Ernest Allen

Ernest Earl Allen passed away on January 4, 2014 at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown, Iowa. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in State Center, Iowa. Private interment will follow the luncheon at Hillside Cemetery in State Center. Memorials will be divided between the Ernest Allen West Marshall Foundation Scholarship and the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown. For more information or to send a condolence please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call (641)844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Ernest and his family. Ernie Allen was born October 20, 1931 in Martensdale, Iowa, the son of Norman Wallace Allen and Mary Dagmar (Andersen) Allen. He graduated from Melbourne High School in 1948. Ernie entered Iowa State University in the fall of 1949. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1951, and attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He was honorably discharged in September of 1953. He farmed from 1954 to 2012. Ernie was employed by Fisher Controls in 1959. He took a collegiate leave of absence from Fishers and pursued a degree in mathematics from ISU graduating in 1965. He then returned to Fisher Controls where he worked in Research and Engineering until 1986 when he became Director of Research and Engineering on a world-wide basis. Of utmost importance to him was his Christian faith, family, and the well-being of those he was privileged to work or interact with. Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 62 years Bettyann Lafrenz Allen of State Center. Children: Mark (Jody) Allen of Grinnell, Iowa, John (Deb) Allen, Jack (Patti) Allen, Jill (John) Byerly of State Center and Mary (Kevin) Lazard of Urbandale, Seventeen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Also one brother James (Mary) Allen of Melbourne and two sisters Lil Hineman of Marshalltown and Leona Graham of Monroe, Iowa. Preceding him were his parents Norman and Mary Allen, two sisters Mid Lander and Mary Larson and one brother Elmer. Visitation: There is no formal visitation.