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A Story About Alvin Leonard Allen
written by his 13-year-old great-granddaughter, Sara Odle

There were many men drafted in World War 2, many men from rural areas, but none were like
Alvin Leonard Allen. Alvin was known by Leonard, his middle name. Leonard was a man of many talents
and wonders during his life here in Clay County Illinois. He had a big heart for the people around him.
Leonard was known as the peacemaker in the family like his father; he was slow to anger and quick to
forgive.

Leonard was born in Clay County, Louisville, Illinois on October 4, 1916. His mother was Itha
Fitzgerald, and his father. Hiram Dellace Allen. Leonard had ten siblings and was the 4th oldest, with five
sisters and five brothers. In those times, Leonard had to work very hard; he was a farm boy. He helped
his cousins, his father, brothers, and neighbors farm. Leonard and his siblings went to a one-room
schoolhouse. He got a 6th grade education, but he never graduated 8th grade or high school.
Leonard was deployed on April 14, 1941. He served in the United States Army. Leonard drove
an ammunition truck and served 52 months, 48 of those months being overseas. He got so seasick he
once said that if he had to come back on a ship he would just stay overseas. When he had arrived home
on September 2, 1945, he wouldn’t talk about the horrors he faced in the war. He had a buddy he talked
with about the war, but he didn’t want his family to hear about the terrors he had faced.

Leonard got married to Pauline Ethel Thompson on January 5, 1946. Ethel had very high blood
pressure and loved to work outside. She baked pies and talked to her friends on the phone each day.
There weren’t many times when her phone wasn’t in use. Leonard and Ethel had two children, Darrell
Wayne Allen and Donald Eugene Allen. Leonard loved to garden. He plowed his fields with his team of
horses. He loved horses. He trained and broke his own horses and used them on his farm. He even
went to fair-like events and competed in competitions. He not only had horses but a variety of animals -
cows and hogs, turkeys and chickens were what he raised and sold He worked in St Louis in
construction for many winters.

Leonard had a nasty heart disease and other medical issues during his later years. He suffered
from a heart attack and was in the hospital when he was 54 years old. He was lucky he survived; the
heart attack he had was called a “widow maker.” A few years later he had another one. Thankfully, the
second heart attack was a minor one. The doctors told him that he couldn’t live through a third one. He
knew himself that there was too much damage to his heart and body and that he wouldn’t survive
another attack. He lived for five years after his second heart attack, and for those five years he knew he
was going to have another heart attack sooner or later. He spent all the time he had left enjoying his iife, doing the things he loved.

Alvin Leonard Allen died when he had his third heart attack on April 2, 1981; he was 64 years old. He was the first of his siblings to die and died only a year after his mother. People say he was too young to have died. He was an honest, gentle man that worked hard for what he had. He sadly got to meet only two of his  grandchildren, Matthew Ryan Allen and Sara Beth Allen. Sara Beth died when she was only three months old due to cardiac issues.

During his time in service he earned a Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Ribbon, European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with one Silver Battle Star, seven overseas service bars, and one service stripe.

“References: “The Valentine Allen Family” by Bonnie Sue Allen, Certified Copy
Honorable Discharge papers for Alvin Leonard Allen, Rebecca Allen-Odle, Bonnie Allen, and Donald Eugene Allen

Source:  Clay Roots, December 2023, page 4, Clay County Genealogical Society, Louisville, Illinois

A Story About Alvin Leonard Allen

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