Allan "Opa" Allers

Allan Herbert Allers passed away on the afternoon of October 13, 2021 in his room at a memory care residence in Hamden, CT.  He was 92 years old.

Allan epitomized the American Dream.  He was born in the heart of the country on July 7, 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression.  His father, Otto, had immigrated from Germany at the age of 16 and his mother Lucille (Marquardt) was a first generation immigrant herself.  Allan grew up on two farms in McLean County, Illinois where he learned the value of family, hard work and integrity.  His eight years of elementary school were all spent with a single teacher in the one room Little Red School House.  He then graduated from Normal Community High School in 1947.

Growing up on the farm, Allan was active in Future Farmers of America and 4H, which is where he met his High School and forever sweetheart, Donna Adams.  They eloped and married on May 14, 1949 and were lifelong companions for the remaining 72 years of his life.

Shortly after their marriage, Allan served for two years in the Army that he spent mostly as a sergeant in occupied Germany.  Allan turned his high school diploma and some Army training in bookkeeping into a long, successful career in Accounting.  He worked for Oscar Mayer in Madison, Wisconsin and then Los Angeles before pursuing an opportunity with a young, growing company, Ore-Ida.  He spent 26 years with Ore-Ida in Boise, Idaho, most of them in the executive role of Company Controller.

Allan always placed family and his role as husband and father above his professional successes.  Allan and Donna opened their hearts and home to four children, Dan, Ellen, Andrew and Don.  The family especially enjoyed camping in the Idaho mountains with their pick-up and travel trailer.

In the early 1970's, Allan gave his heart to the Lord - meeting for the rest of his life with the Bible Students of Boise.  He became a Trustee of the Dawn Bible Students in New Jersey and traveled there regularly to manage the organization's finances for many years during his retirement.  Allan and Donna attended and served many conventions and meetings of the Bible Students at home in Boise, across the U.S. and abroad in Canada, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Israel.

Allan was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Ronnie, and his daughter, Ellen.  He is survived by his wife, Donna, his sister Betty Lou Pendleton, and his children, Dan, Andrew and Carole (Redmond), Don and Eileen (Otero).  He is also missed by his nine grandchildren who affectionately call him Opa.

Allan's family would like to acknowledge the many dedicated professionals that assisted with his comfort and care in recent years; most notably the excellent staff at Meadow Mills Assisted Living and Memory Care and Allan's long-time home health aide and good friend, Ben Forson.  Donna, Allan's immediate family and the local bible student group will hold visitation from 11-12pm and a service at 12pm in his memory on October 31, 2021 at Hamden Memorial Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed at Hamdememorialfuneralhome.com.