Larry Allen

Larry Allen

Memorial Services forLARRY CARL ALLEN, longtime Lamar resident, were at 2:00PM, Saturday, January 8, 2011 at the Peacock Memorial Chapel with friends of Larry and the Allen family Judge Garth Nieschburg, Judge Larry Stutler and Alice Binder conducting the service.
Larry Allen was born in Watonga, (Wa- tong- a)
Oklahoma, October 18, 1947 to parents:Carl J. and Mary E. (Weygandt) (Y-gan-t) Allen.Larry passed away Monday, December 27, 2010 at the family home in Lamar at the age of 63.
Larry with his mother, Mary Allen moved to Colorado from Geary,
Oklahoma with her family in March of 1949 when he was but 18 months of age. (Note: Wife, Ginger, was born in March 1949in Lamar.) Larry lived and grew up on the family farm northeast of Lamar with his mother, Mary, Grandpa Jack and Grandma Regina Weygandt, Aunts Dorothy and Joan (Jo-Ann) Weygandt, and Uncle Robert (Bob) Weygandt.
Saturdays Larry liked to go to Lamar with his grandparents.On weekends when they came to town to shop Larry was dropped off at the

Lamar
Theater for the Saturday afternoon matinee.He was fond of a variety of picture shows.He liked westerns: Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, among others; super heroes: Superman, Batman, Green Hornet, Green Lantern, and more; Adventure and Science Fiction shows as well.One particular Saturday Larry sat stubbornly on the roof of the family farmhouse telling his grandparents that he would not come downuntil they agreed to take him to see that weekends’ matinee attraction —the Lone Ranger.
Larry rode the bus and attended schools in Lamar and
Prowers
County:
Paradox
School,
Alta
Vista
Elementary School (5-26-1961 _Certificate of Promotion),
Lamar
Junior High School, and

Lamar
High School (5-26-1965, Wednesday, _Graduated / Diploma).At graduation ceremonies Larry was honored for outstanding Penmanship(4 years LHS) and received an award for meritorious participation in the dramatic arts as a Member of the National Thespian Societyof the

Lamar
High School.Larry attended then

Lamar
Junior College (5-28-1967, Sunday, Graduated with an Associate in Applied Science Degree majoring in Electronics).At

Lamar
Junior College. Larry was initiated into the National Honor Society—Phi Theta Kappa Fraternity—Iota Gamma Chapter (1966).After graduation Larry worked for Unitron, Inc. in
Garland, Texas for six months.
Larry then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force 6-05-1968.He was stationed at
Amarillo, Texas for six weeks of boot camp. Next he was sent to
Biloxi, Mississippiand was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base for technical training as a Certified Radar Electronic Technician.After Biloxi Larry was stationed at Kotzebue, Alaska and
Lewistown, Montana. He really liked
Montana and would’ve liked to returned there. Biloxi, Mississippi, and
Kotzebue, Alaska,—he did not like too much.Sergeant LarryAllen, veteran of the Vietnam Era, was Honorably Discharged from the Air Force 5-06-1972.He received a Certificate of Appreciation and special thanks for his honorable service from the Commander in Chief—Richard Nixon.
He returned to college, now known as Lamar Community College, to major in Business.Larry took more classes at the local college focusing on business over the years (last one in 2007). Larry also toyed with the idea of teaching classes related to repair and maintenance of wind turbines and wind farming.Larry worked for Peery Electric Company first as a television technician, later as a salesman, and finally as manager of the company. In 1979, Ginger and Larry opened Allen’s Appliance where Larry and Ginger were owners, managers, and salesmen, of RETAIL SALES AND SERVICE for APPLIANCES and ELECTRONICS (television, stereos, etc.) Larry continued to do some consultation and repair until his death, but lately he rarely had time for it. Larry is well known and liked in Lamar and the surrounding communities of farming and ranching for his reliability, honesty, kindness, integrity, generosity, and care in serving his customers.
Currently Larry worked asSenior Wind Technician IIfor IBERDROLLA ( E- baa- dro- la) RENEWABLES, INC. at Colorado Green Wind Farm located twenty-five miles South of Lamar near Two Buttes.He began this career with General Electric (GE) (12-31-2007) and completed his training at Albany, New York, in 1.5

