Wesley Allen

Wesley Dayton Allen was born in Lubbock, Texas on 7-20-1939 to Hollis Clay Allen and Helen Emma Reeder Allen, who were devout Christians. Wes contracted polio at the age of 6 and was expected to not survive, not to get out of an iron lung, then never expected to walk, be able to hold a job, get married, etc., but God had other plans. Wes became a Christian at an early age after his grandmother talked with him about giving his heart to Jesus. Wes felt that meant he would die then – by giving his heart away, but he made that decision – and gave his heart to Jesus – but lived a glorious 83 years on this earth, passing to heaven on 10-25-2022.

After graduating from Baylor University, and doing graduate work at the University of Houston, Portland State in Oregon, and attending summer school at the University of California, Berkeley, he went to work for the Texas Employment Commission in Dallas, where he recruited those who were considered “down and out” from pool halls, etc. in and around Dallas, to get job training in the program called “The Great Society” that President Lyndon Johnson promoted. Wes was very successful at that, but he and one of his co-workers decided to set up an employment agency in Austin, Texas because IBM was moving into it and would need to hire lots of people. However, his buddy got hired by IBM and set up an interview for Wes there. They both worked for IBM in the Personnel area. Wes enjoyed coordinating the program of recruiting outstanding graduating engineers from colleges, then in later years coordinating the programs to keep the engineers technically competent. He worked there from 1967 to 1979. At that time his parents sold part of a ranch they had bought in Colorado 18 years previously, since Vail had become established during those 18 years, and the ranch became valuable. His parents created a family partnership, of which Wes was a partner, and Wes was able to quit his job with IBM, and eventually trade for rental real estate, which has continued to support his family since 1979.

Wes met Mary at Hyde Park Baptist Church, after Sunday School, the first Sunday he attended, having just moved to Austin from Dallas, in October of 1967. He asked her to sit with him in the worship service, then took her out to lunch, then asked her to show him around Austin. They dated for 2 years and got married October 11, 1969. Their daughter, Julie, was born in 1973 and has been a delight ever since. She married Elliott Marchand in 2000 and they have four children, Joseph, Daniel, John and Gloria. They lived in Austin until just recently, when they moved to Longview, TX.

Over several years, before 2015, Wes diligently searched the scriptures, and wrote a book entitled, No Believer Left Behind using the pen name of Don Z. Weldon. It is available on amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/Believer-Left-Behind-Don-Weldon/dp/1512708100/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1XMZA2GA6XBUJ&keywords=No+Believer+Left+Behind&qid=1666824172&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjMzIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=no+believer+left+behind%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-1

It’s about the necessity of actually allowing God to make changes for the better in your life after you make an initial profession of faith – in other words, allowing the Holy Spirit to live through your life. He was VERY concerned that many who think they are Christians just because at one time they “prayed that little prayer” or walked a church aisle, never actually made and carried out a commitment of their life to Christ – and thus will be not go to heaven when they die.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com for the Allen family.