Helen Allen

ALLEN, Helen Hardwick, 91, died November 22, 2025. She was born on December 8, 1933, to Woodfin Lamar Hardwick and Rosa Ellen Parker Hardwick in Massey, Alabama. She was the youngest and last surviving of seven children. Her oldest brothers and sisters were J.E. Hardwick, Wiley Hardwick, Mary Kerr, Ruth Perry, Alice Gregg and Bettie Morris. She graduated from Falkville High School in 1951 and the University of Montevallo in 1955. She was a Registered Dietician and enjoyed a successful career at the V.A. Hospital in Birmingham and became Dr. Buris Boshell's first chief diabetes dietician as he emphasized diet in the treatment of diabetes. In 1959 she married James Bentley Allen, Jr. (Jimmy), who survives her along with their three children, Alice Louise Allen Webb (David), Martha Rose Allen Olsen (Chris) and Elbert Smith Allen (Judy). She has eight grandchildren Bentley, Paul, Morgan (fiancé, Tiffany), Catherine, Brandi (Anthony), Chris (Courtney), Emily (Michael) Parker and Henry. A grandson Daniel predeceased her. She also has four great-grandchildren, Anatasia, Sagan, Dante and Scarlett. Helen spent several years in Nursery Leadership and Kindergarten Teaching at Trinity UMC in Homewood, Alabama. She was involved in Homewood PTO activities for 18 years. She was active in garden projects in Homewood and Prattville. She became a Master Gardener in Prattville and won awards. Helen was a United Methodist all her life. She was a member of McKendree UMC in Massey, Avondale UMC and Trinity UMC in Birmingham, First UMC in Prattville and finally Grace UMC, a new UMC congregation serving Prattville and Millbrook. Memorial service will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025 from Prattville Memorial Chapel at 2:00 pm with Reverend Chris McCain officiating. Burial will follow at Prattville Memory Gardens with Prattville Memorial directing. The family will receive friends one-hour prior to service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be in Helen's honor to Children's Hospital of Alabama, Grace UMC or University of Montevallo.