Wednesday, August 24, 2022

https://www.facebook.com/michael.allen.16568

https://vimeo.com/741270509




William John Allen  and Betts Pierce Allen

Ward's Funeral Home, Gainesville, Ga

Alta Vista Cemetery Lot 73 - 1 North


Service  Sunday 5pm  August 21, 2022




Bill 

June 26, 1925  January 25, 2022

Bett 

January 9, 1929 - June 30, 2003



Jennifer Ann Allen

7/25/1973

7/25/1973



https://www.facebook.com/michael.allen.16568


Letters , Poems Read at Service 8/21/22 




Letter From

Jared J. Tappero

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

        P.O. Box 242 Hines, OR 97738 – (530) 927-8164 – email: indianheadbirddogs@gmail.com

 

My sincere condolences and “LOVE” to friends and family attending.

 

I started corresponding with Mr. Bill just after the release of the first printing of “The Unforgettables….,” in 2010. Mr. Bill’s email address was given to me by Dr. C.A. Hjerpe, a west coast veterinarian and field trialer who had been corresponding with Bill for decades. From our first email to the last, Mr. Bill would sign off with “LOVE,” so that’s how I greet you; with LOVE, and feelings of sympathy…

 

Initially, my correspondence with Mr. Bill was focused on field trial bird dogs, bird dog handlers, and patrons of the sport. I was just getting into field trialing, had many questions, and loved the history. Over time, I shared my field trial reports with him and gave Mr. Bill accounts of my training and trialing experiences. He had been out of the sport for many years at that time, but loved to hear my updates on how things were going with my dogs and horses. If he knew that I was going to attend a trial, he eagerly awaited a report from me sometime early the following week. Within the last year, as his sight had really begun to fade, and reading had become a real strain on his vision, Mr. Bill told me to keep writing, and sending pictures, even with his eyes diminished capacity…

 

Over time our correspondence included not only bird dogs but family, our favorite authors and books (Hemingway), the bible and religion (he claimed to be an eclectic Christian), what would pass as philosophy (Carlos Castenada), among other things. I was astounded at his breadth of knowledge, the extent of his reading, and ability to recall. I respected him for his wisdom, experience, and judgement, and went to him often for advice. He was truly a “SAGE.”

 

At some point, I expressed to Mr. Bill that I wished I had had the foresight to dig into my family history, before my great-grandparents, grandparents, and mother had passed; and how I missed them and, wanted to know more about them and the past. I think he felt my remorse, and some time after that, he asked me to begin calling him “Papa.” I initiated the next email to him with, “Hello Papa Bill….,” and in his next message to me, I was firmly told, “…just Papa…,” I could feel his firm insistence through the black and white; I didn’t think twice about what seemed to be a demand more than an option...

 

A few years back I obtained a nice female pup and asked Papa for some help in naming the diminutive, little spitfire; he suggested “Intrigue,” and that’s the name I went with. He loved the pictures I sent of her, and the reports I’d send on how her training and field trialing were coming along. Late last Fall, in an email, he expressed to me that he had had a very vivid dream which included Intrigue and Mrs. Livingston. He told me he had not had a dream this vivid about bird dogs in many years, but in the dream, Mrs. Livingston had shot a cock quail out of a covey which Intrigue had pointed. I remember thinking and feeling that Mrs. Livingston had come to him and was paving the way to his eternal reward; it wasn’t too long after that that our correspondence started to wane, and eventually faded away…

 

I miss him dearly, as you do, miss corresponding with him, and feel so lucky to have shared a good portion my life with him. What a gem he was.

 

God bless you Papa, and your dear wife Betts. My sincere condolences to family and all attending. Wishing you all well.        All my best. LOVE to all, Jared


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Letter From 

Ron JAXSON

Ronald Jaxon

Tue, Aug 16, 9:25 AM (8 days ago)
to me
Bill, was first my downstairs neighbor when he and Betts moved to Henderson Place. Our friendship grew almost immediately and we became soulmates for more than twenty years. 
We shared our joys and sorrows, our triumphs and our failures. I believe our fellowship was strengthened by our heartfelt ability to listen to one another and I sure learned that quickly. He never ceased to amaze me with his love for the written word and his encyclopedic memory. 
We were never ashamed to express our love for one another, ( like David and Johnathan) and our faith in God was definitely the bonding agent. 
I miss him dearly. 

I thank Michael and Keith for accepting me as family and friend. 


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Letter from BETTY TAYLOR
Read by Steve Dell

I MET THE ALLEN FAMILY 64 yrs ago WHEN


THEY MOVED TO THE MOUNTAINS OF HIAWASSEE, GA..


 THEY INSTANTLY BECAME ONE OF OUR BEST FRIENDS.



BETT WAS ALWAYS  LOVING AND SO  TALENTED. 


SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO SEW,  DECORATE AND ESPECIALLY


 HOW A YOUNG GIRL SHOULD PRESENT HERSELF.


 HER BEAUTIFUL BLUE EYES WERE MESMERIZING. 


SHE WAS A GRACEFUL PERFECT LADY 


ALWAYS MAKING EVERYONE FEEL SPECIAL AND  LOVED.


BILL WAS THE FATHER I NEVER HAD. 


THE GREATEST GIFT HE GAVE ME WAS CALLING ME : DAUGHTER” 


 AND SISTER TO HIS SONS.


 HE WAS FULL OF INTERESTING STORIES AND LIVED  


AN EXCITING LIFE TRAVELING THE WORLD, WRITING,


TEACHING, AND COUNSELING, 


BILL WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND NEVER STOPPED LEARNING AND


SHARING HIS KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHERS. 


THE MOST INTELLIGENT PERSON I  EVER KNEW.



BILL'S LOVE AND DEVOTION TO BETT SOWED A PATH FOR

THE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY I NOW HAVE.


IT WAS A BLESSING EACH  MORNING TO WAKE UP TO FIND AN

EMAIL FROM BILL THAT HE DICTATED AND SENT OVERNIGHT THAT  MADE FOR  A LOVELY START TO MY DAY.


GROWING UP WITH THE ALLEN FAMILY GAVE MY CHILDHOOD 

THE LOVE AND GUIDANCE MOST CHILDREN WOULD NEVER HAVE..


T WAS A PRIVILEGE TO BE CALLED SISTER TO MIKE, KEITH

AND VIC. THEIR BROTHERHOOD IS STILL A HEARTFELT LOVE

THAT WILL NEVER END…

BETT AND BILL WILL BE IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER.


REST IN PEACE 


BETTY AND DANNY TAYLOR


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POEM Read by Keith Allen

by Merrit Malloy

When I die
Give what’s left of me away
To children
And old men that wait to die.
And if you need to cry,
Cry for your brother
Walking the street beside you.
And when you need me,
Put your arms
Around anyone
And give them
What you need to give to me.

I want to leave you something,
Something better
Than words
Or sounds.

Look for me
In the people I’ve known
Or loved,
And if you cannot give me away,
At least let me live on in your eyes
And not on your mind.

You can love me most
By letting
Hands touch hands,
By letting
Bodies touch bodies,
And by letting go
Of children
That need to be free.

Love doesn’t die,
People do.
So, when all that’s left of me
Is love,
Give me away.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ROADS GO EVER ON  Read by Rebecca Allen


“ROADS GO EVER ON” BY J. R. R. TOLKIEN

The following passage is taken from “The Lord of the Rings”. It makes an ideal reading for a funeral, because Bilbo gracefully acknowledges that his journey is complete and gives others a blessing for "a journey new.

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.
Roads go ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.



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Next  READ by  DAVID WALKER
Prayer for Today
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