Steven L. Allen

Steven L. Allen, 78, of Orient, died April 19, 2023. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Greenfield United Methodist Church with burial in the Hebron Cemetery. Full military graveside rites were conducted by the Greenfield American Legion Head-Endres Post No. 265 and V.F.W. Post No. 5357. Pastor Gene Hinrichsen officiated the service. The Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield was in charge of the professional arrangements.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com. Memorials may be directed to the Hebron United Methodist Church.

Steven Lee Allen was born Nov. 2, 1944, in Bloomington, Illinois. His parents were Willis Allen Jr. and Juanita B. Davis-Allen. He attended school in Mackinaw, Illinois, and graduated in 1962. He played football there. He then went on to Southern Illinois University for two years before being drafted into the Army in 1965. He became a dog handler in Vietnam and got out of the Army in 1967.

In 1967, he married Linda Lou Herrick in Bloomingdale, Illinois. They had two sons: Brent Lee was born April 14, 1969, in Bloomington and Chad Mark was born Aug. 10, 1970 in Creston. The family lived in Mackinaw and Bloomingdale until 1970. They then moved to the Greenfield area where he worked at Schildberg Construction Company and Purolator. In 1972, he started a small herd of Black Angus cattle. After the divorce he moved to rural Greenfield and then later to Hebron.

Steve and Dotty Diane Hager-Herrmann were united in marriage Aug. 18, 1979, at the Hebron United Methodist Church. Steve liked to joke their honeymoon was painting the barn on their new small farm – Dotty said it was no joke. The marriage increased the family number with three stepchildren: James Bret Herrmann, Scott Brady Herrmann and Tracy Lynn Herrmann.

Steve worked for BNSF Railway as a laborer, welder and track inspector from 1974 until his retirement in 2008. He worked 34 years to retire and raise his cattle which he dearly loved. He was a loyal member of the Hebron Methodist Church where he was a lay leader and taught adult Sunday school class. He was a lifetime member of the American Angus Association and VFW Post 15016.

He loved working with his Angus cattle herd – he fed them before he fed himself no matter how tired or hungry he may have been. He loved his dogs and they loved him. Steve loved growing flowers and trees and working around the farm. He was most content when he and Dotty were working together on the farm. Dotty sometimes even let him be the boss. He was a hard worker. He loved his land and built fence for many years, digging post holes by hand. Dotty finally convinced him to get a post hole digger toward the end of the fence building.

Steve loved his family and enjoyed watching them grow up. His favorite holiday was Christmas. For several years, it was tradition to gather a few friends and family for Christmas carols. He had song sheets and nobody was done singing until all the songs were sung at least once.

He is survived by his soulmate, Dotty; his children Brent Wilker of Minnesota, Chad (Staci) Wilker of Creston, J. Bret (Cindy) Herrmann of Arlington, Texas, Scott (Carol) Herrmann of Hebron and Tracy (Brian) Thompson of Hebron; his sister Barbara Allen and nephew Max Kugel of Colorado; his grandchildren: Darren (Jess) Wilker of Creston, Megan Wilker of Creston, Nicholas (Mandy) Thompson of Hebron, Amanda (Dan) Berg of Greenfield, Anthony (Brittany) Herrmann of Arlington, Texas, Tanya (Dequintus) Bohannon of Arlington, Texas, Garrett Herrmann of Hebron, Josee Herrmann of Hebron and Owenn Herrmann of Nodaway; his 18 great-grandchildren; some dear aunts in Illinois and Arizona; many nephews and nieces in Illinois; and many local friends and neighbors.

He was preceded in death by his mother Juanita B. Allen; his father Willis Allen Jr.; his granddaughter Abby Jo Wilker and his first wife Linda Herrick.