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Submitted: 12/9/09 • Approved: 12/9/09 • Last Updated: 3/24/18 • R72474-G72473-S3
Melvina W. Allen
June 28, 1935
June 24, 1999
Her children arise up and call her blessed
Born June 28, 1935 in Mesa, Maricopa Arizona. Melvina was born to Leonard David Whetten and Willmirth Skousen Whetten. Her sisters are Arletta Whetten Taylor, Ella Whetten Anderson, Lenna Whetten Smith, and Agnes Marie Whetten. Agnes Marie died in childhood. Melvina lived in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico until age 8, when she moved back to Mesa.
Attended and graduated from Mesa High School. Attended a couple of semesters at Arizona State. Married Gove L. Allen, Jr. April 16, 1954 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Melvina had six children all who lived into adulthood and all have married. David Len Allen, San Liahona Allen, Lorie Ann Allen Miller, Jonathan Lane Allen, Jennifer Lynn Allen Milius, Heather Lenell Allen Benson. Melvina had 19 living grandchildren at the time of her death.
Melvina played the piano, sang, conducted choirs and was involved in the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant as a director and performer for many years. She was a member of the Singing Mothers, a choir composed of mothers from the Mesa area who traveled to Salt Lake City to sing for general conference for the LDS church in the 1960s. Melvina was also heavily involved in directing and writing roadshows, speech festivals, running softball, volleyball, and basketball tournaments for young women.
Melvina loved her family and was a fulltime homemaker living in the same house in Mesa at 1230 E. 6th Avenue, for over thirty years. She died after battling Paget's disease on June 24, 1999 in her home. Her funeral was held at the 17th Ward LDS church building on East 6th Avenue in Mesa on June 28, 1999, her 64th birthday. She was buried in the City of Mesa Cemetary that same day.
Contributed on 12/9/09 by peoriainstitute
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Record #: 72474