Steven Allen, 78, of Orient

Funeral Services: Will be held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at the Greenfield United Methodist Church with burial in the Hebron Cemetery.  Full military graveside rites will be conducted by the Greenfield American Legion Head-Endres Post No. 265 and V.F.W. Post No. 5357.  A luncheon will follow the burial at the church. Pastor Gene Hinrichsen will officiate the service.  The Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield is in charge of the professional arrangements.  Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

Open Visitation:  Will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield.

Family Visitation: The family will greet friends on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Memorials:  To the Hebron United Methodist Church.

   Steven Lee Allen was born November 2, 1944 in Bloomington, Illinois.  His parents were Willis Allen Jr. and Juanita B. Davis-Allen.  He attended school in Mackinaw, Illinois and graduated in 1962.  He played football there. He then went on to Southern Illinois University for two years before being drafted into the Army in 1965.  He became a dog handler in Vietnam and got out of the Army in 1967. 
   In 1967, he married Linda Lou Herrick in Bloomingdale, Illinois.  They had two sons – Brent Lee was born April 14, 1969 in Bloomington, IL and Chad Mark was born August 10, 1970 in Creston, Iowa.  The family lived in Mackinaw, IL and Bloomingdale, IL until 1970.  They then moved to the rural Greenfield area where he worked at Schildberg Construction Company and Purolator. In 1972, he started a small herd of Black Angus cattle.  After the divorce he moved to rural Greenfield, Iowa and then later to Hebron, Iowa.  
   Steve and Dotty Diane Hager-Herrmann were united in marriage on August 18, 1979 at the Hebron United Methodist Church. Steve liked to joke that their honeymoon was painting the barn on their new small farm – Dotty said it was no joke!  The marriage increased the family number with three step children – James Bret Herrmann, Scott Brady Herrmann, and Tracy Lynn Herrmann.  
   Steve worked for BNSF Railway as a laborer, welder, and track inspector from 1974 until his retirement in 2008.  He worked 34 years to retire and raise his cattle which he dearly loved.  He was a loyal member of the Hebron Methodist Church where he was a lay leader and taught adult Sunday school class. He was a lifetime member of the American Angus Association and VFW Post 15016.  He loved working with his Angus cattle herd – he fed them before he fed himself no matter how tired or hungry he may be. He loved his dogs and they loved him. Steve loved growing flowers and trees and working around the farm.  He was most content when he and Dotty were working together on the farm. Dotty sometimes even let him be the boss.  He was a hard worker. He loved his land and built fence for many years, digging post holes by hand.  Dotty finally convinced him to get a post hole digger toward the end of the fence building. 
   Steve loved his family and enjoyed watching them grow up.  His favorite holiday was Christmas.  For several years, it was tradition to gather a few friends and family for Christmas carols.  He had song sheets and nobody was done singing until all the songs were sung at least once. 
   He is survived by his soulmate, Dotty; his children Brent Wilker of Minnesota, Chad Wilker (Staci) of Creston, IA, J. Bret Herrmann (Cindy) of Arlington, TX, Scott Herrmann (Carol) of Hebron, IA, and Tracy Thompson (Brian) of Hebron, IA; his sister Barbara Allen and nephew Max Kugel of Colorado; his grandchildren Darren Wilker (Jess) of Creston, IA, Megan Wilker of Creston, IA Nicholas Thompson (Mandy) of Hebron, IA, Amanda Berg (Dan) of Greenfield, IA, Anthony Herrmann (Brittany) of Arlington, TX, Tanya Bohannon (Dequintus) of Arlington, TX, Garrett Herrmann of Hebron, IA, Josee Herrmann of Hebron, IA, and Owenn Herrmann of Nodaway, IA; his 18 great-grandchildren; some dear aunts in Illinois and Arizona; many nephews and nieces in Illinois; and many local friends and neighbors.  
   He was preceded in death by his mother Juanita B. Allen, his father Willis Allen Jr., his granddaughter Abby Jo Wilker and his first wife Linda Herrick.