Obituary of Maggie Lene Price-Allen

Sister Maggie Lene Price Allen was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, on July 2, 1942, to the late Elder Robert Price, Sr., and the late District Missionary Ethel Piper-Price. Born fifth of the eleven children, her siblings consisted of seven brothers: Robert Jr., Flenard (A.C.), Walter, Oscar, Jimmy, Grady, and Roy; and three sisters: Alice, Marie and Ella.

Lene accepted Christ at a very early age. She was baptized on the bayou in Long Leaf, Louisiana, by her father and Elder Freeman Young. As a lifelong member of the Evangelist Church of God in Christ, she served faithfully in all areas of ministry: the Sunday School, Bible Band, Women’s Department and as the Secretary of the Church, until her passing.

On June 12, 1961, Maggie was united in marriage to John E. Allen, Jr. In 2011, John and Maggie celebrated 50 years with the formal wedding ceremony she did not get to have at first. “Ms. Maggie’s” legacy of children are: Michael aka Mike, (Coslyn Monique), John III aka Hifi (Kandy), Evelyn aka Lady, Ethel aka Bea Bea (Jimmy), and Kenneth aka Kenny Ray. Grandchildren are Alan, Monchondria, Myrisha, Antonio, Robert, Curtis Jr. (Kendra), Elizabeth, Ralphel (Melnequan), Curt, Courtney (Ronnie), Kedrick, Stephanie, Keisha, Stacey, and Jimmy Jr. She reared four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren as her own. Maggie and John had 27 great-grandchildren.

Maggie Lene was gifted and anointed to sing. That was her calling and she was faithful to the call. She was a sought after Mistress of Ceremony all over Louisiana and the region beyond. Sister Allen travelled to cities, towns and areas without names proclaiming the good news through song and singing with any group that needed her help at the time. She would promote various “singings” at the Evangelist Church of God in Christ because the late Robert Prince, Sr., enjoyed great quartet singing. The Flying Clouds of Winnfield, The Golden Links of Alexandria, The Soulettes of Colfax, The Christianaires of Alexandria, and The Inspirationals, just to name a few, were some of the groups that Sister Maggie worked so closely with in ministry. With some very close friends and co-workers, (Helen Bell, Audrey Bobb, Gilda Bobb and Betty Boss) she founded The True Believers Gospel Quartet and began to travel with gospel ministry for many years. Sister Allen became a certified counselor with the Billy Graham Crusade and had opportunity to minister in his Crusades.

Sister Allen worked in the District No. Six association of the Church of God in Christ. She was the District Choir Director of Supt. A.C. Abrams, the District Coordinator of the Women’s Department for the late District Missionary Ethel Price and District Missionary Martha Taylor until her passing.

Lene was employed all of her adult life. She worked at several employment locations in Alexandria in different capacities. She was employed at Howard Johnson’s, Herbie K’s restaurant, Cabrini Hospital and Pinecrest Supports and Services until her retirement. Lene was already intricately involved with Pinecrest before being employed because of the church’s outreach ministry. The Evangelist Church would go to Pinecrest for Sunday School before church and an Annual Christmas musical where the residents were allowed to sing and participate, receive gifts and refreshments. Maggie kept up that same ministry after becoming employed, by bringing residents home for the holidays and vacations and taking them to family reunions in and out of state. The residents of the school became part of the family due to Lene’s motherly compassion.

In addition to being employed, “Magalene” enjoyed a wide array of hobbies, social activities and community involvement. She spent a great deal of time creating, designing and painting ceramic moldings for indoor and outdoor decoration for her own house and those of others. She taught her children you didn’t have to buy expensive things to have nice things. Lene found herself another assignment, that of having a green thumb. Lene liked to be outside in nature. She could always be found in the yard planting flowers, shrubberies, rose bushes and potted plants. Lene spent a lot of her hard earned money on top soil, cement pots for plants and seeds at Lowes. She began a neighborhood garden in a vacant lot down from her parents’ home. There she grew all sorts of vegetables for her family and community to enjoy. Another lesson was taught that hard work pays off, and it was hard work indeed. Other hobbies and interests Lene had were crocheting hats, blankets, bed spreads and scarves, of which her mother was a master at stitch and sew. In her quiet, relaxing times, she enjoyed large crossword puzzles and collecting flower vases. Her favorite television shows were: Dark Shadows, Sanford and Son, and Star Trek: The Original Series. She had everyone in the house hooked on The Young and The Restless, All My Children, Days of Our Lives and Another World. Of late she began to play computerized video games and watch Network cooking shows. Maggie was the historian of the Piper and Price family ancestry. She spent countless hours in Baton Rouge at the State Library of Louisiana and Louisiana History Museum in Alexandria researching Alice Piper and Jim Price’s legacy. She was able to find and connect with family members that no else could, and many connections are made today because of the diligent efforts of Magalene.

Maggie spent a lot of her time, when she was not working, as a devoted mother to her children. She was a mother who cooked all the time, yelling to leave our Daddy some food or don’t eat all the food up from John and “Your daddy better have two drumsticks in there when he gets home.” Lene and John would ride well into the night around town with the children almost nightly, just to ride. Dairy Queen on Bolton was the family’s hot spot. Lene attended all of her children’s events from School Gumbo suppers to school plays and concerts. She attended as many if not all of her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s events that she could.

Sister Maggie Allen departed this life peacefully on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at 4PM at St. Francis Cabrini Hospital, surrounded by her beloved husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Ethel; four siblings, Alice, Walter, A.C. and Marie; in-laws, Reverend John and Beatrice Allen; one brother-in-law, Arthur Allen; great friends, Walter Todd, Lawrence Webb, great-granddaughter, A’Calyn R. Allen; and granddaughter-in-law, Sherecka Lewis-Allen.

She leaves to celebrate her legacy and cherish her memory: her husband, John E. Allen, Jr.; her five children, Michael James (Monique), John Allen III (Kandy), Evelyn Allen-Lewis, Ethel Allen-Johnson (Jimmy), and Kenneth Allen; sisters-in-law, Joann Allen, Willie D. Price, Kathy Price, Ann Price, Tracey Price, Loretta Price, Nila Price; brother-in-law, David Turner; goddaughter, Altee McMillian; 15 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and a host of loving in-laws, nieces, nephews cousins, church family and friends.