Rev. James Edward "Eddie" Allen, 84, of Tifton died Saturday, August 7, 2010, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on Monday, August 9, 2010, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton's First Baptist Church. Dr. W. Ches Smith III, Rev. Brantley Seymour and Rev. Bill Rippy will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Terry Walls, Mickey McSwain, Jody McSwain, Ricky Powell, Patrick Moon, Jamie Allen, Ray Lilly, Allen Mathis and Floyd Moon will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be ministers of all faiths. The family will receive friends on Monday, August 9, 2010, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the Memorial Chapel of Tifton's First Baptist Church.
Rev. Allen was born on April 3, 1926 in Tift County and was the son of Rev. Lyman Banks Allen and Ora Connell Allen, both deceased. He was also preceded by his first wife, Judy Ivey Allen; his second wife, Christine Sumner Davis Allen; four brothers, Henry Banks Allen, Wilson Allen, Earl Allen and Al Allen; and four sisters, Mildred Moon, Orene Greene, Alice Powell and Francis Southard.
Rev. Allen was a World War II veteran of the United States Navy and a retired minister and postmaster. He was a member of Eastside Baptist Church.
Rev. Allen is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Kenneth Edward and Cindy Allen of Dasher; two daughters and one son-in-law, Iris and Emory Mathis of Hahira and Maria Pope of Enigma; three step-daughters, Joann Davis Mangham of Tifton, Janice Davis Potts of Tifton and Genny Davis Marchant and her husband, Walt, of Suwanee; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Earline Allen of Tifton, Betty Jean and Pat Walls of Tifton and Mila and Cecil Harrison of Cedartown; his grandchildren, Allen Mathis, Danielle Graham, Samantha and Michael Pope, Krista Lilly, Charley Gray and Misty Gordon; and eight great grandchildren.