Martha Allen

Martha Mary Allen, 89, passed away peacefully at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Dec. 21, 2006, with her family by her side.

She was born Aug. 14, 1917, in Cameron, Texas, to Charles and Frances Simecek. She met and married Hardy D. Allen in Vancouver, Wash., in 1950. They lived in Kellogg, Idaho, and in Crockett, Calif., before moving to Columbia Falls in 1954.

After Hardy retired from the Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant in 1974, they moved to Lakeside, where they lived until 1982, when Hardy passed away. Martha then moved to Whitefish to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law. She lived in Whitefish until 2005, when she moved to the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Hardy; brothers Charles and Albyn Simecek; and sister Julie Covey.

Martha is survived by brothers Alfred "Fritz" Simecek, of Temple, Texas, and Joe Simecek, of Buckholts, Texas; and by son Robert Allen and his wife Patricia, of Kalispell, and daughters Carol Schumacher and her husband Wally, of Broadus, and Martha Leighton and her husband Michael, of Jackson, Miss.; grandchildren Holli Hansen, of Aledo, Ill., Brady Allen, of Havre, Kristen Peterson, of Helena, Patti McClinn, of Kalispell, and Janice Smith, of Spokane; and great grandchildren Brandon, Zachary, Madelyn and Amber.

Martha requested that no funeral service be held for her as she wanted her friends to remember her in life rather than her death. A private family burial service will be held in the summer of 2007.

Memorial contributions may be made to the donor's choice or to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2411, Great Falls MT 59403.