The following is the eulogy for my Grandfather, written and presented by my brother, Dennis Allen.

" Thomas William Allen, better known as "Slim" was born on July 13, 1917 at Indian Head, Saskatchewan.

In 1931, Grandpa left Indian Head and headed West. With a quick count of years, you'll realize that Grandpa was only 14 years old when he was ready to take on the world in the pains of the Depression.

Grandpa had many stories of that era of his life. Even as a young man, he could realize the stresses that the Depression put on people, but as a young man with no responsibilities, left him with many good memories. The story he liked was when he was riding the rails and fell asleep on top of the car. When the train stopped it was foggy and when he woke up he thought he had died and thought this must be Heaven. Then the train moved, he realized he was still on the car. he got off at the next station, went inside and curled up on a bench and went to sleep. When he woke up there was his brother. They visited for a bit and then both went their own ways.

After those years he took to cowboying in Southern Alberta. For a brief stint he teamed up with world champion Pete Knight on the rodeo circuit, but Pete convinced Grandpa he was too tall to be a rodeo cowboy and to find a different calling.

So, Grandpa took to working ranches in the South. It was then that he signed on at the Beaver Camp Ranch at Nanton where he met a beautiful lady named Violet Forsythe. It was February 9, 1939 that they married and began their 65 year partnership.

In September 1939 Grandpa enlisted in the army and it was during his service years that Norman, Bob, and Ernie came along. Grandpa served with the 4th Armored Division in England, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. These are years that changed men forever. The things that they seen and did took the possibility of a normal life and world away from them forever.

I've had the pleasure of many hours of stories but the one picture that stuck in my head the most is that through all that hell, Grandpa did have the habit of dwelling mostly on the good times.

In September 1945 Grandpa came home, packed up his family, and headed to a farm near Berwyn. Once again the family grew with the arrival of Shirley and Mary.

I was quite surprised to learn how community minded my Grandpa was through those years. He was one of the founding members of the North Peace Stampede Association. He was on the Agriculture Service Board. He was instrumental in the start of the 4-H in the area. He was a founding member of the North Peace Feeder Association and served as a supervisor. Every cattle industry needs a place to market their product, so he became a shareholder in the Berwyn Auction Mart. He also in those early days, had the pound for stray livestock. He was a very active member in the Legion in those years. this is very understandable for many vets found comfort with their peers because they understood the world each other had served. Grandpa was also an avid volunteer. I remember hearing stories as I was growing up of him "cleaning out" the Lac Cardinal Hall...

In 1971 Grandpa and Grandma sold the farm to my parents, Bob and Lois. The ranch lands of the south called them again. With his knowledge of horses and cattle, and his military training this gave him the ability to give men directions. He took jobs as ranch foreman at Pincher Creek, Claresholm, and Turner Valley.

Both him and Grandma had a love for the south and many good friends that kept in touch through the years. My sisters and I had the privilege of staying down there during the summer holidays. Many stories and adventures came out of those years but one he could never quite live down was a night of socializing when in the wee hours of the morning it was decided that the skunk that wandered in the garage should be shot. Well, through blurry eyes, Grandpa shot himself a deep freeze. The skunk perfumed the garage and everything in the deep freeze was ruined. We're not too sure of the outcome of the skunk, though.

In 1980 they returned to the Grande Prairie area where his love for horses continued. He was instrumental in the foundation of PARDS and continued with them for the next 12 years.

A horse sale wasn't really a horse sale unless slim was wandering around somewhere, whether he was buying, selling or just passing judgment on a crop of colts. His opinion was valued by all. He trained horses until he was 80 years young and then decided the ground was too darned hard. Grandpa could get a horse to go just about anywhere. He rode through the Sutherland Inn on one occasion. When he broke his shoulder he was riding a gree horse and he had roped a calf. Well that horse let into bucking and it bucked right into the box of a pick-up truck when they went their separate directions. I could just imagine the doctor's face when he heard that story....an old cowboy who thought he was riding a bucking horse in the back of a pick-up, let alone one that was green.

1992 Grandpa was honored with the title of Wagon Master for the Grande Prairie Stompede. In his 86th summer I had the privilege of going riding with him for his last time. It was a very good day.

Grandpa was predeceased by one grandson, also by the name of Thomas, four brothers, ken, Percy, cliff, and Jack and four sisters, Bell, Bea, Elva, and Emma. In 2004 he lost his partner in life, Violet. His five kids are here. He has 16 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.

All men die, but very few really live and that's what we need to celebrate today - a life well lived."