Margaret Annetta Allen

Margaret Annetta Allen, age 69, resident of rural Mapleton, Kan., died Saturday, July 26, 2008, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, in Joplin, Mo. She was born May 19, 1939, in Prague, Okla., the daughter of Ennis O' Brien and Ola Gist O'Brien. Margaret married John A. Allen, on July 21, 1955, in Baldwin, Kan. In her earlier years she was a cook for the Bronson School District. She also worked for Key Work Clothes and the City of Bronson as City Clerk for 10 years. Margaret helped her husband with the Allen's Building and Repair Company and they owned and operated the Bronson Self Service Station. Prior to her illness she had worked at Casey's General Store, in Mound City. She was a member of the Bronson Baptist Church and the Lunch Bunch Club. She was active with anything that involved her children, including 4-H, Junior Grange and coaching girl's softball. She loved to quilt, crochet and sew for her children and grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband John, of the home; four daughters, Dinah Glaze, of Bronson, Sally Johnson and her husband Frank, of Uniontown, Becky Smith and her husband Ben, of Chanute and Annetta Trammell and her husband Tim, of Castle Rock, Colo.; three foster children, Gordon Kreider, of Houston, Mo., Willie and Debbie Simpson, and Joyce and Tom Carden, all of Kearney, Mo.; two brothers, Glendale O'Brien, of Grover, Calif., and Denney O'Brien, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; and mother-in-law, Mildred Allen, of Bronson. Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Jamaal Glaze, of Bronson, LaCheole Glaze, of Pittsburg, Andrew Johnson and Allen Johnson, of Uniontown, Jerrod and Lisa Smith, of Memphis, Tenn., Bo Smith, of Chanute, and Tiffany Trammell, of Castle Rock, Colo.; six foster grandchildren, Amber and B.J. Sojka, of Blue Springs, Mo., Justin and Jen Simpson, of Wentzville, Mo., Austin and Shannon Simpson, of Springdale, Ark., Brian and Misty Simpson, of Kansas City, Mo., Brandon and Jancy Simpson, of Olathe, Kan., Niki and Juan Larrea, of Kansas City, Mo.; and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; foster son, Melvin Simpson; five brothers, Loydell "Dee" O'Brien, Earl O'Brien, James "Sam" O'Brien, Eddy O'Brien and Leonard O'Brien; and her father-in-law Chester "Chet" Allen.

Following cremation, memorial services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, July 30, in the Cheney Witt Bronson Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Rusty Newman. Memorials are suggested to the St. John's Mercy Regional Foundation and may be sent to Cheney Witt Chapel, P. O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701, or Cheney Witt Bronson Chapel, P.O. Box 93, Bronson, KS 66716. Words of comfort may be e-mailed to condolences@cheneywitt.