Gladys Allen

Services are scheduled at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at First Baptist Church for Gladys Allen of Artesia. PMrs. Allen, 83, was called home on March 7, 2009, just one day shy of her birthday, in her home on Haldeman Road. PDr. Herbert Bergstrom will officiate at the services, and will be assisted by Rick Sullivan. Burial will be at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Lonnie Lyles, Steven Shorty Wilson, Bob Harrison, Jimmy Deason, Gary Stone and Steve Stone. Honorary pallbearers will be Virgil Johnson, Jerry Fanning, Lonnie Jordan, Ken Robinson, Stanley Waldrip and Jerry Houghtling. PGladys was born March 8, 1925 at home in Sudan, Texas, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Pierce and Fannie Cora Shafer Pierce. PShe attended Wayland Baptist College, where she met her future husband, and graduated in 1950. She also attended college in Canyon, Texas. On June 5, 1952, she was married to Travis Allen in Hale Center, Texas. They moved to Artesia in 1972 from Lower Penasco, where they managed and both taught school at the Penasco School for many years. Gladys retired from teaching in 1985 from Central Elementary in Artesia. PShe and Travis ministered in many New Mexico Baptist churches during their lives together and had an impact on everyone they met. She will be greatly missed, as is Travis, but everyone is happy they are together again. PGladys was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, her parents, a daughter Kay Ann Allen, three sisters, Ruth, Katherine and Bennie; and five brothers, Know, Russell, Phillip, Son and Bud.
Survivors include her daughter Becky Martinez and husband Candy of Artesia and Erie, Colo.; son James Allen and wife Ellie of Artesia, sisters-in-law LaJoyce Pierce of Enochs, Texas and Artie Pierce of Muleshoe, Texas; grandchildren Jamie Brooker and close friend Gene Brown of Longmont, Colo.; Jonie Brooker and partner Chris Wilson of Scott City, Kansas; Heather Baeza and husband Marcello of Chama, N.M.; and Chance Allen of Artesia; several step-grandchildren including Trina Reid and husband Grant and Candice Lehner and husband Scotty all of Glenrock, Wy.; 4 great-grandchildren and several step-great-grandchildren and many nieces nephews and friends