Martin H. Allen

Former Peninsula resident Martin H. Allen, 92, died January 23, 2010 in Shelton, Washington. Born in Claflin, Kansas on November 13, 1917, he was the son of James and Bertha (Peal) Allen. Martin grew up on the family farm in Great Bend, Kansas and was a graduate of Great Bend High School. Following high school he moved to Tacoma, Washington. Martin enlisted in the US Army in September of 1940 and served his country for the next five years during World War II. He was stationed in both the European Theatres and Alaska where he was "a jack of all trades". Following his military duty he returned to Tacoma. Martin worked as an auto mechanic at Packard dealerships in Tacoma and Olympia. When that once proud brand fell by the wayside he worked at a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Olympia. Later Martin worked for the State of Washington with the Game Department as a "glorified fix-it man" until retirement. Martin had vacationed on the Peninsula for a number of years. He bought property in Long Beach, cleared it and built his retirement home. During the summer months he fished commercially on the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean, staying at Pop's Campground and later Ford's Campground in Chinook. He remembered one time having had 597 pounds of salmon in his 16 foot boat and sold the bounty for 15 cents a pound. Martin was a talented wood carver and he always had a doga big dogsuch as a Labrador or a Malamute. He also enjoyed vegetable gardening and shared same with family and friends. Martin resided at Golden Sands in Klipsan Beach until moving to Shelton to be near family. He and Hazel McGregor were married in 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas. She preceded him in death. Surviving are daughters Doris White of Olympia, WA and Diana Lane of Poulsbo, WA; son Gaylen Allen of Little Rock, WA; brother Kenneth Allen of Great Bend, KS; and 6 grandchildren. His service will be held Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 11:00 AM at Tahoma National Cemetery in Maple Valley, Washington. His guestbook is available at www.penttilaschapel.com.