Funeral Rites For Late Cicero Allen

An Impressive Service With Many Attending and Blinding Storm Singing The Requiem

The funeral service for the late Cicero Allen was held Sunday afternoon at one thirty, at the family home, the Right Reverend George Allen Beecher, Bishop, assisted by the Reverend Henry Ives, Rector of Christ Church officiating. Mrs. Allen has known the Bishop since she was a child, and so greatly desired his presence. He was just starting for New York when the sad news by telephone was received from Reverend Ives and he immediately changed his plans in order to be with Mrs. Allen in her hour of need. The spacious rooms were packed with sorrowing friends. Without the furious storm beat and thundered. Within the bowed heads and silent tears above the quiet form sleeping in the banks of flowers, white and grey and lavender, were breathed upon by the sonorous tones of sermon and song. Never in Sidney has a more impressive service of this kind been given, the Bishop’s address being one of moving power and eloquent conviction of a beautiful immortality.

The choir was composed of Mrs. Simodynes, Misses Neubauer, Corbett, Bassett, Parks and Messrs. Leibendorfer, Wey and Lewis, with Miss Devine at the piano. Under the training of Professor Lewis they most perfectly rendered the hymns, “Abide with me,” “Lead Kindly Light,” and “Tarry with me O my Savior.”

Cicero Allen was born October 1st, 1877 near Blair, Nebraska, and spent his boyhood there. He lost his life January 17th near Kimball, Nebraska, while on duty as a conductor on the Union Pacific railroad, in which company he had been a faithful employee for almost twelve years. He was married to Miss Rodeene Britton on May 19th, 1907, and to them were born two children, Martha, aged eight and James Scott Allen, aged five. They with their mother survive to mourn their heavy loss. Mr. Allen was a devoted husband and father and lived but to make his dear ones happy. He was a clean and upright man, appreciated by his associates because of his many fine qualities. He was a member of the Elks and the O.R.C. Besides wife and children he is survived by his father, Joseph Allen, who has several years made his home with Cicero whose family circle made him especially welcome; two brothers, W. S. Allen of Sidney, and George Allen of Ridgeway, Colo., a sister, Mrs. Emma Armstrong of Blair, and a host of other relatives. His mother passed away when he was but six months and his brother, Scott, next older always exercised a fostering care over the brother so early left without a mother. This perculiarly close and affectionate tie lasted until the end.

The fury of the storm only increased and the interment was delayed, giving the bereaved ones yet another night to keep the beloved body in the home. Monday morning at ten thirty the sun shone upon a quiet white world and the cortege of mourners left the home to go as far as possible with the dead. The pallbearers were Chester McDaniel, Jack Sager, Crawford Lindsey, N. Sutherland, Will Brown and Charles Griffith all close friends and fellow workers of the deceased. The great quantities of floral offerings required the attention of five young girls, who were Misses Bernice Kelly, Phyllis Corbett, Helen Bassett, Dorothy Hart, Myrna Swatzlander. At the grave the committal service and prayer were feelingly given by Reverend Ives. Despite the storm on Sunday the house was crowded, many railroad men coming down from Cheyenne and the friends in Sidney breasting the storm to be present. Relatives present from away were Joseph Allen, father, who had been visiting at Ridgeway, Colorado, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong of Blair, Dr. J. A. Britton of Chicago, B. E. Reddy of Kearney, Mr. and Mrs. John Eckert and daughters Carrie and Ruth of Dalton. Other relatives who arranged to come were prevented by the storm. As the young wife, the aged father, the devoted brother and the wondering little children take up their onward path toward the far country to which the loved one has gone in advance, they have with them the comfort that can be had from the knowledge that the sorrow of the community is universal and sympathy for them is profound . – Sidney Telegraph

#2-Printed in the Washington County Enterprise on 1/19/1917

CICERO ALLEN MURDERED

A press dispatch in Wednesday evening’s Omaha papers brought the intelligence to his Blair friends that Cicero Allen, a freight train conductor on the Union Pacific railroad, and his brakeman, named Jones had been shot and killed by two tramps while being ejected from the train at a siding just west of Kimball, in the western part of the state. One of the assassins was captured and is held in custody at Kimball.

Cicero Allen is a son of Joseph Allen who homesteaded near the Summer’s school in the late sixties where Cicero was born and reared. Mrs. Wm. Armstrong, of this place, is his sister and county treasurer. R.G. Allen, and Clyde Allen, of De Soto are cousins.

Deceased was well-known in Blair and has many relatives here and in this vicinity. A brother, W. S. Allen, of Sidney, is also a Union Pacific railroad conductor.

#-3 Published in the Blair Democrat January 18, 1917

Cicero Allen Killed At Kimball, Nebraska

Albert B. Carroll is in jail held on a coroner’s verdict of killing Cicero Allen and Otto Jones of Cheyenne, conductor and brakeman of a Union Pacific freight train. According to evidence presented at the inquest, Carroll shot and killed Allen and Jones when they undertook to put him off a coal car.

Brakeman Jones was killed first by a bullet through his right lung at a distance of about six feet. Allen was killed while attempting to overpower Carroll.

The bodies were brought to Kimball and an inquest held. The jury returned a verdict of murder with felonies intent in the case of Jones. The word felonious was omitted in the verdict of Allen. Both men leave families.

Cicero Allen is a son of Joe Allen and a brother of Mrs. Wm. Armstrong of this city.

~~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~