John H. Allen

JOHN HENRY ALLEN was born June 28, 1936 to Edwin and Dorothy (Morgan) Allen in Houston, Texas, where he was raised and attended school. He enlisted into the Navy in 1954. He served as a boiler tender on the USS Hamner based out of San Diego, California. He was honorably discharged in 1958 and returned home to La Port, Texas. In 1959, he moved to Houma, Louisiana where he worked on oil rigs as a “roughneck”. In 1984, he moved to Newnan, Georgia where he was employed at Southern Foundary Recycling as a crane operator. While living in Newnan, he met his future bride, Virginia Wharton, a local school teacher. The couple was united in marriage in 1989 at the Tri-County Baptist Church in Senoia, Georgia. They made their home in Newnan where John continued work as a crane operator until 1997 and then as a custodian at Newnan High School from 1997-2008. The couple moved to Virginia’s childhood home of Luverne, Minnesota in 2008 where they resided at the Centennial Apartments. In August 2016, John became a resident at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne. Virginia preceded him in death on October 5, 2018. On Wednesday, October 16, 2019, John died peacefully at the Minnesota Veterans Home at the age of 83 years, three months and 18 days.

John was a member of the First Baptist Church in Luverne where he frequently served as an usher. He enjoyed playing SkipBo, woodworking, and had a love of fishing.

John is survived by his children, Donna Curney and her husband Dewayne of Abeita Springs, Louisiana, Sheila Cavalier of Abeita Springs, and Brent Allen and his wife Stacey of Napoleanville, Louisiana; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; brother, William Allen and his wife Margaret of Cleaveland, Texas; two sisters-in-law, Betty of Denver, Colorado, and Becky Allen of Deep Park, Texas; and a brother-in-law, Robert Wharton of Luverne. He was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia; son-in-law, Anthony “T-Boy” Cavalier; parents, Edwin and Dorothy Allen; and two brothers, James Allen and Edwin Allen.