Allen Richard Linscheid, 95, died Jan. 15, 2025. He was born in 1929 at Mountain Lake, Minn. The family moved to Freeman, S.D., to pastor a Mennonite church. Pacifism was a minority position in the public school, and the family negotiated alternatives to pro-war class projects. Mennonite Central Committee provided some of those alternatives. Thus began a lifelong relationship between Allen and MCC.
Allen attended Freeman Academy and Junior College and graduated from Bethel College, focusing on debate, drama and singing.
The draft was a defining point in his life. The draft board resisted conscientious objectors. He appealed his classification of 1-A and subsequent offers of noncombatant service and deferments. MCC helped men with their CO status. Allen went before a federal judge to get his CO status. He applied to MCC for alternative service and was sent to Reedley, Calif., to work with the Voluntary Service units connected with Kings View Hospital. He met Georgia Sommer there. They were married in 1954.
Allen received his master’s degree from Stanford University and was hired as director of live programming for television Channel 12 (later 30) in Fresno. He was the first administrator of Sierra View Homes in Reedley. He then worked for Kings View Hospital as administrator for 22 years. Finally, he ran a burial plan, Pacific Mennonite Aid Society. He helped begin the West Coast Mennonite Relief Sale. He was instrumental in starting the first regional MCC and was the first chair of that board.
A member of First Mennonite Church in Reedley, he served as moderator, deacon, Sunday school teacher and choir member. Reedley Peace Center began at the church, and Allen was one of its leaders.
He is survived by his sons, Jerry (Roberta) and David; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Louis and Agnetha Linscheid; parents-in-law, David and Viola Sommer; sister, Rosemary (Harold) Moyer; wife, Georgia Linscheid; and daughter, Karen Minyard.
