Maudie Allen
Maudie L. Allen received her life reward when the Lord took her into His company on Feb. 6, 2010. She was 81.
Maudie was born on April 25, 1928, to Otha Gail and Bessie Copeland Wetzel near Moweaqua, Ill. Although poor Depression-era farmers, her parents provided Maudie, her brother Rheem (Carla) Wetzel of Moweaqua, Ill. and her late sisters Virginia Wetzel Holland and Mary Ellen Wetzel (Irving) Hoffman with a model of love and compassion that she would use throughout her life.
As a young adult she taught children in a one-room school house in rural Illinois. She soon had children of her own: sons Gerald W. (Marian) Allen of Gainesville, Va.; Kenneth J. (Katherine) Allen of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Donald P. (Carolyn) Allen of LaTrobe, Penn.; and Mark B. Allen of Evanston, Ill. Eventually her family expanded to seven grandchildren: Jeremiah Allen and Ashley Allen, both of Arlington, Va.; Jason (Karina) Allen of Jacksonville, N.C.; Austin (Ashlee) Allen of Virginia Beach, Va.; Caressa (Brandon) Himoff of Brant Lake, N.Y.; Nathaniel (Meredith) Allen of Peoria, Ariz.; and April (John) Darringer of Roodhouse, Ill.; and eight great grandchildren.
Maudie spent much of her career working at the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville. Eighteen months before retiring, she began what would become her proudest career accomplishment by opening Maudie’s Sewing Parlor. She built a successful fabric, notions, alterations and custom sewing business, but teaching children and adults to sew gave her the greatest satisfaction.
After selling the shop, she and her husband of 52 years, Robert W. Allen, fulfilled a lifetime dream by traveling to Great Britain and Ireland. Their plans for additional travel were cut short in 2000 when Bob died following a short illness.
Despite her loss, Maudie never slowed down. She used her talents as a seamstress, gardener, organizer and philanthropist to help, uplift and inspire friends and strangers alike. Her loving devotion to her family was matched only by her commitment to putting her faith into action. She joyously sewed clothing, blankets and baby layettes for missions around the world. In 2001, she traveled to Haiti with a group of volunteers to help improve living conditions at the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. She was active in First Christian Church in Jacksonville and in Westside Christian Church after moving to Springfield in 2001. Between charitable projects, she enjoyed putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing mah jong and dominoes, and sewing with members of her quilting club.
As her health declined, Maudie moved to Idaho in 2009. Despite battling a progressive lung-related illness, she embraced the positive aspects of her life.
Memorial donations may be made to: Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, In His Service, 260 Pine St., Jacksonville, IL 62650; or Hospice of Eastern Idaho, 1810 Moran, Idaho Falls, ID 83401.