Friday, August 15, 2008, we had the funeral for my Granddaddy, Francis Allen. As I prepared to leave Cairo, my mother told me that many persons wanted to see various items related to his life and his accomplishments. To that end, we are posting things as they become available. Check back as we hope to continue to celebrate Granddaddy's life.
(CD's can be burned from this file to play in most standard Windows Media Players to be played in most any CD player-- instructions will be posted soon)
Video of Granddaddy Reading to students in 1989 as the Chairman of the Grady County Board of Commissioners (you may need to adjust your screen size to a smaller size to see the picture more clearly-- the audio was not good when recorded-- enjoy "as is"): Click Here
Video of Granddaddy sharing his WWII and POW experiences on November 9, 1999 to a group at the Roddenberry Library in Cairo, GA: Click Here
Obituary from Clark Funeral Home, Cairo, Georgia:
Francis E. Allen
Mr. Francis Everett Allen, age 91, of Cairo, GA, died Tuesday, August 12, 2008, in Thomasville, GA.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, August 15, 2008, at 11:00 a.m., First United Methodist Church, Cairo, GA. Interment will follow with the Moody Air Force Base Honor Guard in Greenwood Cemetery. Rev. Tegler Greer, Rev. Gene Cochran and Rev. Barry Giddens will officiate. Emily Dueitt will be reading scripture. Active pallbearers will be Gene Smith, Richard VanLandingham, Carroll Hopkins, Terry Prince, John Higginbotham and Jimmy Douglas. Honorary pallbearers are members of the Grady Golden K, XYZ and the Fellowship Sunday School Class both of the First United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Mr. Allen was born in Grady County on November 2, 1916, to the late Robert Eugene and Evelyn Williams Allen. On July 29, 1945, he married Myrtle Strickland Allen, who survives him.
He was a graduate of Cairo High School and lived all his life in Grady County with the exception of three and one-half years that he served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. He was an airplane mechanic gunner and was a Prisoner of War for ten months from July, 1944 to May, 1945 in Europe. He received an Honorable Discharge as a Technical Sergeant.
Mr. Allen was devoted to his community: in 1984 he was elected to serve as a Grady County Commissioner serving for six years and as Chairman in 1989, member of the Area Planning and Development Authority, Cairo Industrial Development Authority, Grady County Planning Commission. He was involved with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, United Way, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and American Red Cross. He served the Boy Scout program as Troop Leader and Committeeman. In his civic involvement he was President and Lt. Governor of the Cairo Kiwanis Club and helped organize and served as the first President of Grady Golden K Kiwanis Club. He was President and Director of the Cairo-Grady County Chamber of Commerce and was honored as Man of the Year and received the Community Service Award as well. Mr. Allen was an avid supporter of Grady County Public Schools serving as President of the Southside School PTA and Cairo High School Band Booster Organization. He was also a member of the Cairo High School Athletic Boosters’ Club. A lifelong Christian, Mr. Allen was a member of Cairo First United Methodist Church serving as Sunday School Superintendent, member and chairman of the Administrative Board, member and chairman of Staff Parish Relations Committee, Church Lay Leader, Church Treasurer, Building Committee Chairperson, active volunteer of Community Repair Day, and as teacher of the Fellowship Sunday School Class for more than thirty years. Mr. Allen worked for the United States Postal Service for more than thirty four years retiring as Postmaster of the Cairo Post Office in 1980.
He is survived by his wife, Myrtle S. Allen, Cairo, GA; daughters and sons-in-law, Annette and Charles Giddens, Cairo, GA and Faye and Mike Dueitt, Monroeville, AL; son and daughter-in-law, Everett and Karen Allen, Cairo, GA.; grandchildren, Eric and Kendra Giddens, Cedar Falls, IA, Barry and Erin Giddens, Macon, GA, Lee Allen, Smyrna, GA, Chad and Jamie Allen, Cairo, GA, Emily Dueitt, Monroeville, AL and Alex Dueitt, Monroeville, AL; great-grandchildren, Henry Giddens, Cedar Falls, IA and Tyson Allen, Cairo, GA; sister, Martha A. Brock, Whigham, GA.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Eugene and Evelyn Allen, brother, Maurice Allen, and sisters, Isabel Joyner, Katheryn Davis, Eleanor Cassels and Virginia Allen.
Friday, August 15, 2008, we had the funeral for my Granddaddy, Francis Allen. As I prepared to leave Cairo, my mother told me that many persons wanted to see various items related to his life and his accomplishments. To that end, we are posting things as they become available. Check back as we hope to continue to celebrate Granddaddy's life.