OBITUARY: John Jay Allen, 1921-2005, Mitchell County, Iowa ( Original version published on www.mcpress.com, December 21, 2005; Mitchell County Press ) John Jay Allen John Jay Allen, 84, of St. Ansgar, Iowa, died on Friday, December 16, 2005 at the Good Shepherd Health Center, Mason City, Iowa. Funeral service will be on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Osage, Iowa, with Rev. John Moser officiating. Burial will be in the St. Ansgar Cemetery, St. Ansgar, Iowa, with military honors by the Walter T. Enneberg Post #358 of the American Legion. John was born on October 24, 1921 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Hiram and Maybelle (Shelrue) Allen. He graduated from high school in Brainard, Minnesota; after which he joined the U.S. Army serving in the 194th tank regiment during World War II, in the South Pacific Theater. John was a POW for 3 1/2 years, being on the Batan Death March. After the service he lived in San Diego, Calif. John married Penny Wiggington on Dec. 7, 1946 at St. Francis Church, Brainard, Minn. They moved to St. Ansgar in 1955. John was a postal worker for 30 years, retiring as Postmaster in 1976. He was a member of the American Legion and served as the service officer. John enjoyed hunting, fishing, reading, gardening, traveling and obtaining information on WWII. He was preceded in death by his parents; 2 brothers; 3 sisters John is survived by his wife, Penny of St. Ansgar; three sons, John J. Allen, Jr. of California City, Calif., Thomas Allen of St. Ansgar, Rob Allen of Apple Valley, Minn.; two daughters, Linda Israel of Wichita, Kan., Jean Moore of Rochester, Minn.; ten grandchildren; ten great grandchildren. Arrangements were by Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, St. Ansgar, Iowa phone: 641-713-4920 Copyright 2005 - K. L. Kittleson