LINCOLN — Gwen A. Allen, 80, of Lincoln, formerly of Aurora, passed away Sunday, June 30, 2013, at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln.

A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 5, at Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Aurora. Pastor Barb Johnson will officiate. Inurnment will be in the Aurora Cemetery.

Gwen Arttis Allen, the daughter of Arthur W. and Gweneth (Carnes) Grosshans, was born at Stockham, Neb., on July 20, 1932, in Stockham, Neb., and passed away June 30, 2013, at Lincoln, at the age of 80.

Gwen grew up in Stockham and her family moved to Aurora in 1943. She graduated from Aurora High School, class of 1949. Gwen attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She received a vocal scholarship and sang with the University of Nebraska Singers and UNL Madrigal Singers. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1953 and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority at UNL. Gwen moved to Pueblo, Colo., to teach school for two years.

On Aug. 8, 1954, she was united in marriage to Stanley D. Allen at Aurora. They moved to Aurora in 1955. Gwen taught fourth grade in Aurora for four years, then elementary music for a year. Then their daughter, Andrea, and son, Dan, arrived. She then gave private voice lessons in her home for 11 years and did some tutoring at home. In 1981, she began her 18-year career as director/curator of the Plainsman Museum in Aurora, retiring at the end of 1999. Stan passed away on May 14, 2011.

Gwen's special interests include singing, writing poetry, history, genealogy, painting and people, and she loved being with family and friends.

Gwen served on the Hamilton County Historical Society board of directors, was co-chairman of the Plainsman Museum Building Fund Drive, chairman of the Hamilton County Red Cross drive, co-chairman of the Hamilton County Bicentennial Committee, and was vice president of the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary the first year. She was a president of Chapter AC, P.E.O., and president of the Theta Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi. She was named "Lady of the Rose" by Beta Sigma Phi. She received the "Mapmaker" Award bestowed by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce in 1999.

She was a member of the Nebraska Arts Council, and took part a UNL Small Towns Institute study resulting in publishing the book "Aurora & Hamilton County, NE." She was a Cub Scout den mother, Brownie Scout leader and a member of the Nebraska Cross-Counties Girl Scout Council.

She served on the Hamilton Community Foundation board of directors and the fine arts committee, and served on the Chamber tourism committee. She was a member of American Legion Auxiliary Post No. 42 and the Mrs. Jaycees. She was inducted into the Aurora High School Hall of Fame in 2004. Gwen was a member of the Presbyterian U.C.C. and directed its chancel choir for 50 years. She sang with the Liberty Belles for 20 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and a granddaughter, Courtney Nicole Munson.

Those left to cherish her memory are her son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Amy Allen of Lincoln; a daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Tom Huntley of Sun City, Ariz.; six grandchildren, Bradley and Daniel Munson of Phoenix, Caitlin Munson of Omaha and Caroline, Isaac and Sarah Allen of Lincoln; a brother and sister-in-law, Dick and Janet Grosshans, and a sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Gilbert Barnell, all of Aurora; a sister-in-law, Patricia Crum of San Jose, Calif.; several nieces and nephews, plus many other family members and friends.

Posted in Obituaries on Monday, July 1, 2013 Grand Island
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