Allen V. Robinson was born February 24, 1936, in his grandparents’ home west of Seneca, Nebraska, the son of Harold and Emma (Licking) Robinson.
The family lived in a sod house on their ranch north of Seneca. Allen started school at Rose Valley country school riding horseback the four miles to school.
Allen’s parents purchased a ranch west of Thedford, Nebraska in 1944, and he graduated from high school in Thedford. Allen continued his education at the University of Nebraska and Nebraska State College, Kearney.
In 1957, Allen joined the United States Army. He was sent to aircraft maintenance school; being the honor graduate, qualified him for the advanced maintenance school of his choice. He chose helicopter maintenance training. His first duty station was Fort Huachuca at Sierra Vista, Arizona, then on to Handau, Germany.
Allen’s military service led to his interest in flying and the purchase of his first airplane in 1959. He was a helicopter and airplane pilot/instructor and an aircraft mechanic/inspector. This career path took him many interesting places. He flew buyers to find walnut trees in Missouri and flew off a tuna boat locating schools of tuna fish in the West Pacific. He flew a helicopter spraying potatoes in Michigan, mosquitoes in Chicago and most states east of the Missouri River. His work also involved spraying for mosquitoes over New York City and Weschester County, New York, at the outbreak of the West Nile infestation.
Allen married Agnes Howell in 1972. They lived in Thedford and in Wayne, Nebraska. At these sites, Allen gave countless flying lessons and with Agnes’s help, managed the airport in Wayne. They later divorced, reunited and were then separated by her illness and death.
Upon “retiring,” Allen flew giving helicopter rides at Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Once he truly did retire, Allen spent winterish the Quartzite, Arizona, area and summers in the Thedford area. While in Arizona, Allen met and married Janice Walker on May 3, 2015. They lived part of each year in Tulare, California, and continued to spend winters in Arizona. Together they traveled thousands of miles through the western half of the United States and made many trips back to Nebraska to spend time with family.
Allen was a member of the Thedford United Church of Christ for over 60 years, the Elks Lodge, the Masons, and the American Legion.
Allen was preceded in death by his parents, brother Dale (Phyllis) Robinson, sister Esther (Bob) Crawford, infant nephew John Allen Robinson and wife Agnes Howell-Robinson.
Left to treasure Allen’s memory are wife Janice Walker-Robinson and family of Tulare, California, niece Jan (Mike) Brown and family of Omaha, Nebraska, niece Jeanie (Mike) Cheney and family of Bennet, Nebraska, nephew Rod (Val) Crawford of Wilcox, Arizona, and extended family.
Allen requested no formal service. Those wishing to remember Allen with a memorial may send to Jeanie Cheney, 16800 South 134th, Bennet, NE 68317. Allen’s memorial choices were Hillcrest Cemetery, Thedford, or the United Church of Christ, Thedford.