ALLEN, Charles William - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Charles William Allen was born January 15, 1875, on a farm near Kingman, Indiana. He was the son of Isaac and Sarah (nee Norris) Allen. The parents were of Irish stock who had migrated to Indiana from North Carolina in the 1830s. Charles attended the local elementary school (No. 10) and a nearby Christian Church (sometimes called “Yellow Heaven“). In his teens he became a railroader, a calling which he pursued until his retirement in 1937 because of an accident, except for a period of some six years spent on a farm near Salem, Illinois. His early interests included active sports and music. (He was an excellent athlete). He played the tuba in the Kingman band and was a member of several choral groups as well as an informal family country dance band made up of Allens and Printys. On December 1, 1901, he married Myrtle Belle Printy, whose early life was spent on a farm near Cates, Indiana. She was the daughter of William and Sarah (nee Hartman) Printy. Earlier a sister, Olive Allen, had married a brother of Myrtle, Marion Printy. Charles Allen first came to Terre Haute to work on the Vandalia Railroad in the middle 1890s. At about the same time his future wife was a student at the Indiana State Normal School. They returned to Terre Haute in 1917 and spent the remainder of their lives there. Myrtle Allen died January 17, 1951, aged 73; her husband on April 7, 1966, at age 91. Charles Allen was the last survivor of the children of Isaac Allen, being preceded in death by a half-brother, Samuel, and a half-sister, Sarah Chezem, as well as two sisters, Olive Printy and Daisy Dotson. He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Max Printy Allen, two grandsons, Philip and James, and several nieces and nephews. Perhaps the outstanding trait of Charles Allen was his ability to make friends. He was always a genial generous gentleman. He loved "tall tales” and practical jokes. Until the last few weeks of his life his mind remained keen and his memory of nineteenth century events was phenomenal. Because of an easy going disposition he made friends wherever he lived and is remembered favorably by all who knew him.