Obituary for Arlene Allison

J. Arlene Allison died Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at Grand Haven Retirement Community, Eldridge, Iowa. A memorial service will be at 2:00 PM, May 29, 2024, at Asbury United Methodist Church, Bettendorf, Iowa. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. The service will be live streamed at www.jesusisthebridge.org, scroll and tap the red YouTubeLIVE button. Memorials may be made to Asbury United Methodist Church or Lovely Lane United Methodist Church.

Arlene was born February 17,1926, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the youngest of nine children born to William Mahlon Rose and Grace Ellen (Russell) Rose. She graduated from Franklin High School in 1944, then trained and worked as a lab technician at the former St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. 

Arlene was married to Blake H. Shipton in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on October 26, 1947. They had one daughter. Blake preceded her in death on July 4, 1980. She married E. William (Bill) Allison in Cedar Rapids on July 21, 1983, and welcomed his four children and their families into her life. Bill preceded her in death on March 9, 2021. 

Arlene was employed as a secretary at Kirkwood Community College for 25 years, retiring in 1991. She was a very active member of Lovely Lane United Methodist Church and All Church Singles where she and Bill met. They enjoyed many years of fellowship and activities with the group. After retirement she and Bill volunteered at the Oldorf Hospice House. In 2017 they moved to assisted living in Davenport, Iowa to be closer to her daughter. While living in the Quad Cities they joined Asbury United Methodist Church in Bettendorf.

Arlene is survived by her daughter, Jan (Craig) Windmiller of Bettendorf, Iowa; grandsons Ryan (Dawn) Windmiller and Reed (Carol) Windmiller; great-grandchildren, Rylan, Daxon and Remy; Bill’s children, Vickie (Ward) Leek, Roseanna (Kerry) Thompson, Daniel (Tina) Allison, Susan Allison-Hiebert and their families; three nieces and two nephews. In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents, six brothers and two sisters.

Arlene’s family would like to thank the staff at Grand Haven for their love and care of Arlene during her time there. Thank you, also, to Carol Jackson of the Asbury Parish Nurse program and the Genesis Hospice care team for their care over the past year.