Area Obituaries
Betty Iline Allen, age 92, of Bridgeport, Illinois, passed away on Monday, December 18, 2023 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana. She was born on January 09, 1931 in Lawrenceville, Illinois, the daughter of Charles Raymond and Marjory (Sturgeon) Belcher. She married Chester Harold Allen on April 27, 1951, and he preceded her in death on January 29, 2007. Betty was a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and attended seminary classes at Southern Illinois University. She was a multidisciplined special education teacher at Parkview Junior High School for 21 years. She loved teaching and really enjoyed watching the children learn. She had some students that went without food on the weekends, so she would have a ‘cooking day’ to make sure they had something to eat. She was nominated and in the final running for the Golden Apple Award, and was nominated and chosen to be Mother of the Year with WAKO Radio. She was a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church, and a previous member of the Lawrenceville First Baptist Church. She taught Sunday School for 75 plus years and oversaw the bereavement dinners for over 50 years. She was a past member of National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and National Society of Daughters of the Union. Preceding her in death were her parents; husband; one brother, Ray Belcher; two sons, Danny Allen and Harold Ray Allen; one daughter, Rebekah VanGrinsven. Survivors include two sons, John Allen and Robert Allen both of Bridgeport, Illinois; three daughters, Deborra Allen of Bridgeport, Illinois, Donna Abas Al-Khuzaei and husband, Abdulmonem of Doha, Qatar, and Beth Ann Lee and husband, Eric of Gahanna, Ohio; several grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren. Private services will be conducted. Memorial donations may be made to the Baptist Children’s Home in Carmi, Illinois. Emmons-Macey ; Steffey Funeral Home in Lawrenceville, Illinois is in charge of the arrangements. Please visit www.emmonsmaceysteffey.com to view the tribute and to send condolences.
