Laverne Allen

Funeral services for LaVerne Allen, 91, of Junction City will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, January 28, 2010 at the Episcopal Church of the Covenant with Father Dale Plummer officiating. Burial will follow at Dwight Cemetery, Dwight, KS. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Penwell-Gabel Mass-Hinitt Chapel, 805 Caroline Avenue, Junction City, Kansas, the family will be present from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In lieu of Flowers the family has requested that memorial contributions go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 5350 Southwest 17th Street, Topeka, KS 66604-4332, The LaVerne Allen Nursing Scholarship Fund, c/o Geary Community Health Care Foundation, P.O. Box 3015, Junction City, KS 66441, The Episcopal Church of the Covenant, 314 North Adams, Junction City, KS 66441.
LaVerne Allen was born on December 26, 1918 to John and Alvina (Teas) Arnett of Dwight, Kansas. She was the oldest of eight children. She passed away peacefully on Friday, January 22, 2010 at GCH with her son Cle at her side.

LaVerne grew up through the Great Depression in Dwight, KS on a family farm with her parents and seven siblings. She graduated from Dwight Rural High School in 1937 and continued her education to become a nurse. Choosing to become a nurse was an easy decision for her since she had helped take care of her father, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, as a teenager. She graduated in 1940 with her nursing degree from Christ's Hospital Nursing School (currently Stormont-Vail) in Topeka, KS. Her first jobs included a three year position with Norton City Hospital which led to a brief stint at St. Anthony's Hospital in Hays followed by a leap to Key West, FL. She was hit by a streak of homesickness in 1943 and returned home to Kansas to find whatever job she could. It was by chance that she crossed paths with Dr. George Brethour on the corner of Sixth and Washington streets shortly after her return to Junction City. They knew each other well as Dr. Brethour had assisted LaVerne's mother, Alvina, deliver 7 of her 8 children. He requested LaVerne's assistance with a terminally ill patient at the Hospital. After working three 18 hour shifts per week with this patient until they passed away, she was approached by the Director of Nurses and asked to stay on; she said yes. Laverne had lived in Junction City ever since.

In 1946 LaVerne met and married her husband, James A. Allen, who preceded her in death in 1989. James was the Fire Chief in Junction City for many years, retiring in 1974.

In 1952, LaVerne began her career with the Geary County Unified School District 475 as a school nurse. She continued working at the hospital part time, including weekends and Holidays while maintaining full-time status with the School System. After retiring as a school nurse in 1984, she ramped up her work with Geary Community Hospital full-time as an R.N. for an additional ten years. In 1991 she was awarded the Employee of the Year award from GCH and in 1993 was a nominee for the "Nursing: Heart of Healthcare Award". Aside from being a school nurse for 32 years, she held various positions with GCH ranging from ER Nurse, Operating Room Nurse, Supervisor and GCH's very first Patient Representative in the later years. It is believed that due to her commitment to her job and her community that she has various emotional ties to some three or four generations of the many families living in the Junction City, Dwight and Council Grove areas. Mrs. Allen has always been a model for a strong work ethic and was highly dedicated to her family. She truly loved being a nurse and it showed through the amount of love and caring she shared with the community.

In 2003, LaVerne celebrated 60 years of service with Geary Community Hospital. She was surprised by the staff and friends and family with the naming of her own street, 'LaVerne Allen Drive', leading to the Hospital on the North side. This is the same drive she used to walk to and from work every day for many years. That same year she was honored as one of the 'Kansans of the Year' by the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Throughout her life the word 'retirement' held a totally different meaning for LaVerne than for most people. She would just laugh and then quickly dismiss the idea when anyone would mention the word. After 61 years of service to GCH, along with her first three years out of nursing school for a total of 64 years of Nursing, January 14, 2005 was her last day as an employee to GCH and she did finally retire and begin to enjoy something she never had much of throughout her life – FREE time. Most of this time was directed to her family, her Church and her scrapbooks. However, she was never more than a hop, skip and a jump from the staff of the hospital.
She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Alvina, husband Jimmy, three brothers; Eugene Arnett, Calvin Arnett and James Arnett and two sisters; Virginia Knudson and Etta Iams.

She is survived by two sons; James Cle Allen and wife Sherry of Omaha, NE, Steve E. Allen of Junction City,one Grandchild, Amy Allen of Reno, NV, two Great-Grandchildren, Taryn Paige Allen and Sean Aidan Allen of Englewood, CO, Sisters Shirley Hoch and Maxine Cowdin of Dwight, KS and numerous Nieces and Nephews.