Allen, Phillip R. DVM 1914-1955

ALLEN, STENCE, PAYNE

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 6/26/2014 at 18:27:24

Waterloo Daily Courier, Wed., 30 Nov. 1955.

Volga City-- Veterinarian Phillip Allen, 41, was found dead of a shotgun blast in the chest Tuesday beside his car near here. His death was ruled accidental.

Clayton County Coroner Cliff Pilkenton and Sherriff Forest Fisher conducted an inquest and indicated the gun apparently was discharged as Dr. Allen withdrew it from the car. His body was found at 3 p.m.

A medical instrument was found wedged in the trigger guard and it was believed the trigger caught on the instrument as he lifted the gun.

Dr. Allen, a native of Sigourney, is survived by his wife, three sons, a daughter and his mother, Mrs. Mildred Allen, of Newport, R.I.

He was a graduate of Iowa State College at Ames and practiced at Parkersburg before moving to Volga City.

Funeral services will be at Sacred Heart Catholic church in Volga City with burial at St. Joseph's cemetery in Elkader. The body is at the McTaggart Funeral home in Elkader.

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Added by S. Ferrall 01/13/2022:

Dr. Allen is Killed While Out Hunting

Shotgun Blast Takes Life of Volga City Veterinarian Tuesday

Funeral services will be held [at] the Sacred Heart church in Volga City at 9:30 o'clock Friday morning, Dec. 2, for Dr. Philip R. Allen, 41, whose body was found Tuesday afternoon beside his car on a highway north of Volga. He was dead from a shotgun wound in the stomach.

Dr. Allen, a veterinarian, had left Volga about 2 o'clock to go hunting on the Biedermann farm about a mile north of town. His body was found by Art Cousins, of Wadena, about 3 o'clock. His car had been turned into a driveway to a Biedermann cornfield and it is believed that Allen was pulling his gun from the car when it was discharged into his stomach. A dehorning instrument, carried in the car by the veterinarian, was found stuck in the gun trigger guard.

Sheriff Forrest Fischer, Deputy Milton Klink and Coroner Clifford Pilkington investigated the accident. At a coroner's inquest held Tuesday night the verdict was accidental death.

The McTaggart Funeral service of Elkader is in charge of arrangements. Services will be from McTaggart's chapel in Elkader at 9 o'clock to the church at Volga at 9:30. Burial will be in St. Joseph's cemetery in Elkader.

Allen, a graduate of Iowa State college, had lived in Volga about a year. He was married to the former Helen Stence of Elkader. Besides his wife, he leaves four children, Mary, 12, David, 8, Dennis, 5 and Douglas 1. Other survivors are his mother, Mrs. Paul Allen and sister, Mrs. James Payne, both of Newport, Rhode Island, and two brothers, Donald of New York and Paul of Oregon.

~Clayton County Register, Thursday, December 1, 1955; pg 1

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Services for Dr. Philip Royal Allen, 41, were held Friday at Sacred Heart church at 9:30 a.m. with the Rev. Karl J. Klein, pastor, celebrant of the requiem high mass. Father Klein also officiated at the grave site.

Dr. Allen died Tuesday, November 29, from a gunshot wound suffered when his gun accidentally discharged while he was hunting near the Lloyd Biedermann farm a mile north of Volga.

A son of Dr. and Mrs. Paul E. Allen, he was born February 5, 1914, at Alburnette, Iowa.

He entered the medical corps in the United States army in March 1942, where he served until November 1944, when he received a medical discharge.

On October 20, 1942, he was married to Miss Helen Stence, registered nurse of Elkader. The ceremony took place in San Francisco, Calif.

Dr. Allen was a graduate of veterinary medicine from Iowa State college at Ames in 1949. In 1953, he and his family moved to Volga where he established his home and veterinary practice.

His father preceded him in death in 1934.

Surviving are his wife and four children, Mary Kathryn, David, Dennis and Douglas of Volga; his mother, Mrs. Mildred Allen, Newport, R.I.; one sister, Mrs. James R. Payne, Newport, R.I. and two brothers, Donald Allen, New York, N.Y. and Dr. Paul Allen of Corvallis, Oregon.

At the time of his death, Dr. Allen was vice-commander of the Volga American Legion Post, an active member of the Volga firemen's organization and an officer in the volunteer firemen's group.

He was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic church in Volga.

The Volga American Legion Post No. 327 had charge of the military rites conducted at St. Joseph's cemetery at Elkader, where interment was made.

Casket bearers were Legionnaires Earl Biedermann, Leroy Biedermann, Howard Taylor, Francis Cummings, Michael Martin and Paul Crandall. Color bearers: William Holsman, David Holsman, Harry Reynolds, Marvin Lerch. Chaplain: Roy Candee. Commander: George Probert. Firing squad: Howard Berger, Frank Baker, Lloyd Biedermann, Kenneth Hoskyn, Melvyn Puffett, Michael Eder; Roy Boleyn in charge of firing squad; Miss Janis Kunzman bugle and Douglas Everitt, taps.

Relatives from a distance who attended the funeral were: Mrs. Mildred Allen and daughter, Mrs. James R. Payne, both of Newport, R.I. and Dr. Paul Allen of Corvallis, Ore.

Card of Thanks
We wish to express our sincere thanks to everyone for their kind deeds and expressions of sympathy during our recent bereavements.
Mrs. Helen Allen and children
Mrs. Mildred Allen, Kay and Paul
The Stence family

~Clayton County Register, Thursday, December 8, 1955; pg 2 (Volga City News column)