Fern Allison

Jeannette “Fern” Allison, a loving and resilient woman, passed away on May 31, 2024 in Wichita, Kansas at 92 years old. Fern was born December 13, 1931 in Arkansas City, Kansas to Buell Courter and Lora (Wallace) Courter as the fourth of five children. She attended high school in Buffalo, Kansas, where she played basketball, worked as a waitress and seamstress, and met her eventual husband, Lloyd Lorraine Allison. 

Lloyd and Fern married on November 3, 1950 in Yates Center, Kansas. After Lloyd enlisted in the Air Force, they lived in Biloxi, Mississippi, San Antonio, Texas, Salina, Kansas, and Lincoln, Nebraska before settling back in Wichita, Kansas to start their family. Together, they raised five children. 

Fern worked at Minneha Elementary school for 13 years as a teacher’s aide, and lunchroom and playground monitor. In 1982, she began driving school buses and discovered her bus driver family, including her close-knit group of friends called the “Three Buskateers”. Fern met hundreds of students throughout her 18 years as a bus driver. When she was 59 years old, Fern completed her first of three 150 mile bike rides fundraising for the MS Foundation. She was a devout member at Greenwich Church of Christ. In her retirement, Fern maintained a very full social calendar including attending the Women’s Shocker Basketball games and regularly going to see a local Elvis impersonator. She was often described to have “never met a stranger” and was a master conversationalist full of charm and orneriness. 

Fern was predeceased by her parents and four siblings: Katherine Swank, JC Courter, Bill Courter, and Wallace Courter. She leaves behind her five children: Randy Allison (Vicky), Greg Allison (Darcy), Linda Allison, Rhonda Allison-Westlake (Greg), and Brent Allison (Patti), nine grandchildren: Emma Hamilton, Matt Allison (Stacey), Megan Allison (Dan), Renee Allison-Yeager (Billy), Molly Winney (Mark), Claire Allison (Michael), Melissa Beckmann (Steve), Amelia Davis (Hayden), Andrew Westlake, two step-grandchildren: Kristi Ivy, Danny Ivy,  four great-grandchildren: Bailee Allison, Allie Beckmann, Edie McAllister, Tucker Yeager, and five step-great-grandchildren: Julia Arnold, Lili Cox, Ava Ivy, Izzy Yeager, and Jasper Yeager. 

Services to celebrate Fern’s life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 6 at Greenwich Church of Christ located at 1746 South Greenwich, Wichita, Kansas, 67207. Fern will be laid to rest at Little Sandy Cemetery near Fredonia, Kansas.

Memorials have been established with:

Greenwich Rd. Church of Christ

1746 South Greenwich, Wichita, Kansas 67207

Kansas Humane Society

3313 North Hillside, Wichita, Kansas 67219

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105

 

Fern will be profoundly missed by her family and her communities. Her lively spirit and kindness will follow all who were blessed to know her.