Allen T. Coon, 87, of Elmwood, died at 4:33 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, 1998, at Farmington Center in Farmington.
He was born Sept. 14, 1911, in Neosho County, Kan., a son of Harvey D. and Anna McCoy Coon. He married Helen Troth on Sept. 7, 1935, in Brimfield. She died Nov. 27, 1974. He also was preceded in death by one brother.
Surviving are two sons, Larry of Elmwood and Richard of Marietta, Ga.; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and four sisters, Mrs. Jack (Carrie) Steer and Mrs. Jack (Louise) Shepherd of Elmwood, Mrs. Russel (Minnie) Shea of Metamora and Mrs. William (Doris) Kaproun of Benson.
A 1937 graduate of Western Illinois State Teachers College in Macomb, he taught in several rural schools before becoming head basketball coach and math teacher at Astoria High School. He then held similar positions at Fairview and Metamora high schools.
During college, he was a salesman for Shissler’s Seed Co. He also was a route delivery driver for Producers Dairy in Peoria and delivered dairy products to prisoners of war at Camp Ellis in Fulton County.
In 1948, he accepted a position in the engineering department of Midland Electric Coal Co. in Middle Grove. He worked as a civil engineer at several area strip mines including the Elmwood, Victoria and Edwards mines until he retired in 1976.
He served on the board of directors of Elmwood Country Club. He was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Elmwood and its Men’s Club. He was a charter member of the Kickapoo Council Knights of Columbus.
Services were held Monday at his church with Rev. Tom Seibert officiating. Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to his church or B.Y.E. Ambulance Service.
From the Peoria Journal Star.
Current Obituaries in the Astoria South Fulton Argus