Person:Luther Allen (1)

Luther divorced Flossie about 1941 to marry another lady (Marian Besse of Alta, Iowa and they lived in Storm Lake, Buena Vista County, IA), but soon divorced Marian and remarried Flossie. I do not know how to show this sequence in a pedigree or descendants outline. Marian Besse Allen then married Russell M. Shaw 3 Dec. 1949 and probably lived near Spencer, Clay Co., IA. Luther and Flossie used their first marriage date as their anniversary after their remarriage and simply did not mention the divorce, etc. When assigned guardianship of Luther in 2000 I was urged by the lawyer to seek out evidence that there was no child by his second marriage, which was the case confirmed in his second marriage divorce decree.

After Flossie died, Luther had for several years a close friend, Thelma Huston, of Des Moines; but they did not marry . Luther was a long-time salesman for Intercollegiate Press, major producers of school yearbooks with offices in Kansas City, MO. He simultaneously represented Intercollegiate Press in renting graduation gowns and announcement cards; and TeriBeri Co., selling class rings.

Luther was very well known and respected among school superintendents of Western Iowa. He not not only provided superior sales service, but even influenced many school boards in locating and selecting superintendents. He received several top salesman service awards from Intercollegiate Press Co.. His territory was Western Iowa from a N-S Iowa line on the West border of Polk Co. to the West border of Iowa. After his retirement (about age 71) he periodically continued to train new salesmen for his companies for over ten years.

In high school at Kellerton, IA he pitched baseball, was on the track (high jump) and basketball (center) teams. During depression and WWII years he extended his sales much farther West (Colorado, etc.) and served military bases. It was always extremely difficult to get Luther to discuss his family and his own personal history.

Luther was an unusually good amateur golfer,and was still playing regularly at the Hyperion Golf Club (Northern Polk Co., IA) when he was age 90. One year he had the longest verified hole-in-one in the nation (Golf Digest award), had several other verified hole-in-one awards. He was known to be a guest player with famous professionals on charity tours in Des Moines. Luther was recognized as a very healthy, handsome, well dressed, independent, proud, conservative, and strong, well conditioned, 6'2" man. He was age 91 before he spent even one night as a hospital patient.

Ruth and Loran were assigned his co-guardianship on September 11, 2000 by Polk County Probate hearing and Luther moved his official residence to Sterling House of Urbandale, IA.

1. ↑ Birth Certificate IA
   IA DOH Rec.&Stat Div.
2. ↑ Birth Certificate IA 27-07-255.
3. ↑ Luther is buried next to wife, Flossie, at West Des Moines Resthaven Cemetery on Ashworth Rd. Lots very near those graves were purchased for daughter Ruth Elizabeth and her husband, Loran Ralph Braught (living in W. Terre Haute, IN).