Travis Allen

Services are scheduled at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 15, at First Baptist Church for Travis Allen, 2502 S. Haldeman Rd., Artesia, New Mexico. PMr. Allen, 79, died Saturday, February 10, 2007 near Las Vegas, New Mexico on his way home from Colorado. PHerbert Bergstrom will officiate at the services, and will be assisted by Ken Robinson and Gavin Vaughn. Burial will be at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Chris Thorpe, Noble Laminack, Lonnie Lyles, Phillip Smith, Gary Stone and Steve Stone. Honorary pallbearers will be Stanley Waldrip, Jerry Fanning, Lonnie Jordan, John Riley and Virgil Johnson. PMr. Allen was born April 21, 1927 in Mountain Park, Oklahoma; the son of John Irma Allen and Edith Brown Allen. POn June 5, 1952 he was married to Gladys Elizabeth Pierce in Hale Center, Texas. He came to Artesia in 1972 from Lower Penasco. PHe served in the United States Army from 1945 to 1947. PHe was a school teacher and Baptist minister. He surrendered to the Baptist Ministry in 1951 and attended Wayland Baptist College for three years. He then transferred to ENMU in 1954 where he received his B.A. in Biblical Studies in 1955, and then his M.A. in Education in 1965. He was a member of Hermosa Drive Baptist Church. He taught in the school system for 30 years with the majority of those years being in the Chaves County Schools from 1957 to 1965 and in the Artesia Public Schools from 1965 to 1985 where he retired. PTravis, together with his wife Gladys, pastored several New Mexico churches, where they made many wonderful friendships and had an impact on everyone they met. The churches they served were Kenna Baptist Church from 1955 to 1960, Weed Baptist Church from 1962 to 1975, and Lakewood Baptist Church from 1975 to 1990. He was also one of the leaders and producers of the annual Elk Camp Meeting. He retired from the ministry in 1990, but still continued to supply when his health allowed. He also taught numerous Seminary Extension Courses and Bible Study Classes. He was a phenomenal teacher and leader and a wonderful person who will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter Kay Ann Allen, a sister Francis Shaffer and a brother John Irma Allen, Jr.
Survivors include his wife Gladys E. Allen of the family home; daughter Becky Martinez and husband Candy of Erie, Colo.; son James M. Allen and wife Ellie of Artesia; sisters Zona Lee Garrison and husband Alvin of Oklahoma City, OK, Verla Brown and husband Delbert of Portales, N.M.; sister-in-law Dorothy Allen of Carlsbad; grandchildren Jamie Brooker and husband Geno Brown of Longmont, Colo., Jonie Brooker and husband Chris Wilson of Erie, Colo., Heather Allen of Artesia, and Chance Allen of Artesia; several step-grandchildren including Trina Reid and husband Grant, Candice Lehner and husband Scotty all of Glenrock, Wyoming; 3 great-grandchildren and several step-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.