Basic
Wind
Turbine
School and 1.5 Converter School.He also trained in Environmental Health and Safety.At the time of his death and since going to work for IBERDROLLA RENEWABLES, INC. Larry volunteered as Coordinator ofEnvironmental Health and Safety (EHS) at Colorado Green Wind Farm.Together with David Karr, Coordinator ofEHS at Twin Buttes Wind Farm, and Operation Manager of both wind sites, Jason Sheaves, Larry traveled to Portland, Oregon in December 2009 and Wild Catter’s Ranch at Graham, Texas ( July 27, 2010) for seminars and meetings relevant toEnvironmental Health and Safety.Larry took this job very seriously and passionately approached the position with determination looking for ways to promote health and safetyto keep his men and himself safe!When a crew team was still on the job up tower after the wind site was closed for the day, Larry waited on site at the O & M (Operation and Management) until all team members were down and could leave safely. Although maintaining production levels is important, Larry believed that health and safety of the employees came first above all other aspects of wind farming including production. He approached his position as EHS Coordinator always mindful of this…
Larry was a team player taking responsibility to actively work to complete a job whether he was working his regular ten hour shift Tuesday thru Friday most weeks or working ON CALL 24/7 for one week, but scheduled only once every five weeks as he was Wednesday, December 22, until Wednesday, December 29, 2010 (including December 27 when he passed away). He loved his work, was stronger and in better shape these last few years, and really enjoyed his friends, fellow workers,and the life at Colorado Green. Larry was sick with a virus the week of December 13 and felt bad enough to see the doctor himself.He was told that he had to let the virus run its course and stayed home doing just that.He returned on site glad to be back, to be on the job, and with his co-workers…his friends. One of the men told Larry that the virus had hit him again…On December 27 the fever, headache, and nausea returned.Larry planned to stay home the next day and would be off on personal days thru New Year’s...
Larry represented IBERDROLLA RENEWABLES, INC. proudlywith honesty, integrity, and reliability as he had in all areas of his life personally and professionally.He said that repairing wind turbines was much like working on appliances except their being attached to a stick or tube two hundred eighty feet in the air and on a much larger scale.He received the following Certificatesfrom IBERDROLLA RENEWABLES, INC.Certificates of Completion:Medic First Aid— BASICPLUS CPR/FA/AED (3-20-2009); SUBSTATION BASICS AND SAFETY (32 contact hours)3-19-2009;MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT PREVENTION COURSE (5-19-2009); FALL PROTECTION AND TOWER RESCUE (10-1-2009) and (11/10/2010); SUBSTATION ENTRY (10/20/2009); PC/SCADA/TOP BOX (9/03/2010); andlastly 29CFR1910.269 QUALIFIED ELECTRICAL WORKER (11/17/2010).
Larry likedmovies, television, games of Risk he played with family or against the computer, Acquire, Monopoly, etc., and card games like Solitaire, poker (Texas Hold'em and others)... He enjoyed mathematics (…especially solving problems many different ways to reach a common answer. This was more information than the kids really wanted to know when he helped them and their friends understand their homework.).
Reading, writing, poetry (He wrote some poetry in college.), computers and a wide variety of music were also favorites of this knowledgeable man. He liked guns, bows and arrows, camping! and fishing (somewhat).He was a kind and gentle soul always putting others first…He loved designing, writing thoughts, future plans, and solutions to projects at work and home on paper in detail.He enjoyed times alone; and time with family and friends—teasing, joking, smiling and talking.He was especially proud and supportive of his children (and grandchildren). At the birth of his children, he not only passed out cigars to the men, but Snicker’s candy bars to the ladies!He watched the children grow and shared life as they first tagged along behind himand later walked side by side with him as they changed in size, ability, knowledge, and maturity.Just playing with them ( rowdy or gentle), for fun and giggles, or watching them as they battled to win at their sports events where teams sometimes matched one child against another was enjoyed as he relaxed at the end of his workday or on the weekend depending on the sport. It was fun for Christopher and Douglas when Dad joined them in taking Tae Kwon Do.It was quite a challenge for him, but it was priceless in the bond they shared.Walking down the isle of the church on Papa’s arm and dancing with Papa at her wedding was a private, personal joy shared by MeLissa with Larry. They also shared a love for mathematics and numbers as related to business.
What would Larry’s children and grandchildren say were the most important lessons he taught them?He would hope they remember that he loved them, taught them to do the things they really enjoyed, and that he was there to help them when they needed him…the small things in life revealed his heart! __ (Scott Walker_ Daily Guideposts 1988).Larry was a member or
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where on Epiphany evening, January 6, Larry proudlywatched his son, Christopher as the baby Jesus in the manger at the pageant and was baptized with son, Christopher, January 13, 1980. The church was across from the Lamar Library (where Larry checked out many a book—some, he read over and over.)
Douglas fulfilled Larry’s hope that his children would sharehis love for the library, books, and the adventures locked among their pages.
Larry loved Virginia (Ginger), his wife, of 33 plus years. They were married April 22, 1977 at the

