Bill Allen Jr.

William Richard Allen, Jr born in Lynn, Massachusetts December 15, 1929 the son of William R. Allen, Sr and Ethel DeMar Allen. His father had been the Lt. Governor of Montana and later, Acting Governor of the State of Montana in 1913. He moved to Coral Gables, Florida about age two with his mother and older sisters, Gloria and Elizabeth. His father and mother were separated, his father spending most of his time in the west. In 1937 the four drove from Florida to Montana to live with Mr. Allen. Bill, as he was known, spent the next three years in a little community of Wise River. He attended school in a one room schoolhouse, and when Gloria reached the 9th grade, the family moved to Anaconda, Montana for Bill and Gloria to go to the next grades, spending summers in Wise River. Bill graduated from Anaconda, Montana High School in 1947. For many years his father had been involved in mining investments and was the President of Boston and Montana Mining Co. In the fall of 1947, Bill and his mother drove to Baltimore, Maryland where his father was helping to raise money for the mines. Bill attended Baltimore Technical Institute, studying Radio and Electronics, and in the spring of 1948 they drove west again, to reside in Wise River, and later, in Butte. In the fall of 1948 Bill enlisted in the Air Force, receiving Basic Training at Sheppard’s Field, Wichita Falls, Texas. He was later transferred to Scott Filed Illinois where he assisted in training basic radio repair and transmission to Air Force troops. Because so msny personnel were left in the Service after WWII, Bill was given the option to serve the rest of his term in the reserves for Six years. In September of 1950 Bill entered the University of Utah, graduating in 1956 with a degree in Geological Engineering. During this time he married Perry Codington of Price, Utah. Upon graduation they moved to Butte, Montana where Bill worked for the Anaconda Mining Co. His daughter leslie was born in Butte in February 1958. In later years Mr. Allen was employed by other mining firms, but was slowly becoming more efficient in Construction Engineering. He moved to Tucsson, Arizona for employment, where the couples’ son David L. was born. In Arizona Bill spent most of his career in construction, working as a surveyor and engineer. In 1964 Bill was Divorced while working as a Project Engineer on the Senator Wash Dam north of Yuma, Arizona. He later worked as Construction Engineer on the Alamo Dam near Parker Arizona. In 1966 he met and married Phyllis B. England in Garden Grove, California. The couple were married for 53 years. After the wedding the couple moved to Ajo, Arizona were Bill was an engineer for the Phelps Dodge Copper Co. Later jobs took them to Twenty-Nine Palms, California and Battle Mountain, Nevada. While in Nevada he finally found stability, by purchasing a small ranch. The Allens lived 31 years in the Battle Mountain and later retired in the Kimberly, Idaho area. Bill was always fond of gardening and anything agricultural. He felt that was being next to God. He believed in the Baptist faith, and was active in His church