Lawrence Allen, age 84 of Daniels, West Virginia, died Sunday July 25, 2010 at the Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, West Virginia following a long illness. Arrangements are pending completion at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, 1901 South Kanawha Street, Beckley, West Virginia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lawrence Washington Allen, 84, of 155 Woodland Drive, Daniels, formerly of Coal City, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Sunday night, July 25, 2010, at Raleigh General Hospital after a long illness.

Born on April 27, 1926, in Summers County, he was the son of the late Joseph Allen and Effie Buckland Allen.

He was preceded in death by his first wife Sylvia Allen; a son, Roger Dale Allen; five brothers, Raymond, Henry, Buck, Joe and Theodor and four sisters, Wattsie, Julie, Beulah and Sarah; one great grandson, Justin Scott Bell, and a step-son George Douglas Ayers of New York.

Lawrence was a veteran of World War II and he proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. North Carolina from Dec. 1944 until Nov. 1945. He also worked 30 plus years in the coal mines and retired from Eastern Associated Coal Corp. and was a proud member of the UMWA District 29.

Lawrence was a member of the Coal City Church of God for a number of years, having served under several Pastors and he held many church positions in the church in the past, including Choir Director, Adult Sunday School Teacher and the church board. He was always faithful in his giving of tithe and offering and in his church attendance all of his Christian adult life. He truly had the heart of a servant. He later became a member of the Beckley Church of God until his death. He loved hearing the Word preached and singing the old songs of Zion. Lawrence loved being in God's house with God's people. He and his wife Erma had a nursing home ministry at Raleigh Rehab Center at Daniels on the first Sunday of each month where he loved to lead the singing. He loved the old hymns and never forgot the words even if the song had 3-4 verses, you could always count on Lawrence to remember all of the words to almost every hymn.

2 Timothy 4: 7-8 says; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Friends may call at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley from 6 to 9 p.m. today, Wednesday, July 28, 2010.

A celebration of Lawrence's life will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 29, 2010, at the Beckley Church of God. He will be buried at the Coal City Community Cemetery behind the Coal City Community Church on Lyn Wyn Road beside his first wife Sylvia.

Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

The Lawrence Allen family would like to thank Raleigh General Hospital staff, Raleigh Center Rehab Nursing Home staff, Dr. Paul Oar and to the Princeton Community Hospital outpatient home health services staff for their loving and kind care they provided to Lawrence over the last several years and to Jackie Crouse, caregiver and to all the churches and individuals who prayed, sent cards, or made phone calls or visits. May God bless you all.

In lieu of flowers, donations of sympathy may be made to the Coal City Church of God, Beckley Church of God or The Beckley Area Foundation. Lawrence will be missed by every life he touched while on earth.

Lawrence Allen wasn't a preacher, but he preached the best sermon I have ever heard. Not with words in a pulpit but with a life that exemplified Christ's love, compassion, forgiveness and humility. He lived with meekness and honesty and love for all. I didn't know him until he married my mother in 1995. From the first we all loved him. He was always helpful and so enjoyable to be around. He talked about his humble beginnings and World War II as a very young sailor. He liked to talk about his mother and experiences that were sad but influential in his life. Church was a necessity and he hated to ever miss a service. He sang the old hymns with only his soul as accompaniment and he taught Men's Sunday School Class at Coal City Church of God for many years. He gave willingly with all that he had. He honored God and he honored his fellow man. It was a joy and a blessing to spend the last 15 years getting to know him. I will miss him terribly until I see him again someday in Heaven. Thanks Lawrence for your love and tenderness- and to me- they will never be equaled.

Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.