James Louis Allston's Obituary
Dear Dad,
You were born July 13, 1936, in Bowie County to Willie Mavis Smith (“Granny”) and John Louis Allston (“Mandaddy”). You and your little sister Jo Nell (“Aunt Jo”) were raised in Boxelder, Texas, which is near Annona, which is near Clarksville, which is not too far from Paris. You were very close with your parents and your sister, and the two of us always had fun spending a week each summer in Boxelder with them. It’s beautiful up there! You did a great job throughout your life of keeping in touch with your extended family and friends.
You moved by yourself, from Boxelder to Dallas, after graduating from high school as Salutatorian at the ripe old age of 17. From our perspective, you were brave and courageous, even back then, as this could not have been easy. You served your country in the Army Reserves until you were honorably discharged in October of 1962. Around that time, you met the love of your life, the beautiful Lana Ferle Allen (“Mom”), where it was love at first sight. Apparently, you asked her to marry you on the third date; again, you were brave and courageous! You married in November of 1963 and enjoyed more than 59 years of what will always be thought of as a beautiful marriage. Your first born was David Eugene (“Dave”) and your second born was Alana Janelle (“Alana”). Dad, you were a fantastic dad and, together, you and mom were amazing parents to the two of us. Furthermore, your daughter-in-law Lisa and your grandkids Garrett, Hank, Alexandria, and Nathaniel will forever be blessed to have had the opportunity to call you “Granddaddy”. Thank you for how you loved us all!
Dad, we have been talking with your sister Jo, your sister-in-law Jody, and your nieces Kim, Kelly, Debra, Donna, and Tara over the last several weeks while you were in the hospital. We hope you heard every word of the letters that were written to you and that we read to you in the hospital. You were the kindest, sweetest, most loving, most patient, and most gentle man we could have imagined being our dad. You were smart and you had a great laugh. We love that you were friends with the Walmart guy and your pharmacist and that in general you loved people. Aunt Jo described you as a “people person” the other day, which is spot on. To know you is to love you, Dad! We so respect how you served as Mom’s primary caregiver in the last years of her life as she fought Multiple Sclerosis, Dementia, and other ailments. You did so with patience and grace and nothing but love for our beautiful mom. You were a great husband, dad, son, brother, grandfather, uncle, brother-in-law, and friend. You positively impacted our lives in very significant ways. You made the world better. You loved us with all your heart. You were always there for us.
Dad, while you were here, you did many great things:
● You were a wonderful, loving, supportive partner to Mom
● You raised two kids who are good people
● You were a great big brother to Aunt Jo
● You were a good friend to many
● You served your country
● You taught Dave more than you will ever realize
● You taught us both how to be kind and gentle
● You spoke softly and with kindness and understanding
● You were always so full of joy
Dad, we miss you very much, but we’re glad you didn’t suffer long at the end of your life. You left this earth on February 28, 2026, and behind you remains a rich legacy of love and treating all with respect and kindness.
Dad, thank you for everything! We are so grateful for you!! You have much to be proud of, as you were an exemplary human. We know you are in Heaven with Mom and that the two of you are square dancing and playing cards together. Do they have slot machines in Heaven?
We love you always and ever,
Alana and Dave
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