Erroll V. Allen was born in Iowa on December 16, 1869, to Rev. William Richard Allen and his wife Frances. He came to Kansas in 1870 with his parents, who took a homestead in Smith County. He grew up there, in pioneer dwellings and in the parsonages of various churches where his father served. He graduated high school in Smith Center and later attended Kansas Wesleyan. He married Hattie Alfreda Rorabaugh (1872-1951) in 1894; their children were Warren, May, Ruth, Rutherford, Frances, and Alfred. Ruth and Alfred died in infancy. Rev. Allen was admitted on trial to the Northwest Kansas Conference in 1897. He continued on trial until 1900 when he was admitted to full membership and ordained Deacon. In the Northwest Kansas Conference he served in Warwick (1897) and Reamsville (1898-1900). In 1900, Rev. Allen and his family moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he entered Garrett Theological School. After three years’ attendance there, he returned with them to the Northwest Kansas Conference. He then served at Cawker City (1903-1904), St. Francis (1905-1906), Phillipsburg (1907-1908), and Norcatur (1908-1910). In 1911 he transferred to the Kansas Conference and was appointed to the church in Wetmore (1911-1913). He also served at Everest (1914), Trinity in Iola (1915), Morganville (1916-1919), Williamsburg (1920-1921), Elmdale (1922-1924). In 1925 he was on a leave of absence. He then served Mahaska (1926), Westmoreland (1927-1929), Mt. Zion (1930-1934). He retired in 1935. Rev. Allen died on April 20, 1951, at the Methodist Home for the Aged in Topeka, Kansas. He was survived by his wife and two of their children, Rutherford K. Allen and Frances L. Marshall, as well as eight grandchildren. Burial was at Oakwood Cemetery, Baldwin, Kansas. Rev. Allen's memoir can be found in the Kansas Conference Minutes for 1951, page 665.

Note written by Sarah St. John