R. M. (Ralph Milton) Allen

Ralph Milton Allen, a man of charity, compassion and kindness, peacefully ended his journey in this world on March 27, 2014, surrounded by his family. Funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, March 30, in Stevens Funeral Home Chapel with Richard Hetzel officiating. Interment with full Military Honors will follow at Rough Creek Cemetery, Novice, Coleman County, Texas.

Born on October 6, 1924 in Denton Valley to Ralph and Jeffie Allen, Milton graduated from Novice High School before enlisting in the United States Army. He entered World War II as a buck private and resigned his commission in the Army Reserve 22 years later as a Lieutenant Colonel. While his acts of heroism are too numerous to name, during the Battle of the Bulge, he rescued his lieutenant and another soldier in his company, received a field commission, and was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart along various other medals for courage and valor. He was with the first troops who liberated the surviving Jews from the concentration camp in Dachau.* After the fighting was over in Europe, he was a supervisor during the restoration and rebuilding of Vienna. To quote Milton, "We farm boys got down off our John Deere tractors, went over there and whooped 'em." During the remainder of his reserve service, he answered the call of our Country to the serve in the Korean Conflict and the Berlin Wall Crisis. The only time he had to decline the call was several months ago when he received a request from the Department of the Army to resume his commission to serve in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Like other heroes of the Greatest Generation, he returned home, provided for his family and rarely spoke of his wartime heroism. Milton, quite simply, was the kind of soldier movies are made about. Upon returning to Coleman County, he won the heart of and married Jean Steakley. While Milton was never one to be defined by his employment, it should be noted that he started several businesses which served the public and employed others. Being a strong Christian from an early age, he remained associated with churches in Novice, Coleman and Odessa, and created an after-school Bible program for children in an underprivileged neighborhood in Odessa. He lost Jean after 53 years of marriage.

Always a rancher at heart, his heart always returned to Coleman. In 2002, he reconnected with a high school classmate, Sally Corbell Philbrick. They were married on his birthday in 2004 and made their home in Coleman. Also cherishing his memories are his children, Peggy Allen Giba, Milton Don Allen and his wife, Viki, and Pamela Allen Alexander, his sisters, Nell Allen Walthall and Doris Allen Duke, 8 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and numerous great-great grandchildren. His sister Audrey Allen Green, brother D. G. Allen, son-in-law Roger Giba and granddaughter, Tonya Giba Christiansen preceded him in death.

Milton was a man of few words because the few he said were heard and heeded. He was a West Texas rancher who loved God, his family and the land. As he rests peacefully in the arms of his Lord and Savior, his family knows they will see Milton in The Morning, but it will be a long afternoon for us.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Coleman County Senior Citizen Center at Post Office Box 785, Coleman, Texas 76834 or a favorite charity.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 28, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Stevens Funeral Home, 400 W. Pecan Street, Coleman, Texas 76834.

Please sign his online guestbook at www.livingmemorials.com