James Bill and Mary Allen  

James Bill Allen was born in Akron Ohio on April 27, 1907 to Harriet and Samuel Allen. He attended Akron schools and graduated in 1925 from Central High school. Bill, as he is known to family and friends, received a medal commending for "Character, Athletics, Music and Schorlarship".

Bill attended the School of Engineering at Akron University, This background served him well in his work at General Tire and Rubber Company, where he spent 17 years, going from factory work to supervisor of one operation.

Bill spent many summers at Culver with his family, either at the log cabin built by Grand father Bardsley or at the house on Maxinkuckee Lake. The "house" on the lake was really a boat storage and servants quarters for a hotel on Long Point.

From carefree days spent on the Allen land, Bill later began the highlight of his youth, attending Culver Military Summer School. He was a member of the band. His collection of medals attest to the fact that he did well in many areas.
While Bill was earning these hoors, Mary Church was studing at Springfield High School in Ellet, Ohio. Mary was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 8, 1910 to Nellie and Leroy Church. Nellie and Leroy had backgrounds of English, French, and Scotch. The Church family moved from Columbus to Akron, Ohio in 1913 just missing a major flooding.

Mary Church graduated from high school in 1928 and from the University of Akrono in 1932, with a Batchelor of Education degree and a mjor in Art. She began teaching art in 1933 stopping here and there along the way to mary J. Bill Allen in 1938 and to present him with daughters, Cynthia in 1939 and Emily in 1942.

Mary and Bill's daughters kept Mary at home a few years, then back to teaching.

Mary and the girls fell in love with Culver and Lake Maxinkuckee and with Grandfather's log cabin in the woods. They listened to many tales about Culver as told by Daddy Bill and Uncle Sam Allen.

In 1948 Sam and Gertie Allen and Bill and his family were coming to Culver through Rochester where Sealed Power Corporation was building a factory. The two men applied for jobs and were among the first fifty hired.

Mary Allen, after meeting with the late Deane Walker, superintendent of schools, was hired as part time art teacher for Culver School. At this tine all grades met int the "old" building. Mary taught grades one through 12. After a few years her job was full time, with more and mroe students taking art. Mary retired in 1972.

Cindy Allen graduated from Culver High School in 1957 and from Indiana University in 1961 majoring in Spanish. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia and teaches high school Spanish.

Emily Allen graduated from Culver High School in 1965. She and her husband, Keith King from Bourbon have two sons, Nathan James and Shannon Todd. Nathan and Shannon attend Plymouth schools as the King family lives in a beautiful wooded area close to Plymouth. Keith King is employed in Plymouth.

Bill Allen died in July of 1977, ending a happy and busy life. Bill and Mary spent time workin in and for their church, Wesley United Methodist, where Bill was a member of the choir. They were never too busy to drive daughters and friends to ball games and special affairs.

Mary lives alone with her dog in the house on the lake. Much has been done to it over the years. A lovely window opens to the east, where once two big old garage doors opened to allow a huge boat to be pulled in on the sand floor and moored to a piece of railroad track at the far end of what is now Mary's kitchen.

(For Allen background see Sam Allen History.) - Mary Allen

History of Marshall County Indiana Sesquicentenial 1836 - 1986 -,Taylor Publishing Co., 1986, Publication # 357 of 1422, Marshall County Historical Society pg. 63-4