sears Department Store in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania where she received numerous employee customer service awards before retiring in 2007.  

In 2012, due to health issues, Thelma relocated to San Antonio, Texas to be closer to her daughter Mildred.  During this season in her life, she enjoyed going to the Senior Center where she could showcase her physical skills by wearing out the treadmill and beating everyone in races around the hall; her artistic skills (she could just look at a picture and draw it free hand like a professional artist); and her social skills (she always sat with her favorite group of ladies).   

As we reflect on what made Thelma so special in our lives several things come to mind.  She had a kind and gentle spirit.  Her faith in God was unwavering, even in the hardest times.  Family was an important part of her life.  Each summer she took that long 12-hour Trailways bus ride from Philadelphia to South Carolina to visit her parents and siblings.  

She was a great wife and the best mother ever!  She sacrificed everything for her daughters!!  When she was blessed with grandchildren, she embraced the “grandma” role whole-heartedly, showering them with love and prayers.  She always had an open ear and an open heart to listen and try to help anyone in need.  

We will miss her smile and her hearty laugh.  We will miss joking around with her.  We will miss her cooking, especially her apple cobbler, stickers, pan-fried salmon, and cornbread stuffing. We will miss sharing Dairy Queen ice cream runs.  We will miss her so very, very much, but will always hold the love she had for us in our hearts!

Thelma is survived by her two daughters, Mildred Green (Gary– who she just loved!) and Dr. Marilynn Wylie; five grandchildren, Nicole, Wendell “Andre”, Nathaniel, Natalie, and Natasha; four sisters, Mildred Coleman, Lily Yvonne Taylor (Willie Major), Tena Mae Strother (Robert, dec.), Mary Frances Coleman; three “bonus” grandchildren, Lichelle, Gary II, and Brittany; five “bonus great-grandchildren”, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Selma Glades (Coleman) Wylie, please visit our floral store.