In Memory of My Sister
Frances "Frankie" Allen
June 15, 1936
August 13, 1994
August 13, 1994
Full of fun, the life of any party, always happy and smiling, willing to go anywhere or do anything at a moment's notice.
We could never have dreamed that the Frankie we knew and loved would be stricken by an unknown illness that would rob her of an active, productive life ... and would evenually take her from us.
Everybody loved Frankie. It had always been that way from the time she was born. Being the oldest of the five children (and the oldest of all the grandchildren), she could sometimes be a little bossy and overbearing. But mostly she was fun. Because she got married two weeks after I was born and didn't have children of her own, I always felt that she treated me more like a daughter than a baby sister. That was strictly to my advantage, because she spoiled me terribly. Whenever I wanted something, I only had to ask her. (Photo= (L)Frankie with 2 year old Nancy, Christmas 1958)
Frankie worked for the Cincinnati Post-Times Star newspaper, and one of my favorite things to do when I was little was to go to work with her. I loved her office, and I loved being there with her. She let me wear a head-set like the classified operators wore, and at lunch we'd go to the cafeteria downstairs. It was our special time together.
All of my life, Frankie was always taking me somewhere ... to Fantasy Farms, The Zoo, shopping, on vacations, Disney Land, she even took me to Graceland! Really, she took me everywhere I wanted to go. And we always had the very best times with her. A very special memory is the time she decided to just drive to Niagra Falls for the weekend. Not as a vacation, but just for a weekend get-away. So Mom, Linda, Gary, Ellen and I all piled into her car, and off we went! It was one of the best times we ever had. The Falls were gorgeous, and we all had such fun!
The things I'll probably most remember about my sister for the rest of my life are the things she loved most -- lighthouses, Puffins, Gone With the Wind & Clark Gable, going on trips, taking lots of pictures and slides at every event in our lives, and her collections of hand-carved ducks, turquoise jewelry, and her precious little All God's Children figures. And without a doubt, she had to be Elvis Presley's most devoted fan!
Frankie left behind of legacy for all of us to try to live up to. First of all, she was always happy. By that, I don't mean that her life was always happy or trouble-free. But she never let it get her down. In fact, you really never new when she was going through things. Second of all, she never complained and never questioned God as to why such a strange and horrible illness had hit her. In fact, I think her faith was made stronger through the illness. And most of all, she left to all of us the assurance that everything was all right between her and the Lord. One of the last things she said was, "I'm ready to go. The Lord is my Shepherd".
It's comforting to think of Frankie now being reunited with Daddy, Mamaw, Papaw and other family members.
They're all a part of that great Cloud of Witnesses who watch over us, and cheer us on as we move through our lives.
And I know that when she saw them in Heaven, for the first time in nine years she was able to run to them!
