Joel R. Allen

Joel (Joe) R. Allen, Sr., 89, of Muskogee, Oklahoma passed away Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at Cornerstone Acute Care in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He Born May 22, 1929 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, to Everette and Lola (Shoemake) Allen. Joe was an only child of a master carpenter whose family moved where ever there was work during the Great Depression. He lived in three states by age six and attended twelve - sixteen schools by age sixteen. He graduated from Muskogee Central High School in 1947. Having started to play baseball with his father at an early age, Joe was playing with grown men returned from WW2 by age fifteen and being paid $15 a game by a local town to play for their team. He soon entered semi-pro ball only to be interrupted by his service to the country. In 1948 Joe joined the Army, served for two years and transferred to the Army Reserves. He then came out to play Semi-Pro ball again. But He was called back into active service 1950-51 during the Korean War. Both tours of duty were spent in Japan where he became known for managing and playing in a highly successful and famous for the time mixed military baseball team that after winning the Far East Conference was flown home to compete in the states. After his second tour of duty, Joe had offers to play pro-ball by a number of professional teams and after choosing played in the Southern and Texas Semi-Pro farm team leagues until his second injury convinced him that it was time to leave the then three year profession. On returning home to Muskogee he met and married Lois A. Siegenthaler on Oct. 17, 1953 at the First Baptist Church in Boynton, Oklahoma. To this union was blessed three children. Joe worked as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for thirty years and drove a senior service bus for the Muskogee County Transit for eleven years afterwards. For the next twenty-eight years summer vacations were planned around coaching and umping Little League through American Legion Baseball in Muskogee. He was excellent at both. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Everette and Lola Allen; and one granddaughter, Devon Sizemore. He is survived by his wife of over sixty-four years, Lois; two sons, Joel (Jody) R. Allen Jr. and wife Theresa of Wagoner and Timothy Allen and wife Jessie of Broken Arrow; one daughter, Anitra Sizemore and husband Steve of Checotah; ten grandchildren, Shawn Crawford and wife Sarah of Muskogee, Damon Allen and wife Cristi of Wagoner, Josh Allen of Muskogee and Brianna Allen Navarro and husband Francisco of Moore, Erin Sizemore and Jared Hinds of Muskogee, Carter and Caleb Sizemore of Checotah, Emery Sizemore of Eufaula, OK and Aubrey and Samuel Allen of Broken Arrow; sixteen great-grandchildren; and one surviving sister-in-law, Grace Siegenthaler of Arlington, TX; and numerous nieces, nephews and other family members. A celebration of Joe’s life will be 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, July 10, 2018 at Cornerstone Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Bill Crow officiating. Interment will follow at Fort Gibson National Cemetery with Joe's six grandsons serving as pallbearers, and his four grand-daughters serving as honorary pallbearers.

Joel R. Allen

May 22, 1929 - July 4, 2018