The Family of Bernice Crawford Allen and George James Allen
Bernice Crawford, born around 1892, spent her early years in Dodge City, Kansas. By 1900, she was living on 4th Avenue and remained in Dodge City through the 1910s. On November 10, 1911, she married George James Allen in Dodge City.
George was born December 22, 1885, in Belpre, Edwards County, Kansas. By the time of his marriage to Bernice, he was working as an engineer and later a mechanic, with employment at the Santa Fe Trail Garage in Cimarron, Kansas.
Life in Cimarron, Kansas
Shortly after their marriage, the couple settled in Cimarron, Gray County, Kansas, where they would raise their family. They experienced both joy and tragedy in the early years of their marriage. Between 1912 and 1920, they lost four children—three unnamed sons and one unnamed daughter—shortly after birth.
Despite these losses, George and Bernice raised four children to adulthood:
1. George Judson Allen
Born April 1, 1914, in Cimarron, George Judson later went by “Judson.” He grew up in Kansas and later moved with the family to Tucson, Arizona. He married Marie Antoinette Catera on November 10, 1939, in Pinal, Arizona. Judson registered for the WWII draft in Tucson and worked as a taxi driver. The couple lived in Santa Monica and Westminster, California, before Judson’s death on October 21, 1969, in Millard County, Utah. He was buried in Holden Cemetery in Utah. Marie passed away in 2007 in California.
2. Charmaine Aletha Allen
Charmaine was born March 13, 1916, in Cimarron and spent her early years in Kansas and Arizona. On February 22, 1934, she married Fred Alvis, who was born in Texas. The couple lived in San Bernardino and later Dallas, Texas. Charmaine died in Dallas on January 30, 1976, and is buried at Little Bethel Memorial Park in Duncanville, Texas. Fred passed away in April 1974.
3. Bernice Arlene Allen
Born January 23, 1922, in Cimarron, Bernice Arlene moved to Tucson with her family and later settled in Oroville, Butte County, California. She married Ernest Vernon Bradley on October 15, 1941, and the couple later divorced in 1970. Bernice died on September 15, 1988, in California.
4. Theda Ruth Allen
Theda was born October 30, 1924, in Cimarron and was also raised in Arizona. She married Robert Edwin Frisch on October 19, 1957. The couple lived in Tucson and later Lawndale, California. Robert passed away in 1979, and Theda died on November 2, 1994, in Tucson.
Later Years
By the 1930s, the Allen family had relocated to Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, residing at 1500 Park Avenue for many years. George registered for the draft again in 1942, this time in Los Angeles, California, suggesting some movement between Arizona and California.
Bernice Allen passed away on August 2, 1959, in Kelseyville, Lake County, California, at the age of 67. She was laid to rest in Kelseyville Cemetery.
Her husband, George James Allen, outlived her by several years. He died on November 7, 1963, at the age of 77, and was buried beside her in Kelseyville Cemetery.
This family’s journey from Dodge City to Cimarron, Tucson, and finally California reflects a common migration path of 20th-century Americans in search of work and opportunity. Through hardship and relocation, Bernice and George raised a family whose descendants spread across the West and Southwest.
Check Out Bernice Crawford’s profile
- FamilySearch 9V5K-DNQ
- WikiTree Crawford-8398
- Ancestry Tree: Heartland Genealogy