William David Allen

William David Allen age 90 passed away to be with his God on Thursday, August 23, 2018 while sitting by the Nurses Station visiting all in his wheelchair. He had just eaten a good breakfast and drank fluids for the first time in weeks. He seemed in good spirits for the first time in a while. Maybe he knew it was close to time for him to go to Heaven. At any rate he went so fast that I would doubt that he suffered or hardly knew what happened. This was a great blessing for him. As we will all miss him we will also want to honor his life. William was born on July 20, 1928 in a log cabin on the Flat Top Ranch near Walnut Springs, Texas. The cabin is now a historical place and bus tours may be taken to view it. I Linda Martin his niece, took William for his 80th birthday out to visit his birth place. The owner and foreman of the ranch was so happy to meet someone that was born in the cabin. When I was going to bring him out they ask what William enjoyed a lot. I said he loved air planes and airplane rides and had only recently taken his first commercial flight. I told them he loved and had flown in smaller planes. They just smiled and did not say anything and I was a bit puzzled. When William and I got to the cabin I heard the ranch foreman say on his cellphone that we were at the cabin already. I thought he was just checking in with his boss. A few minutes passed and I heard a plane coming. It was a “Blue Angel”. He flew right over the cabin, tipped his wing and he was so low we could see him salute William. William’s eyes about popped out and I told him what just happened. At the end of our wonderful visit with a tear and a handshake, William thanked the foreman for one of the most wonderful birthdays ever. William was quite young when the family moved from the cabin, however they all said it was their favorite place that they had lived. It was there that William’s mother gave birth to him at exactly midnight so she put his birthday on July 20th which he shares with my daughter and my granddaughter, Alexis. He always loved that and said my daughter, Angela was the best birthday gift he ever got. After living in Walnut Springs for a while the family moved to a rental place and farmed at the Lake Whitney area. There with the money his older brother, Elwood Allen saved from being in the Army during World War II and a bumper cotton crop that one year they managed to buy land where he lived the rest of his life 11 miles out of Clifton in 1951. William lived there with his mother, Lula Frances Allen, Father George L.B. Allen, sister, Frances Estrell Allen, and myself his niece who came to live with them at birth in 1947 while at the Lake Whitney property. My time spent living with William and the rest of the family had a great impact on me. They taught so very much. Only my grandparents married the rest of their children except my mother, Elenora Ann married or had any children. I learned a lot from William. He said at the end of his life how much he loved me however it was the first and only time. The rest of my life it did not have to be said. It was something you knew like being carried across the creek in ice water when the creek was up to get me to the school bus. Hard work was learned from watching them work until their hands would crack and bleed and they would put a piece of old timey tape on them and go on working. This is just several examples of them teaching me that love is not a noun, some word easy to say, but an action word. If you love someone you act like you do. Your needs may come second to others when needed, no complaining. William loved his life on the farm and loved nature, the wild deer, raising cows, pigs, goats, and chickens. He and my grandmother loved their huge garden where a variety of items were grown. He loved peaches pulled off the trees from the back yard and plums also. William and his brother George Elwood worked side by side all of their lives even as children until Elwood’s death 16 years ago. William was a checker player and was a champion. He was difficult to even beat at checkers. My son, Thomas Allen says he did a few times. That was in Williams later years. I do not think he could see as well. He also loved playing the domino game “42”. I might add he was always my partner and because of him we were difficult to beat. As I stated previously said he loved finding arrowheads and just walking in the woods on the land he loved so much. He loved to collect rocks that were pretty unusual and place them in the front yard for all to see. He lived a little too late I think because he loved the old ways so much. He loved to sleep on the porch in his younger days to hear the birds at night, “Whip a Will” and others. He loved flowers especially red roses. He loved homemade ice cream made with an old crank ice cream maker. He loved county and blue grass songs. He heated the house with a wood stove almost until he moved to the nursing home. The farm was a true joy and he did not wish to leave however two years ago he had to move to the Clifton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where he received wonderful care. On behalf of William I would like to thank them and other wonderful people in his life for all of their care and help to him. I want to mention Mina Bergman, Rickey and Lisa Allen, Johnny Maler and his family members, Debra and Jim Bart Allen, Malcome and Phyliss Critz, James and Jan Byrd who all went way beyond what anyone could expect to help and be good and kind to him. Two weeks prior to his death he got to go out with Debra and Jim Bart and my son, Thomas Allen and his wife, Shana to see his home place one more time. I will say that on William’s behalf he was so happy and grateful and so am I. I want to thank on William’s behalf also all of you wonderful people who are here today who have been good to William and been such good people and friends. You are the reason he lived and you made him happy. God Bless you and Thank You.

Funeral services will be 2:30 P.M., Sunday, August 26, 2018 at Lawson Funeral Home in Meridian. Rev. Richard Creech will officiate. Burial will be in the Meridian Cemetery.

Words of comfort and peace can be sent to the family at www.lawsonfuneralhome.net.

Arrangements were made by Lawson Funeral Home, Meridian, Texas 254-435-2792.