Robert Allen

Robert Norman Allen, 76, passed away

Friday, Dec. 2, 2011 surrounded by family and friends.

Bob was born July 18, 1935 in Leroy,

Indiana. His parents were Charley Oscar (Karl Oskar Johansson) and

Hattie Rosalie (Tylen) Allen.

He attended school in Leroy and high

school in Crown Point.

He followed his sister Mary to Montana

in 1952. He worked for Arnard Johnson and then the Forest Service.

In 1954 he was hired by the Great Northern Railway as a brakeman

and retired in 1993 as a conductor.

He married Sally Howke July 16, 1957 at

the Methodist Parsonage in Whitefish. To this union they were

blessed with two sons Charles Bruce and Rodney Lee.

Bob was an active outdoorsman, hunting

and fishing in the Montana wilderness. If anyone ever needed a

knife to open something, Bob had one. And the one he lent was

always razor sharp. He was an active member of the local Trap Club,

for which he reloaded his own shells. As a hunter of both live and

clay prey, Bob was an avid gun collector. He was also a member of

the Whitefish Moose Lodge. Bob and wife Sally enjoyed bowling and

golfing together. He loved baseball and was a devoted fan of the

Glacier Twins.

When Bob wasn’t out in the wild or with

Sally golfing or bowling, he could be seen with a Western novel in

his hands. He also greatly enjoyed playing card games, a joy that

he passed on to the next generation. With an inquisitive mind, Bob

loved testing his skill with small 3-D puzzles.

What everyone will remember of Bob is

his friendly nature and great sense of humor. He was well liked by

everyone who knew him, and was always telling someone his most

recent joke.

He was a long-time member of the First

Baptist Church of Whitefish. Without fail, Bob and Sally were

sitting in their specific pew every Sunday morning.

He was preceded in death by his loving

wife whom he couldn’t live without, his parents, his brothers, Carl

and Elmer and sisters, Ella, Hilda, Mary, Rosalie and Lorraine.

He is survived by his sons, Charles and

wife Vivian of Whitefish, and Rodney and wife Elaine of Havre;

grandchildren, Amanda (Allen) and husband Jake Russell of Kalispell

and Joshua Allen of Missoula, and many nieces and nephews. We will

remember his unique sense of humor and that twinkle in his eye.

Funeral service will be held at the

First Baptist Church in Whitefish on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m.

Interment will be at Glacier Memorial Gardens at 2:30 p.m. for

friends and family.

In lieu of flowers donations can be

made in Bob’s name to the Glacier Twins American Legion Baseball,

P.O. Box 2007, Whitefish, MT 59937.

You are welcome to go to

www.austinfh.com to offer condolences, share memories and view

Robert’s tribute wall.

Arrangements entrusted to Austin

Funeral home.