Martha Mary Allen, 89

Martha Mary Allen, 89, passed away peacefully at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006, with her family by her side. She was born Aug. 14, 1917, in Cameron, Texas, to Charles and Frances Simecek.

She met and married Hardy D. Allen in Vancouver, Wash., in 1950. They lived in Kellogg, Idaho, and in Crockett, Calif., before moving to Columbia Falls in 1954.

After Hardy retired from the aluminum plant in 1974, they moved to Lakeside, where they lived until 1982, when Hardy passed away. Martha then moved to Whitefish to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law. She lived in Whitefish until 2005 when she moved to the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Hardy; two brothers, Charles and Albyn Simecek; and a sister, Julie Covey.

Martha is survived by two brothers, Alfred "Fritz" Simecek of Temple, Texas, and Joe Simecek of Buckholts, Texas; and by three children, son, Robert Allen and his wife, Patricia, of Kalispell, and two daughters, Carol Schumacher and her husband, Wally, of Broadus, and Martha Leighton and her husband, Michael, of Jackson, Miss. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Holli Hansen of Aledo, Ill., Brady Allen of Havre, Kristen Peterson of Helena, Patti McClinn of Kalispell, and Janice Smith of Spokane; and four great-grandchildren, Brandon, Zachary, Madelyn and Amber.

Martha requested that no funeral service be held for her as the wanted her friends to remember her in life rather than her death. A private family burial service will be held in the summer of 2007.

Memorial contributions may be made to the donor's choice or to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2411, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.