The Orville Slaton Allen Family - Family Histories

     Orville Slaton Allen was born June 27, 1905 in San Saba County, the son of James C. and Fannie (Trawbridge) Allen. Orville came to Coleman County in 1927, married Bertha Ione Copeland, April 25, 1928, in Brownwood, moved to Fry, where he was employed with the Fry Gas Company. They purchased a farm north of Santa Anna in 1932, and a home in Santa Anna. Orville was a civil engineer for the Fourth Army, in World War II. He worked at Carswell Air Base, Fort Worth, and Camp Bowie, Brownwood. His headquarters were in San Antonio and he worked throughout the United States. receiving several awards from the army for his ideas used in Army Base installations. He retired and moved to his farm, he worked organizing a rural water system for that part of Coleman County. He was a member of the Church of Christ and the Masonic Lodge of Bangs. He was killed in an industrial accident in Amarillo, July 15, 1982, buried in Santa Anna.

     They had two sons, Willard Orville, born March 24, 1929, at the home of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Copeland, and James Richard, January 19, 1936. Willard married Jo Ann Hambright and they have four children (see John Wesley Hambright). James Richard married
Ann Tatum and they have four children: Ton Watson, Guy Allen, Gip Allen and Becky Dillard.

     Bertha was born September 13, 1905, in Coleman County. She attended Hardin and Buffalo schools. She was a member o the Church of Christ and Santa Anna Eastern Star (see James Pitts Copeland family). She owned a restaurant and was a Star Route Mail Carrier. She died December 2, 1963, buried in Santa Anna.