Harmon Allen was born in Indiana in 1872. In November 1898 he was admitted on trial to the South Kansas Conference of the M. E. Church; on the same day he was recommended to be elected to Deacon’s Orders. Rev. Allen served on the Howard Circuit (Emporia District) in 1898-1899. From 1900-1903 he pursued his conference studies while also serving at Mound City (Fort Scott District). He was admitted to full membership in 1906 and served at Cherokee through 1911 while supporting (or being quarantined with) his family during their bouts with scarlet fever, diphtheria, and typhoid fever. In 1912 the Allens moved to Caney (Independence district) and Rev. Allen served there until 1914. While there, his wife Arminda Jane had another child, a son. In connection with the new baby, the Conference minutes for 1913 tell this story of Rev. Allen’s efforts in the cause of prohibition. According to his District Superintendent: “I must not fail to mention the fact that Brother Harmon Allen had made an heroic fight for the cause of temperance and righteousness this past year at Caney. With ten or twelve ladies of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, he personally conducted the destruction of hundreds of dollars’ worth of intoxicating liquors and this act nearly cost him his life. His home at nights had to be guarded by the officers. One evening, as he sat in his study holding their infant babe, a brick-bat was thrown with great force at him and missed the child’s head only a few inches. Had it struck the glass instead of the side of the sash, the little one would have been killed instantly. Brother Allen deserves a vote of thanks from the people of Kansas for the stand he has taken for the cause of temperance.” Rev. Allen served as Chaplain at the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing from 1914 to 1917; while there, he was involved with the prison newspaper, the income from which went to a relief fund for inmates’ families. He continued his prison work for nine years as Chaplain of the Federal Prison at Leavenworth, also serving at an M. E. church in that city. After resigning from prison work in 1927, he served as the Field Secretary for Bethany Hospital. In the 1928 minutes he is listed as Conference Evangelist and is mentioned in connection with Lawrence First Church (Lawrence, Kansas) and with Trinity (Ottawa, Kansas). Rev. Allen retired in 1936 and died March 7, 1937, age 65 years. His place of death and burial are not known as of this writing (2018).

Note written by Sarah St. John