Obituary
Charlie Allen
Charlie Allen has died of old age. In the almost ninety years between his first breath in Fletcher, Oklahoma to his last in La Crosse, Wisconsin he was witness to events great and small. He lived through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression on his parents’ small farm near Norwich, Kansas. Upon graduation from high school he entered the U.S. Coast Guard and was stationed at Treasure Island near San Francisco as World War II came to an end. Upon completion of his service he moved to Wichita, Kansas where he worked for Boeing Aircraft. In 1948 he was offered a job at Dairyland Power Cooperative in La Crosse, Wisconsin where he worked for more than forty years. He started work on the brush crew and soon became a lineman, traveling around the midwest bringing electricity to rural homes and farms for the first time. As his family grew the necessity to settle in one place led him to accept the position of supervisor of warehouse operations at the La Crosse headquarters. Upon his retirement, Charlie was the most senior employee in the entire Dairyland Power system. His work at Dairyland Power was the source of many lifelong friendships.
He was the oldest of two sons born to Oscar Allen and Bertha (Brooks) Allen who always called him by his middle name, Morlan. He was the brother of Melvin L. Allen. Charlie was married and divorced two times. HIs first wife, Sunny, and a son, Randy, preceded him in death as did both his parents and his brother. He is survived by his second wife, Denise, four sons and a daughter, two step-daughters, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Charlie was a meticulous craftsman, skilled in almost every aspect of the building trades and mechanics. He was the master of any tool and, when necessary, could invent one. He built the home in which he helped to raise a family of six children in rural Medary Township. Perhaps his greatest passion was his interest in flight that began in his youth in Kansas. He was a licensed pilot and he built and flew two experimental airplanes. Well known for his expertise in small aircraft, he serviced and maintained and helped to build airplanes for his many flying friends.
He served at times as a leader in the Civil Air Patrol and in Cub Scouting. He was a member of The First Church of Christ and a Mason.
A memorial service will be held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at Coulee Region Cremation Group, 133 Mason St. Onalaska, with visitation from 5:00 pm until the time of the service. Private burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the First Church of Christ, 724 Cass St. La Crosse, WI 54601.
Dear Allen family
I wanted,to express my sympathis after reading od Charlie”s passing..It seems hard to believe that just 60 years ago we were playing marbles and softball out in the Enders field with you 4 guys. The passing of both parents puts a finaliity to a part of our lives. I have great memories of Court Acres living. I pray that you have comfort and the help of family and friends as you go through this time of sorrow