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A long-time Neosho educator and volunteer was honored for his service to the community Thursday.
Robert Allen, long-time principal at South Elementary, received the Neosho Exchange Club’s Book of Golden Deeds award at a banquet held in his honor at the Lampo Building.
Several of Allen’s friends spoke about his good deeds to a packed house.
Neighbor and fellow educator Peggy Payne told the crowd she combed the neighborhood looking for “dirt” on Allen, but could not find any.
“None of the neighbors would say anything ugly!” she quipped. “Only in a small town do you get to know about good neighbors. State Farm could take a few examples from Robert Allen.”
Payne said Allen had become known as the “dog talker” on their street. She explained another neighbor was going on a trip, and asked Allen to feed her two dogs twice a day. Allen agreed.
But when he went to do the chore, he found the dogs wouldn’t eat. Finally, he hit on an idea. He got down to the dogs’ level and began to talk to them. It worked.
She also told how Allen and his wife, Alva Jane, have the block’s “twister safe.” When powerful storms approach, Allen calls his neighbors and invites them to take shelter at his home.
“During snow storms, Robert ran errands for his neighbors, and even took some of us ladies to the beauty parlor for our appointments,” she said. “During the [2007] ice storm, I was out of town and Robert came to my house, turned off the water and checked on everything. I’m sure he kept me from coming back home to a big disaster.
“An interesting thing about Robert: when he does things for you, he never lets you say ‘thank you.’ Instead, he says ‘No, my wife thanks you for getting me out of the house and out of her hair.’ Well, Robert, you ought to see the thank you notes we get from Alva Jane!”
Allen’s volunteer spirit goes beyond helping his immediate neighbors. The Allens help in their church, Neosho’s First Christian, where Robert Allen is a deacon. They have served, and even chaired, several church committees. Fellow church member and former interim pastor Bennie Moore attributed the success of the church’s missions program to the Allens.
“I can tell you straight up our church would not be where we are in our outreach ministry without Robert and Alva Jane defending it,” Moore said.
A long-time Neosho educator and volunteer was honored for his service to the community Thursday.
Robert Allen, long-time principal at South Elementary, received the Neosho Exchange Club’s Book of Golden Deeds award at a banquet held in his honor at the Lampo Building.
Several of Allen’s friends spoke about his good deeds to a packed house.
Neighbor and fellow educator Peggy Payne told the crowd she combed the neighborhood looking for “dirt” on Allen, but could not find any.
“None of the neighbors would say anything ugly!” she quipped. “Only in a small town do you get to know about good neighbors. State Farm could take a few examples from Robert Allen.”
Payne said Allen had become known as the “dog talker” on their street. She explained another neighbor was going on a trip, and asked Allen to feed her two dogs twice a day. Allen agreed.
But when he went to do the chore, he found the dogs wouldn’t eat. Finally, he hit on an idea. He got down to the dogs’ level and began to talk to them. It worked.
She also told how Allen and his wife, Alva Jane, have the block’s “twister safe.” When powerful storms approach, Allen calls his neighbors and invites them to take shelter at his home.
“During snow storms, Robert ran errands for his neighbors, and even took some of us ladies to the beauty parlor for our appointments,” she said. “During the [2007] ice storm, I was out of town and Robert came to my house, turned off the water and checked on everything. I’m sure he kept me from coming back home to a big disaster.
“An interesting thing about Robert: when he does things for you, he never lets you say ‘thank you.’ Instead, he says ‘No, my wife thanks you for getting me out of the house and out of her hair.’ Well, Robert, you ought to see the thank you notes we get from Alva Jane!”
Allen’s volunteer spirit goes beyond helping his immediate neighbors. The Allens help in their church, Neosho’s First Christian, where Robert Allen is a deacon. They have served, and even chaired, several church committees. Fellow church member and former interim pastor Bennie Moore attributed the success of the church’s missions program to the Allens.
“I can tell you straight up our church would not be where we are in our outreach ministry without Robert and Alva Jane defending it,” Moore said.
Moore told of the Allens’ work with Soles for Souls, a ministry that provides shoes to those in need, and with the annual Festival of Sharing in Sedalia.
Lewis Cole, who for many years co-chaired the Newton County Food Basket Brigade with Allen, read a letter from Dave Winegartner, former owner of Neosho’s KBTN-AM and founder of the brigade.
“Robert was one of the first to donate time and money,” the letter read in part.
Allen organized a canned food drive at South School, where he was principal. He told students they could raid their home pantries and bring “all the canned spinach they wanted.” That idea spread to other schools in the Neosho district and today, several other school districts take part in it as well.
Cindy Norman, who taught at South School while Allen was principal, recalled how he always made students feel they were important and was that each student, and teacher, was to be treated equally."
“Robert treated each and every one of us the same,” she said. “He made us all friends as well as colleagues.”
Several of his colleagues and friends at South then read verses of a special poem they had written about their beloved principal years ago.
Allen himself remained characteristically humble. He thanked God, his wife of 48 years, his school, friends and family.
“They make you look good,” he said.
Looking out at the crowd, he added “I don’t take this as a Robert Allen award. I take it for all of you.”
