Elder William D. Allen, Jr., 76, Harrisonville, MO, died Sunday, May 1, 2011 at Golden Years Care Center in Harrisonville. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 7, 2011 at the Atkinson Chapel in Harrisonville. Burial will be in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville. Friends may call from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, May 6 at the chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to Good Shepherd Hospice, 7611 State Line Road, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64114.

William was born July 31, 1934 in Harrisonville, MO, the son of William Delcina and Violetta Mariah (Wynn) Allen. He attended school in Kansas City, MO and graduated from Harrisonville High School. He married Ruby Lucile Batsell on April 1, 1972 in Moberly, MO.

William worked for AT&T for 17 years and then Sioux Chief for another 10 years before retiring in 1998. He was Pastor of Berea Church of God in Christ in Harrisonville for eight years. He was active in the Western Missouri #2 Jurisdiction, Church of God in Christ.

William was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Mineola Hupp and Bertha Allen. He is survived by his wife, Ruby Lucile Allen, of the home; one sister, L. Joyce Batsell and her husband, Richard, Minneapolis, MN; two nephews, Richard Batsell, II and L. Jason Batsell, both of Minneapolis, MN; three nieces, Yovetta J. McIntosh, Vanessa Hupp and Beatrice Rodriguez, all of Kansas City, MO; goddaughter, Katina Williams, Columbia, MO; two godsons, Montey McClain, Columbia, MO and Minister DeWayne Long, Paris, MO; 14 great nieces and nephews and 8 great-great-nieces and nephews. William was instrumental in helping raise Richard Lewis, Leonard Lewis, Fred Lewis, Melvin Lewis, Michael Lewis, James Collier, Phil Collier, Maurice Handy and Patricia Stroud.