Mary Augusta Allen
May 31, 1931 ~ February 10, 2017
Mary Augusta Allen, 85, went to be with her Lord on Friday, February 10, 2017, in Princeton. Mary was the eldest child of Raymond and Mary Augusta (Schlitzkus) Bellows, born May 31, 1931, in Cresco, IA. Her early childhood was spent in rural Wyoming until the death of her mother in 1940. Then, she lived with several of her aunts and uncles, also spending some time in a children''s home while her father was serving in WWII. By the time she graduated from high school, she had attended 14 schools in 4 states. Mary met her husband, Robert H. Allen, while attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. They were married in Elgin, IL, on August 3, 1951. He survives. She is also survived by two children: Robert Glenn Allen of Princeton and Vonette (Dana) Miller of Walla Walla, WA; eight grandchildren: Jerason (Ksenia) Banes of Niles, IL, Jensa and Jingher Banes of WI, Jera Wyn of Crivitz, WI, Joshua (Katie) Allen of Macclenny, FL, and Robert, Andrew, and Stephen Miller of Walla Walla, WA; seven great-grandchildren: Jonas and Isaac Banes; Lyra, Ephraim, and Soraya Wyn; and Embry and Korben Allen; three brothers: William, Harold, and Beau Bellows and one sister, Nettie Carrier, and many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Roger Bellows, her daughter-in-law Anastasia Allen, and her daughter Donna Joy Banes. Mary is remembered by her family as a wonderful wife and mother. As a pastor''s wife, she was very involved in church, teaching children''s Sunday school and serving as “craft lady” for many a VBS. She loved to make crafts of all kinds and also to sew and reupholster or refinish furniture. For several years, Mary also worked with Gateway Center in Princeton as a caregiver. Mary was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Mayflower Society. She invested many hours in genealogical research, perhaps because she came from such a large and close-knit extended family. She became the family historian, helped organize family reunions, and recorded her memoirs which have been gathered into a book. In her later years, Mary took up the hobby of collecting angel figurines, finding new treasures everywhere she travelled. Her family takes comfort in knowing that she now resides with the angels. A funeral service will be held on Friday, February 17, at Grant-Johnson Funeral Home in Princeton at 11am. Burial will be in Elm Lawn Memorial Park Princeton. Visitation will be from 5-7pm Thursday at the Funeral Home. Memorials may be directed to Kids'' Klub Inc and to the First Congregational Church of Bureau.
Many wonderful conversations and precious moments come to mind as I remember Mary. Her journey is finished here. Now the celebration of eternity with the Lord begins for her!
Sweet Mary, I thank God for having met you. Your kind, loving spirit will never be forgotten by me and my family! I pray you had a beautiful song in your heart, to take with you to your final rest. God bless your sweet soul!
Sweet Mary, I thank God for having met you. Your kind, loving spirit will never be forgotten by me and my family! I pray you had a beautiful song in your heart, to take with you to your final rest. God bless your sweet soul!
Prayers of comfort and peace to Glenn and his family. I only had the pleasure of meeting Glenn’s parents once, but know they are special people as they raised a special man.