Letha Allen

Letha Marchita (Petheram) Allen, 87, of Chapin, passed away Monday, July 6, 2015, at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City.
Letha Marchita Petheram was born August 10, 1927, to Clyde D. and Almina (Pascoe) Petheram on the Petheram farm in Marion Township southwest of Chapin. In 1930 the family moved to a farm west of Chapin where her son now lives. Letha attended Chapin Consolidated School and was valedictorian of the class of 1945. She then attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls (now the University of Northern Iowa) and studied botany and biology and was a member of Kappa Phi and Beta Beta Beta.
In 1946 she met Jacob "Jake" Allen through a college friend. Jake and Letha were married August 8, 1948, in Oxford Junction. They lived and farmed with Jake's parents near Monmouth until 1950 when they moved to the Pascoe farm north of Chapin. Letha worked alongside Jake farming and milking cows, retiring in 1998. She continued to live on the family farm after Jake passed away in 2001.
Letha was a lifelong member of the Salem United Methodist Church in Chapin until it closed in 2007. She then became a member of First United Methodist Church in Sheffield. She served in various offices of the church council and United Methodist Women and taught Sunday school for many years. She also served for a time on the school board. Letha was a fabulous cook and was especially known for her pies and cinnamon rolls. Her greatest pride and joy were her six great-grandsons.
 
Living family members include two children, Russell T. (Molly) Allen of Sheffield and Barbara Hanig of Dougherty; four grandchildren, J.W. "Jed" (Candie) Allen, Alicia (Nick) Loehlein, Ross Hanig (fiance Micah Schneck), and Blair Hanig; six great-grandsons, Clayton and Lucas Hanig, Austin Hanig, Cyrus and Clyde Allen, and Calvin Loehlein; and numerous Allen nieces and nephews.
 
Letha was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 53 years, Jake Allen; an infant brother, Neville Petheram; four brothers-in-law and their wives, two sisters-in-law and their husbands; and a stillborn great-grandson, Neville Loehlein.
A celebration of life was held Friday, July 10, 2015, at 10:30 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Sheffield, with Pastor Sandi Gobeli officiating. Interment followed in Wayside Cemetery in Chapin. Visitation was held Thursday, July 9, 2015, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Sheffield. The Sietsema Vogel Funeral Home of Hampton was in charge of the arrangements.