Wendell Forrest Allen

Wendell Forrest Allen of Battle Creek, MI

Wendell F. Allen, age 88, died peacefully Thursday evening, August 20, 2020 at Glenn Arbor Hospice Residence, Battle Creek following a brief illness.

Wendell, the son of Winston and Margaret (Nunn) Allen, was born in Battle Creek on May 10, 1932. He was a 1949 graduate of Lakeview High School. Except for several recent years living in Florida, he was a longtime resident of the Battle Creek and Ceresco areas. He was the Owner and Operator of Allen Pattern of Michigan for over 35 years, retiring in 2002. Wendell was a very active and involved parent of the Harper Creek School System. He served on the Harper Creek Board of Education from 1969 to 1971 and was Board President in 1971. He was also one of three founding members of the Harper Creek Beaver Boosters (now called Harper Creek Athletic Boosters) which helped support sports programs of the school. One of Wendell's many hobbies was to "build things." He built many beautiful pieces of furniture. The "Allen Furniture" is cherished by the family. Wendell was a former member of Ceresco Baptist Church and Battle Creek First Presbyterian Church; he was a former Boy Scout Leader; and he was really into genealogy, especially tracing the Allen name back to England before the family migrated in 1635. Wendell was a dog lover having many over his lifetime, but one in particular was his much loved Westie, Molly.

Wendell was very diverse and multifaceted. He performed a summer in a rodeo displaying his horsemanship skills. Wendell started his working life as a farmhand where he met the love of his life, Gloria, on her Grandpa's farm. After working two more farms as a sharecropper and machinery rebuilder, he went to work for Eatons of Marshall where he learned machining and tooling. From there he went to work at Bowers Pattern and learned the trade of Patternmaking (models of machine parts for the casting industry). His customers were all over the Midwest - Clark Equipment, Stryker Medical, Steelcase, Union Pump, Eatons, Ford, GM and Chrysler. He also made parts for military tanks and planes.

Wendell invented and patented the machine to fold Archway Cookie boxes, and he created and made the knock-down grocery display racks for Archway in his company, A&B Displays.

Wendell enjoyed competitive tennis, and being ambidextrous would frustrate the competition by switching to his fresh hand late in the game. He played through his 85th year.

Wendell was united in marriage to his beloved wife the former Gloria Elaine Bowers in Battle Creek on December 15, 1951. Surviving are his wife of almost 69 years, Gloria; two sons, Andrew (Diane) Allen of Charlevoix, MI and Gregory (Kathy) Allen of Battle Creek; two precious grandsons, Chad Allen and Ben (Sammy Jo) Allen; and his sister, Jeanette (Jim) Schmid of Battle Creek. He is also survived by special nieces and a nephew, Ann Rizor, Mary Eriksson, Diane Gordon, Paul Bradley, Angie Hoxworth, and Jill Sampson. Wendell was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Elizabeth Allen Hoffman and Marjorie Allen Bradley. Wendell had many close friendships over the years and cherished every one. There were always stories to tell and share.

The Memorial Service to celebrate Wendell's life will be held on Saturday, August 29th at 2:00 p.m. at the Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care, Battle Creek with the Rev. Teddy Nichols (HC '70 graduate), officiating. Interment will follow in Ceresco Cemetery, Emmett Township. Wendell's family will greet friends on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until service time at the funeral home.

Wendell loved youth and youth sports programs. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Wendell's honor may be directed to the Sail Charlevoix Junior Sailing Program, P.O. Box 122, Charlevoix, MI 49720. https://www.sailcharlevoix.org/support-us

Contributions may also be given to the Harper Creek Athletic Boosters, 12677 Beadle Lake Road, Battle Creek, MI 49014.