George L. Allison

I have known the Allison family for the better part of 70 years. I was privileged to live just across the street from Goerge's mother, Edith and, no doubt, contributed to her anxiety as a rambunctious neighborhood kid.
A particular memory stands out, when as a young boy, I managed to climb onto the roof of her garage and then the ladder fell and I was trapped up there. She was terribly worried that I might jump or, more likely fall from the roof and get hurt. She was too old to get the ladder back up for me, so she called my dad for help. Boy, I wish she hadn't called him. Anybody but him.

George's family are all friends and clients whom I have known forever, as well, and I want them to know how sincere my sympathy is for each one. All of my visits with George were so very interesting and all too brief. He was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.

Mr. Allison (aka Santa Claus) would come to my house every year about a week or two before Christmas. I always looked forward to his visit. He was a very kind man who cared a lot about Spencer and loved Jesus.

I believe that he was walking in McCormick´s Creek State Park one evening (1988) and I was driving home after working as a lifeguard. I was stopped by DNR for speeding and as the officer was writing me a ticket, George smiled at me and said, "I won´t tell your grandma." The next Sunday at Spencer United Methodist Church while I was near my grandma, George smiled at me again. Guess what? My grandmother never asked me about my speeding ticket.

I life well lived.