Jody Edward Allen's Obituary
A celebration of life for Jody Edward Allen, 87, of Longview, will be held at in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home on Wednesday, at 10 a.m. Rev. Phillip Phelps and Rev. Mark Hendrick officiating. The family will receive friends following the service. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, 3 p.m. at Memorial Gardens in Texarkana, Arkansas.
Jody was born on June 6, 1932 in Ozan, Arkansas to Ernest Jody Allen and Lola Maude Goodlett. He was married for 64 years to the love of his life, Viola Allen. He was a faithful member of the First Church of the Nazarene, in Longview. Prior to that, he was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Longview where he participated in the bus ministry, and the Church of God in Longview as well. He was a dedicated employee, beginning at the age of 12, when he began a newspaper route in Texarkana. He worked for several years for Kimball Grocer in Texarkana, Letourneau Industries, Trinity Industries, and Winston in Longview. In addition, he worked for Glitz in Dallas, retiring 1 day before his 70th birthday from Winstons. He served proudly in the Navy as a deck hand from March 1956 to October 1957 aboard the USS Telfair, and remained in the reserves until March 1962 when he was honorably discharged. He withdrew from school at an early age, yet completed his GED years later.
Mr. Allen was preceded in death by his wife, Viola Allen; son Ronald Edward Allen; father Ernest Jody Allen; mother, Lola Goodlett Allen Nanny; brothers Cecil Allen and Lawson Allen; sister-in-law Joyce Allen, brothers-in-law Cornelius Hatcher, Herbert Hatcher, and Harvey Hatcher, Bob Easterling, and sister-in-law Cora Mae Hatcher Troxell.
Those left to cherish his memory are his daughter, Rachel Renee Hall; sisters Gene Allen Snodgrass, Bobbie Allen Ricketts, and Carolyn Allen Howard; his sister-in-law Linda Allen; his brother-in-law Chuck Ricketts; grandchildren Charles David Allen and wife Jackie and Crystal Dawn Hall; Justin and wife Jolene Littlejohn, and James and wife Amanda Littlejohn; great grandchildren Shawn Allen, Sarah Hall, Justin Allen, Jason Allen, Jasper, Joelyn, Ethan, Brent and Taryn Littlejohn; plus many nieces and nephews, as well as brothers and sisters in Christ.
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