Alta Mae Allen

On a cold December 12th, 1933, in Heltonville Indiana, Cecil and Elsie Luella Martin welcomed their third child, a daughter into the world. They named her Alta Mae Martin. Alta was twelve when they moved to Texas. In 1947, she met Clarence Leonard Allen, a man who worked with her mother at Harden Bag and Feed. On July 3rd 1950 they ran away to Rockwall, Texas to get married. Our rebellious Alta, who Leonard lovingly referred to as Rose, doctored her birth certificate, because it was another 5 months until the birthday that would make her of legal age to marry without parental consent. Leonard and Alta made their first home in a trailer. She had a love of art, especially Norman Rockwell, and she loved to travel, particularly to see lighthouses. Alta and Leonard volunteered many vacations with the Volunteer Christian Builders, often accompanied by their children and grandchildren. One memorable trip was to Alaska. Alta was an artist, painting many lovely oils that made her family and friends proud. Though she worked for a time, her primary vocation was homemaker and mother. Among those jobs, she worked at the Colleyville Drug Store, and in the lunchroom at the previous Colleyville Elementary School. She and Leonard raised four Christian children that they are most proud of, and had a large hand in the upbringing and spoiling of twelve grandchildren. So far, the count of great-grandchildren is six. Alta was proceeded in death by her parents and an older brother, Roy Eugene “Bud” Martin from Wyoming. She is survived by her husband Clarence Leonard Allen of Colleyville, a sister Dorothy Fae Atherton of Conroe, Texas, her children: Jerry & Carolyn Allen of Colleyville; Judy & Charles McRae of Houston; Lenny and Becky Allen of Ruidoso, New Mexico; and Ginger and Curtis Williamson of Ruidoso, New Mexico ; 12 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and countless nieces and nephews.