Never slow down
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Wilma Allen celebrates 100th birthday
By Nolan Morse
Teacher, actor, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and the first woman in Douglas County to sell insurance. Wilma Allen has experienced many lives in her 100 years on this planet.
Born Jan. 14 1926, in a little Indiana town, Wilma looks back at her childhood with fondness in her eyes. In her younger years, while her father worked on the railroad and her mother stationed the family grocery store, Wilma taught herself dance and acrobats sparking a passion for exercise that would last a century. Learning came easy in the classroom, and she stood out from the start being coined the “leader of the band” by her Kindergarten teacher.
Going into college, Wilma pursued a degree in education — something she said her mother pushed her to do her entire life. After graduating from Indiana University, she found herself teaching in Newman, starting a stint in Douglas County that would never end. Carrying on her teaching career she would find classrooms in Charleston and Tuscola.
After teaching she would go back to school herself at the University of Illinois getting a degree in sales helping her become the first-ever woman in Douglas County to be an insurance salesperson, an accomplishment she seemed to jokingly shrug off.
It wasn’t just all career focused in her life though, marrying Jack Allen, who became circuit clerk for Douglas County. They would go on to have two daughters together named Debra Allen Smith, and Ginger Allen Heretik.
Throughout her life, she spent many times being active in the local Women’s Club, the Methodist church, and volunteering at Sam’s Pantry. She was also a very recognizable face in the Summer Stock Theatre in Sullivan.
Nowadays, Wilma spends her time in the heart of downtown Tuscola acting out as a local celebrity. Her two favorite spots being Hometown Grounds and Dessert First, where she can be found frequently throughout the week.
Despite her age reaching triple digits, she hasn’t slowed down a second, still living on her own and taking care of all the household chores. When asked her secrets to her long life of health and success her answer was simply to embrace life and never slow down.