Gladys Allen
d. February 22, 2013
Gladys May Massey Allen 1920-2013
Gladys Allen passed away February 22, 2013 in St. George, Utah, she was 92. She was born to Roy & Alice Massey on May 8th, 1920 in Rouse, Colorado. The 3rd of three girls, she claims to have been born in a boxcar that was converted to an apartment by her father who worked for the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad. She had a very happy, but impoverished childhood, growing up during the depression. She particularly loved the family fishing trips in their old Model T Ford.
Gladys was always a bookworm and loved to read, which enabled her to start kindergarten at the age of 4, and then continue her education, graduating with a Fine Arts degree from Pueblo Junior College. Until recently, she conquered the New York Times Crossword Puzzle on a weekly basis, always learning, always informed and always opinionated.
She met Lynn Nielsen Allen at a Beta Sigma Phi dance in 1941. Lynn was a Communications Specialist in the Air Force, stationed in Pueblo, CO. Gladys says, “Lynn asked me to dance, and that was all she wrote!” It wasn’t long after that when Lynn shipped out to the South Pacific for WWII. They wrote each other constantly and when he came home from the war, they were married, on June 25th, 1946 and moved to Salt Lake City. Eventually building a little house on Kensington Ave. on the east bench of Salt Lake, they had two children, Kristine and David.
Gladys was a woman ahead of her time. She prospered in her career, working in accounting related positions, she eventually became the Treasurer of Reliance National Life Insurance Company and sat on their Board of Directors.
A fabulous wife, home maker, provider, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her progressive thinking and complete lack of religious or racial bigotry made her a model for all women, and anyone else who had the pleasure of knowing her.
She is survived by Lynn, her loving husband of 67 years, her daughter Kristine Erkelens (Tom), her son David Allen (Darla), grandchildren Thomas Christopher Erkelens (Julie), Tara Leard (Rob), Matt Erkelens (Nicole), Courtney Allen, and 4 beautiful Great Grandchildren!
Honoring her wishes, there will be no formal funeral services, but there will be a private family gathering to remember her legacy. Internment will be in the Hyrum Utah Cemetery.