United
Methodist
Church in Lamar. She was his best friend, and he proudly walked alongside her in life, andenjoyed being in her company—driving near and far (in town, in the country, or to LaJunta, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver, etc.), eating at home or going out to favorite restaurants; watching television… news, movies, reading, and often sharing the same books with her; relaxing at homewith the kids and their friends, or with family and his and Ginger’s friends. Notably, after having a couple of beers Larry proposed to Ginger New Year’s Eve 1976 over the phone playing the song “the Happiest Girl in the Whole USA”.Ginger told him to ask her again the next day without the beer. They danced the New Year 1977 in at the Stagecoach Motor Hotel. He asked Ginger to marry him, again, the next day in person.She said yes!And until his passing December 27, 2010, Ginger was the “happiest girl in the whole U.S.A”.
Recently learning to communicate through short messages by texting a few words or pictures with Ginger via their cell phones from the wind towers at Colorado Green, he could share a moment, a thought, a thread of his love with her and have that closeness they knew over the years. One of their last texting adventures was shopping for groceries Thursday, December 23, 2010.Larry texted Ginger and asked, “Where are you at?” …Ginger replied, “Resting on a bench at the pharmacy.”She asked, Larry, with text,“Where are you ?” Larry texted back,“I’m at the other bench by the butter.” …Larry texted quickly soon after, “You done?” (few seconds later)“Now you done?” “I’m still by the butter…turning rancid!” J__Larry sent a picture of himself –a twinkle teasingly sparked from his eye with an ornery smile—smirk-- softly glowing from his lips. J Ginger tried to send a picture back--but failed.…Larry texted, “It’s 25 to 11:00. I’m tired.” Ginger stopped texting and shopped quickly!_“Super love you!!! J”, Larry texted later.
In the past while working at Allen’s Appliance Larry shared himself with Ginger often through phone calls and surprise visits home with a gift, treat, special card, a meal, or a visit from him during the day which was always appreciated.These interludes were not possible when he took the job at the wind farm and were sorely missed... Larry was a very loving, special man devoted and true. He worked hard when the path was difficult and dollars were short and worked equally hard when times were easier and money was not quite so tight.
Larry liked an occasional beer.He liked fried chicken, pizza, tacos, chips, salsa, and guacamole, chicken enchiladas, jalapeno poppers, hamburgers, cinnamon rolls, homemade bread rolls, and pecan pie…He liked everything chocolate:brownies, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, chocolate bars, chocolate/orange jelly sticks! He liked candy: Werthers, peppermints, and seasonal treats…Valentine’s (Russell Stover’s chocolates, cherry jelly hearts, and conversation hearts),Easter (coconut nests, Russell Stover’s marshmallow bunnies, jelly beans), Halloween (miniature candy bars), Christmas (p-nut brittle, dark chocolate covered cherries, orange slices, etc.)Larry quipped, (eating at the top of the wind tower in the nacelle one day), that he was going to start eating healthier. “I put a carrot in my lunch!!!” With a laugh and a smile, Larry pulled a carrot shaped bag filled with Reese’s pieces out of his lunch bag.
Larry was preceded in death by his father Carl Allen, grandparents Jack and Regina Weygandt, Uncle Bob and Aunt Ruth Weygandt and mother and father-in-law Naomi and Earl Moss.
Larry is survived by his wife: Virginia (Ginger) (Moss) Allen of the family home in Lamar; Children: MeLissa (Mark) Rocco of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Christopher (Nicole) Allen of Lamar, Douglas (Lea Pace) Allen of Pueblo, Colorado; Grandchildren: Erik Nieschburg, Christjan Nieschburg, Tyler Geddes, and Gabrielle Marquez of Lamar, and Nicholas Rocco of Colorado Springs; his mother Mary (Weygandt) (Allen) Sullivan of Lamar; and high school special friends: Max Moss of Barstow, California, Dick (Jean) McCloughan of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Eldonna (Jeffery) Mosier of Lamar. Numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives, and a host of friends also survive.
“Take the world as you find it; but leave it better!” (Lamar High School Class of 1965 Motto)…Because of his presence Larry Allen did leave the world a better place. It was a privilege and blessing to have known and loved him. He is too soon gone…and yes, he is missed by many!
Memorial contributions may be made to “Beans for the Brave” In care of the Peacock Funeral Home.WEhope you will treat our brave soldiers in Larry's name.

DOVE CHOCOLATE DISCOVERIES™

MeLissa Rocco. www.dove-chocolate-discoveries.com

Join Me! Let's Send Beans to the Brave! ~ ~Boxes Sold:16 +I'm on a mission to create sweet smiles for our troops overseas!How did Beans for the Brave™ begin? Dena DeLucia, a soldier currently stationed in
North Carolina and up for another deployment in January, explained at a Dove chocolate tasting event that these treats help keep the troops alert in the field…and are easy and safe to carry.