Mitchel Lee Allmon, age 98, died on July 30, 2024. He was born on October 4, 1925, in Campbell, Texas, the second of three children born to Norman and Mary Allmon. Mitch grew up on a farm near Lovington, New Mexico. When Mitch was 17, he moved to San Francisco for a year to work as a welder at a naval shipyard, building WWII troop transport ships.
In 1944, when Mitch was 18, he was inducted into the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII. He was trained in communications and learned to code and decode telephone and radio messages. He served in the South Pacific in the 1st Marine Division, including time in Guadalcanal, and ultimately fought in the Battle of Okinawa. He waded ashore Okinawa on April 1, 1945, amid mass casualties. He was in Okinawa approximately three months and accompanied the Company Commander while carrying a 35-pound communications radio. When the war ended, Mitch served another 9 months as part of the U.S. Marine Corps occupation of China. He was Honorably Discharged as a Sargeant on August 13, 1946, which he always referred to as his “lucky day”.
After returning from the war, Mitch attended Central College in McPherson, KS. It was there that he met the love of his life, Mary “Joyce” Wester. They shared an instant bond and married soon after on April 4, 1949.
While in college, Mitch and two other “GI’s”, Ed Pyle and Larry Clark, started building houses in 1948. The three formed Pyle Construction Company, and they worked together until Mitch retired in 1991. Mitch was initially a finish carpenter but as the business grew, he became a Superintendent and oversaw the building of hundreds of homes, and more than 400 churches, banks, schools, and various types of commercial construction.
Mitch was a man of few words, but his kindness, and generosity with his time, talents, and resources were his trademark. With his construction experience, Mitch had the ability to repair, remodel, or build almost anything, from small projects to large. He used these skills to help others and volunteered for countless projects at his church, Central College, Craftsman for Christ, mission trips, and Habitat for Humanity, where he volunteered into his nineties. He was the “Servant Leader Award” recipient in 2013 at Central College for all his contributions to the college. Mitch was a member of the McPherson Free Methodist Church for over 70 years and served on the Board of Trustees, as an usher, and as a youth group leader.
Mitch deeply loved his family and made family activities and travel a priority. This often involved packing up the station wagon and hand crafted “pop-up” camper and heading to one of the coasts or boating on an area lake. In their retirement, RVing across the country was a highlight for Mitch and Joyce. Mitch was always proud of the 118,000 miles they traveled in their motorhome.
Mitch and Joyce resided in McPherson throughout their 74-year marriage. They lived in the house they built in 1955 until May 2023, when they moved to assisted living at The Cedars in McPherson. Mitch and Joyce shared a special love and devotion to each other and ultimately just wanted more time together. Joyce died in August 2023. Mitch is survived by his children Garry (Linda) Allmon, Sharon Allmon, Jeff (Rick Tyler) Allmon, and Rhonda (Leigh) Ramsdale, and grandchildren Tom Allmon, Jamie Marr, Ashley Allmon, Bryan Ramsdale, Courtney Ramsdale, and five great-grandchildren.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Instead of flowers, please consider making donations to “McPherson Area Habitat for Humanity”. Donations can be made through Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 N. Chestnut St., McPherson, KS 67460.