G. R. Allen - Family Histories - Coleman County, Texas

     George Robert Russell Wesley Allen was born in Brown County, June 1, 1882, the son of Beverly (Parks) Allen, born July 11, 1853, in Fayette County. In 1906, G. R. moved from Thrifty, in Brown County, to the Padgitt Ranch in Leaday. With him were his wife, Mary (Matthews) Allen, whom he met and married in Thrifty, and his two children by a previous marriage. His first wife, Beether Harp, had died of a fever while the family was living in Oklahoma. She and G. R. had two children - Russell Lee (October 23, 1900-May 1, 1951) and Virgia Lou (October 16, 1902-June, 1981). G. R. and Mary had six children born near Leaday: Roy (March 3, 1906), Ralph (August 16, 1908), Edna (August 21, 1910-April 19, 1977), Elma, Velma, Thelma (born July 25, 1912), Thelma died in infancy, Velma died August 6, 1976. Two children were born in Talpa: Ruth (June 7, 1915-October 2, 1976) and Ruby Jeane (December 16, 1917-April 8, 1979).

     The Allen family engaged primarily in farming and ranching. G. R. Allen married Josephine Toombs of Rising Star. The couple had no children of their own. Mary had died of tuberculosis in 1924. Josephine was widowed with five daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Allen lived in the Gouldbusk area for many years until his retirement. G. R. died January 9. 1973 in Coleman: Josephine died February 22, 1980.

     Edna. Ruth and Velma lived in Houston. Ruby Jeane lived in Houston and later in Corpus Christi. Elma still lives in Dallas. Edna married James Shepherd and had one son, James Junior. Velma married Charles Polhemus. Ruth married lack McIntire. Elma married Colonel William Weitzel. Ruby Jeane married D. H. Geiser, they had two children - Allen and Jeanine. Virgie married Duncan Browne of Dallas, they had two children - Ted and Janet.

     Russell, Roy and Ralph stayed in Coleman County and reared their children there. Russell married Lilly Sparks in Talpa in 1920 (see John R. Sparks). The couple had three children: Louis Lee (November 18, 1922-June 18, 1958), Lawrence (born in 1925), now living in La Pryor, (see Arthur Edwards) and B. Etta (born in 1932) married John Harvard and lives in Midland. Roy married Imogene Self of Shep, had two children: Wanda Jean, December 2, 1930, married Damon Newton. She reared her three children in Fontana, California where she moved as newlywed: Samuel David, September 24, 1933, married Inez Harris, lives in Midland, where his son and two daughters were born. Ralph Allen married Mae Self of Shep, March 29, 1931. They, with their children and families, have made their home in south Coleman County. Ralph and Mae have lived near Leaday for more than fifty years. The couple had three children: Jerry, March 8, 1936 married Sammye Diane Monsey, March 27, 1960 (see Allen-Monsey). Joan, December 10, 1940, married William Earl Jones (see Gottlieb Ehrler), August 24, 1960. Kenneth Warren, (August 25, 1946-March 24, 1968) died while a student at the University of Texas in Austin.

     G. R., Mary, Thelma, Russell Lee, Lilly, Louis Lee, Leona, and baby (wife and child of Louis Lee), Edna, and Kenneth Warren Allen are all buried at Leaday.