Sam Allen was known to many as more than just a student at Southeast Missouri State University, he was an irreplaceable friend and unforgettable brother.
Allen died at the age of 23 on Thursday, August 4, following a single-car accident.
Allen was born on Dec. 29, 1989, in Jerseyville, Ill., the youngest of six children to Lawrence and Penelope (Overcash) Allen. He was studying agricultural business at Southeast and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
"My relationship with Sam was one that was always positive," Sigma Phi Epsilon president Andrew Lerch said. "He was more than just a fraternity brother. Sam was a great friend and someone that was always willing to help or give advice whenever I needed it."
Lerch said Allen brought many benefits to the chapter that were not always recognizable to the outside eye.
"His laid-back attitude and insight were always very helpful to every issue we faced as a chapter," Lerch said. "His willingness to work hard behind the scenes for events like homecoming and Greek Week was irreplaceable. Perhaps the greatest part of having Sam in Sig Ep was his ability to be a positive mentor to all of our younger members."
Close friend and Southeast senior La-Shl Aters recalled the fun times she had with Allen.
"The last memory I had with Sam was when a small group of us all sung and danced around the Alamo [a Sig Ep house on Dunklin Street] one night," Aters said. "We were like dancing circles around the coffee table, but it was so much fun. I'll never forget it or any other memory I had of him. He is an unforgettable person."
One of Allen's closest friends and fraternity brothers was a pallbearer at his funeral and said he is trying to cope with Allen's death day by day.
"He was my best friend," Steven Kolisch said. "I lived with him all freshman year, and we were close ever since we rushed together. He was the kind of guy that would get up in the middle of the night when he had a test or work the next morning, just to pick up his brothers and take us to Taco Bell just for the hell of it. He did everything for me no matter what I needed. He was always there."
Kolisch didn't want to go into detail about his death or the funeral. Kolisch said he was happy to do it and that it was a tough summer.
According to his obituary in the Telegraph, Allen is survived by his parents, Larry Allen of Grafton and Penny Allen of Jerseyville; three brothers and sisters-in-law, Seth and Stacy Allen of Grafton, Dustin and Amy Elliot of Jerseyville, and Josh and Gretchen Allen of Kankakee; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Hannah and RJ Lancaster of Kankakee, and Frances Allen of Jerseyville; his grandmother, Eileen Allen of Godfrey, formerly of Grafton.
A mass and christian burial took place at 11 a.m., Monday, July 8, at the St. Patrick Catholic Church in Grafton. Allen was buried in the Scenic Hill Cemetery in Grafton.
Because of Allen's love for farming, memorial donations may be made to the Jersey County Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation to further assist students studying agriculture.
"We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support," said Allen's family in his obituary. "We already miss him and our hearts are broken."
