Loretta Jean Allen

Loretta Allen

She was born on October 7, 1946 in Houston. Letty spent her first few years in Baytown, Texas, but before starting school she had moved with her parents to Channelview, Tx. One of her first memories of Channelview was of riding with her sister, Mary, to the De Zavala sawmill on the logs that would be used to build her new family home.[1] She attended all 12 years of school in Channelview, graduating from Channelview High School in 1965. After this she attended the Lily Jolly School of Nursing. Later, she attended Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Letty (her nickname) grew up in church (1st Baptist Church, Channelview) and gave her heart to the Lord and was Baptized. Later she also taught Sunday School.

She was the first of four children. Her siblings were Mary Virginia Allen (Llewellyn), Louis Allen, Jr., and Patricia Sue Christmas. She has three nieces, Rilla Theresa Cox de Sanchez, April Marie Hull, and Michelle Celeste Franks. In addition, she has several grand nephews and one great grandnephew.

After several years working in Houston as a public health nurse, Loretta moved in the mid-1970s to southern California and began working for the Los Angeles County Health Dept. She was part of a contingent of nurses and other medical personnel who were sent to Mexico City after the 1985 earthquake to provide life-saving aid and later lived through the Northridge Earthquake in 1994. She eventually left the county and started working as a private duty nurse attending to elderly and physically challenged patients, including at least one well-known movie star of that era[2].

After several decades in the Los Angeles area, she decided to move to another location and fell in love with the mountains of Montana. She chose to retire in Missoula and there she stayed for roughly 20 years. During this time both of her parents and her middle sister passed away. After the loss of her mother, she chose to move back to Channelview and live with her youngest sister. During this time Loretta began to develop some health issues. This finally reached a point that required 24-hour care and Loretta moved into a Health and Wellness Center.

[1] In the late 1930’s our maternal grandfather bought several wooded lots in Channelview and built his house and three others using lumber that he logged from these lots. He would load the logs onto a home-made logging trailer and take them to the local sawmill, then bring them back home and plane them for use in the houses.[2] Zsa Zsa Gabor.

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[1] In the late 1930’s our maternal grandfather bought several wooded lots in Channelview and built his house and three others using lumber that he logged from these lots. He would load the logs onto a home-made logging trailer and take them to the local sawmill, then bring them back home and plane them for use in the houses. [2] Zsa Zsa Gabor.