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
| Tue, Aug 16, 9:25 AM (8 days ago) |  | ||
| ||||
I thank Michael and Keith for accepting me as family and friend.
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
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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