Letha Merl Allen, 95, a longtime resident of Greenville, peacefully passed
away January 25, 2017 in McKinney, Texas. She was born August 4, 1921 near
Cash, Texas to Walter and Lizzie Nalls. She counted among her ancestors
some of the earliest settlers in south Hunt County. On October 1, 1948 she
married Thomas William Allen. Their marriage was a lifelong union. In
addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by a baby
sister, Grace Laree Nalls; an older sister, Ausit Young; an older brother,
Louie Nalls; and a younger brother, J. E. Nalls. She is lovingly remembered by three surviving sons, Larry Allen, Jimmy Allen, and Tom Allen; eight grandchildren, Jeff Allen, Laurie Smoot, April Allen, Michael Allen, Kris Allen, Ryan Allen, Alicia Mears, and Valerie Poloche; nine great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; and numerous nieces and nephews. Grandma Merl, as we called her, grew up in a farm family that grew its own food, milked its own cows, sewed its own clothes, and made its own music. From the farm she adjusted to living
in the city. She even learned to worry about what the neighbors thought,
particularly about the large herd of outdoor cats she kept well-fed and
multiplying. She started life traveling in a horse-drawn wagon, ultimately
traveled in airplanes flown by her pilot husband, and never doubted that in
the event of an apocalyptic holocaust, she would lead her high-tech brood into
the forest and teach them how to live off the land. She never tired of
reading about healthy living and eating, but late in life she took to eating
a cheeseburger everyday, and listening to country and western music. She
lived another 20 years. Now she has earned her wings.
A graveside service will be held at 4:00 PM Sunday at Simmons Cemetery under the direction of Coker-Mathews Funeral Home. Mr. Don Bybee will officiate. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Saturday at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Dale Ehmer, M.D., Conrad Zgliczynski, Gary Dunlap, Marlin Nalls, Chuck Butler and Mark Butler.