Blanche Mae Inks Allen

Blanche Mae Allen, 99, the oldest known member of the Inks family, died , in a California hospital following hip surgery. She was within four months of her 100th birthday. She was buried April 14 in Oakmont Memorial Park, Lafayette, Calif. Tribute poem from a grandson

She was a woman small in stature, and somewhat shy, but big in heart, and spunky when she made her mind up. She was described in her funeral program as a "prayer warrior (who) had a strong faith in God. Her daily prayers were for others."

"Blanche was such a swell person; we never quarreled," recalled Grace Stock, 96, of Red Bluff, Calif., Blanche's sister.

That didn't mean as a young girl with deep religious convictions Blanche didn't stand up to her parents. Grace remembers Blanche deciding at age 13 she wasn't going to take any more switchings she didn't deserve. That was unheard of in the George and Laura Inks household, a two-room home in Worley, Idaho, with a lean-to added on for a kitchen and a man-of-the-house with a ferocious temper. Switches and belts were just part of the landscape when it came to disciplining the girls.

But George wasn't around for this confrontation. Laura and the five daughters were still living in a rental house in North Dakota while George went West to make a new home for them. George had quit his railroad job in Indiana in a temper, and wasn't finding work. Laura asked her brother, Charles Smith, if George could work for Charlie and she cook for him. Things looked promising and George had left for Idaho. (See her parent's story on the George Alvin Inks page.)

One day Laura thought Blanche deserved a switching. But the oldest and smallest of the Inks girls " took the switch and held it; so Mama couldn't switch her. She was plucky," said Grace.

Blanche had told Grace she would run away from home rather than be switched, and she lit out for the neighbors.

Laura told Grace to run after her and tell Blanche, "I won't whip her if she came back."

Grace ran crying after her older sister, but it was late evening before Blanche returned.

"Mama didn't say a lot to her. When it was time to go to bed, Mama said she should have some kind of reproof; she said she had to apologize; so Blanche came out and said she was sorry. That settled things."

Blanche's grandparents had 11 surviving children with quite an age spread. So her aunt and uncle were teenagers when Blanche was 13. Aunt Olive and Uncle Cloyd attended the Brethren Church. Her mother, Laura wasn't happy when Blanche said she wanted to join the Brethren because Laura's mother was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. But Laura relented.

Then Blanche wanted to have a "bonnet." The Bible said a woman was supposed to have her head covered, but Brethren women didn't wear hats in church. Hats were pretentious; bonnets were humble.

"Mama wasn't willing at all, but finally gave in," recalled Grace. "It was a pretty little thing," but "Mama said it was just made of the same fancy straw."

Mama said if they'd read the next verse down there (in the Bible), they'd see a woman's hair was her covering."

Life was austere in Worley. The family carried water to the house for the Saturday bath, and everyone used the same water. George may have earned $1.25 a day driving a team of horses that dragged logs and piled them up for the winter, when they would be slid down a mile-long chute to Lake Coeur d'Alene.

At night, coyotes would howl on the hills. "That can sure make your blood curdle," recalled Grace.

Within a year of moving to Idaho Blanche cooked for her Uncle Charlie at age 14.

Blanche's marriage at age 17 had the elements of adventure. She met Jim Allen while living and working in Ritzville, a Central-Washington City. She most likely was working in the fruit harvest; he was from Minnesota. Grace recalls that the couple had two children and James had finally "given his heart to the lord," when Blanche found out that James' real last name was Halvorson. He was from a Norwegian family and apparently had deserted from the military.

"He had to change jobs several times because it was World War I; he said he was classified 4-H (exempt because of marriage). He wanted to make it right but was afraid he'd be put in jail, said Grace.

Altogether, Blanche and Jim had four children: Edith and James, early in the marriage, and Dale and Lois later. Blanche survived all her children but Lois, who lives in Oakland, Calif.

Blanche was a graduate of Patten College and a volunteer for the Christian Cathedral in Oakland for many years. The church was central in her life.

She treasured small kindnesses, good company and old friends. She recently was pleased to receive an enlarged color photo of her five living sisters, and was able to pick out the images with the aid of a magnifying glass.

A flag will fly briefly for Blanche over the nation's Capitol on July 26, which would have been her 100th birthday. Although she was looking forward to her birthday, she also longed for the time when "the Lord would call her home."

She retained a resilient disposition. She had eye surgery within the past two years to improve her eyesight. Her hip surgery was scheduled after she remained in bed for an extended period and a broken hip was diagnosed. Blanche cheerfully looked forward to the implanting of a pin and was recovering and eating following surgery when her conditioned worsened.

The photo at the top of the page shows Blanche with Jim, and apparently Edith and James, their first two children. It was taken in Portland, Ore.

The photo at the right was taken on Blanche's 98th birthday, and provided by her daughter, Lois Carlson. The shy, good-natured smile is obvious. Blanche treasured small kindnesses, good company and old friends. She recently was pleased to receive an enlarged color photo of her five living sisters, and was able to pick out the images with the aid of a magnifying glass.