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| Celebrating 100 years of faith and fatherhood |
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| News | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Friday, 19 June 2009 07:35 | |||
 Ira Allen is still doing a lot of things.He still drives, he still works, he still puts God No. 1 in his life, he still appreciates a good game of dominoes, he still enjoys snapping beans (sometimes with a lady friend), and he still spends time with his growing family. As Father’s Day on Sunday and his 100th birthday Monday approach, Ira still stands by the old-fashioned values he has passed on as a father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. “Teach them to work and be honest,” he said, describing his parenting philosophy. “And give all praise to God.” Faith is the legacy Ira is most proud to leave behind to his children and children’s children. “My family was saved in 1942,” Ira said, referring to a 13-night revival in which he embraced God. Now, his religious strength and values have been passed down to his three children and 40 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. “All the grandkids go to church,” his daughter-in-law Ava said. “They all know the Lord.” Ira was a farmer in Miami County until 1951, when he entered the construction business. He retired in 1976, but he still uses his carpentry skills, such as when he recently made rocking chairs for his grandchildren. During his 100 years of life, Allen has seen a number of changes in the world around him. He got his first car when he was 18 years old, a Ford Model T. He would go on to own two more Model Ts and a Model A. The current talk of economic struggles brings back memories of the Great Depression. “I worked for 10 cents an hour in the 1930s,” Ira said. He said the current situation in America is nowhere near as dire as what he experienced more than 70 years ago. “People are still spending money. They haven’t seen anything yet,” he said. “If you had a dollar-and-a-half a week for groceries, you were lucky.” Atha Gerken, Ira’s granddaughter, said she only remembers him getting mad once, when she and her cousins were young and they picked all the pears off of grandpa’s tree and had a pear fight. While Atha was trying to think back on exactly how old she was then, Ira interrupted, saying, “Old enough to know better.” Atha does remember who won the fight, though. “Grandpa did,” she said with a laugh. Ira said he wouldn’t change anything in his life, and like he preaches to his family, he gives all credit to God. “I’m really blessed,” he said. Birthday celebrations for Ira are planned for noon Saturday at Cross Point Assembly of God Church in Paola and after church services Sunday at Faith Baptist Church in Osawatomie. A celebration at the Paola Senior Center, where Ira often can be found playing dominoes, is set to take place Monday.
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