Daniel Robert Allen (1955 - 2024) Obituary

 From Hall Funeral Home, Casco, Maine

  https://www.hallfuneralhome.net/obituaries/Daniel-R-Allen?obId=30710777#/obituaryInfo 

Daniel R. Allen Obituary

"NAPLES-Daniel R. Allen, 68, of Naples, died Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 at Mercy Hospital in Portland, surrounded by his family.

He was born on July 17, 1955, in Beverly, MA, a son of Stanley E. and Mary (Horgan) Allen, Jr. He attended local schools, graduating from Hamilton High School.

After high school, Dan enlisted in the US Army and served for three years. Upon his discharge in 1978 he worked as a long-haul truck driver for a few years before settling into work with the US Postal Service serving in Haverhill. While there, he met Dawn Archambault in 1986. They married in 1990 and started their beautiful family.

In 1989, he and Dawn purchased “Cooper’s Anchorage” which is now a longtime thriving marina, Causeway Marina, in the heart of Naples Maine.

Dan has served the local community in various ways over the years including organizing and volunteering for several Naples Winter Carnivals, working on the Naples Bridge Committee and various town boards. He was quite the naples historian, loving to talk and learn about the history of this beautiful place which he has enjoyed since a young child.

He enjoyed motorcycles, snowmobiling, firearms and the love of his dogs over the years. His greatest pleasure however was the company of his family.

Dan is loved by his wife, Dawn of Naples; sons, Daniel R. Allen, Jr. and his wife, Corene of Harrison, Jesse Allen and Savanna Kay of Naples, Zachary Allen and his fiancé, Hailey Engelhardt of Naples; five grandchildren, Chase, Carter, Remi, Capri, Finn (and a 6th on the way, Beau). He was predeceased by his parents; two brothers, Stanley “Mickey” Allen III and Martin Allen.

Memorial visitation will be held from 6-8PM, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, at the Hall Funeral Home in Casco. A graveside service with military honors will be held in June with a specific time and date to be announced (which will be followed by a celebration of his life at the marina). Tributes may be shared at www.hallfuneralhome.net."

------------------------------

I have 29 first cousins on the Allen side of my family tree.  Most are older than me, and it is always sad to hear that another Allen cousin has passed away.  It is becoming too common as the years pass by.  Below are some of my favorite photos of Danny and I.  We would visit at his family camp on Crooked River in Casco, and he used to push me around in the wheelbarrow.  The second photo is of Uncle Al (Dan's father and my mother's oldest brother) holding me, and his three sons, my first cousins now all deceased, Danny, Mickey, and Marty.  

--------------------------

To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Daniel Robert Allen (1955 - 2024) Obituary", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 19, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/02/daniel-robert-allen-1955-2024-obituary.html: accessed [access date]). 

99 Valentine's Days Ago

 

My grandparents, Stanley Elmer Allen (1904 - 1982)  and Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (1905 - 2001), were married on Valentine's Day 14 February 1925 in Hamilton, Massachusetts.  The photo you see above is from their 50th anniversary party in 1975.  I often wondered why we never had a wedding photograph for my grandparents.

I started my genealogy journey as a teenager.  In the mid 1970s (near to the anniversary party event) I became interested in my family history due to the book "Roots" and the Bicentennial.  I took a genealogy class at the local community college and learned to start our family history by documenting myself, my parents, and grandparents.  When I got to my grandparents 14 February 2925 wedding certificate, and then the birth of their first child in June 1925, I quickly learned why there were no wedding photos.  My grandparents were married in the parsonage, not the church, with little fanfare, and started their life together. Was it a "shotgun wedding"? Did they elope? 

Stan and Gertrude's marriage thrived, and they had seven children and 29 grandchildren. Most of the descendants were present at that 50th wedding anniversary party.  The event took place at the Commodore restaurant in Beverly, Massachusetts, a business that ceased operations long ago.  There were many photos taken that day, and the black and white photo you see above was in the local newspaper. It was a huge family event that I still remember! 

My Dad snapped this photo at around the same time the newspaper photo was taken, as Nana and Grampy posed with their cake.  Did they have a wedding cake in 1925. 

My grandparents and their seven children

My first cousins at the party (grandchildren of Stan and Gertrude)

My grandparents lived next door to each other before their marriage. It was the mythical "girl next door" romance.  I don't have a photo of my grandfather in his youth, but he was very handsome.  Here is my grandmother's high school graduation photo below. She was very pretty, and only 19 at her marriage.  

Was it planned for them to marry on Valentine's Day, or just serendipity? After discovering my grandparent's marriage documents, I've since discovered many "shot gun weddings" in my family tree. They were very common in the 1700s and 1600s.  Do you find this to be true, too?  

---------------------

To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "99 Valentine's Days Ago", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 14, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/02/99-valentines-days-ago.html: accessed [access date]). 

North Conway Baptist Church for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was spotted on Route 16 in North Conway, New Hampshire.

The First Baptist Church in North Conway was built in 1838 and the 638 pound steeple bell was built in Boston by the Revere Copper Company.  Recently the church had a new roof installed, and it matches the bright copper arrow on the restored weathervane.  The day we visited North Conway, both were shining in the sunlight as we walked from our ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad over to the main street. 

This arrow weathervane is very simple.  I don't know if it is original to the building, but it was restored when the metal roof was installed and steeple repairs were made in 2001.  The metal is not copper, but it is made of a material that will not tarnish (most copper roofs and weathervanes eventually turn greenish). According to the article below from the Conway Daily Sun, "The project also includes resotration of the weathervane that sits atop the steeple... the weather vane is an old crow bar with some directional arms welded on... The weather vane was taken down and restored in the CMC shop." 

For the truly curious:

First Baptist Church of North Conway:   https://www.firstbaptistnorthconway.org/index.html  

"Church Steeple", Conway Daily Sun,  August 4, 2017   https://www.conwaydailysun.com/archives/church-steeple-12-17-01/article_e0d45641-f72f-5101-962a-acaf385cc0d2.html   

Click here to see over 500 more Weathervane Wednesday posts!     https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

------------------------------

To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "North Conway Baptist Church for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 7, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/02/north-conway-baptist-church-for.html: accessed [access date]).