The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Mary Madeline (Young) Allen passed away Sept. 8, 2020 at the Haxtun Hospital at the age of 101 years, six months and seven days.

Mary was born March 1, 1919 near Martinsville, Mo., the fourth child of Owen and Eppa (Milholland) Young. When Mary was one year old, her family moved to a farm in the Sandhills southeast of Holyoke.  After a few years of drought and hard times, her father moved the family back to a farm in Northwest Missouri. 

On July 3, 1936 she married Vestil Clyle Allen.  To this union three children were born: Norman Eugene, Betty Colleen and Edgar Duane.  Mary soon learn to milk cows, raise chickens and a big garden and all that goes with farm life.  She always did a lot of canning.  Mary loved religious music and taught herself to play hymns on the piano, playing for Sunday school at the country church they attended. 

In 1947 Mary was baptized into the Christian Church in Martinsville, Mo.  When the kids were through high school, and having family in Colorado, they decided to move west in 1961.  They went to work on the Hartsel Ranch, at Hartsel.  They enjoyed mountain living.  But in time moved back to northeast Colorado where they worked for different ranches.  In 1969 they decided to take a job at a County Farm in Knoxville, Iowa.  He helped with the farm work and she helped in the kitchen. 

In 1971 Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer.  After having radical surgery and treatment, the kitchen work was to heavy for her, so they moved to Bethany, Mo. where they purchased and A&W food business.  Always thinking of Colorado, in 1972 they bought a little place north of Paoli, retiring in Holyoke in 1981.  She worked in the nursing home for four and a half years.  She always enjoyed family dinners.  On Easter she enjoyed hiding package for the kids to find, everyone had a package with their name on it.  Mary always blamed her lame right knee on to much kick ball with great grandkids.

She visited several states, traveling with her kids, walking in both oceans and the Golf of Mexico.  But the biggest thrill was standing on top of a Great White Sand Dune in New Mexico and watching the sun set, so peaceful and quiet.

She made and hand quilted many pretty quilts, to be passed on to her family. Mary enjoyed her neighborhood birthday coffee's.  Sort of became the "story" teller.

Just three months short of her 100th birthday, she moved into the Carriage House after living alone for many years.  She gained many new friends and continued her love of bingo.  She never wanted to miss a game.  After her eye sight was about gone they routinely gave her the same bingo card.  She memorized the numbers.  As one lady said she could say bingo while the others were still looking to see if they had that number.

In December Mary learned she had cancer on her scalp.  Jan. 9, she had surgery, which was only partly successful.  In July she was told nothing more could be done.  She tried very hard to cope with it and keep an upside.

Mary is survived by her daughter Betty and husband Ted Roos, Holyoke; granddaughters Trish and Kelly Lebsack, Windsor, Shonna and Dan Kafka, Debbie Allen and Damon Ellis, all of Holyoke; great-grandchildren Jessica and Antonio, and Kendra, all of Haxtun, Ben and Kayla, Caleb and Shelby, all of Holyoke, Tucker and Kristina, San Francisco, Calif.; great-great grandkids; several nieces and nephews; and sister Wanola Myers, Hastings, Neb.

She is preceded in death by her husband; sons Norman Eugene and Edgar Duane and wife his Mary; brothers: Albert, Stuart and Robert; sisters Stella and husband Lee Smith, Myrtle and Lysil Barber and Margaret and Lonnie Baack; half-brothers Virgil and wife Verna Young, and Manley and Alice Young; half-sisters Golda and husband Paul Willis, and Leola and husband Walter Wheatley; and brothers-in-law Leland Barber and Lyle Myers.

Funeral services were held on Sept. 15 at the Baucke Funeral Home in Holyoke. The service was officiated by Dan Kafka and Kelly Lebsack. Burial followed at the Holyoke Cemetery.

Arrangements were done by Baucke Funeral Home.