Two new benches honor long-time Lake Panorama resident
Posted 6/8/21
Courtney P. Allen Sr. had a long history at Lake Panorama.
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times
Courtney P. Allen Sr. passed away Oct. 11, 2020. Three days later, a Celebration of Life gathering was held at the Panorama West clubhouse. Burial of his cremains was Oct. 19 at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter.
Allen had a long history at Lake Panorama. He was a stockholder in Mid-Iowa Lakes in about 1965, bought his first lot in 1969, and traded it in 1971 for the one near Sunset Beach where he and his wife Dilma built a home in 1980. They moved to Lake Panorama permanently in 1984.
After his death, many Lake Panorama friends donated money for a future memorial. That money was used to provide two new benches honoring Allen — one at the Panorama West golf course, another at Sunset Beach.
The bench at Panorama West is located on the ninth tee box. The granite bench is engraved with these words: “Golf is a beautiful walk spoiled by a little white ball.”
Courtney Allen Jr., who moved to the Allen home at Lake Panorama more than a year ago to help his parents, says much of the financial support for this bench came from Courtney’s golfing buddies at Panorama West.
“He loved and so looked forward to his Thursday morning league play, and any other chance he had to play a round of golf,” Allen Jr. says.
Allen Sr. turned 93 on June 25, 2020, which was a Thursday. He said at the time he thought it would be fun to have a party for himself with his best friends. He celebrated with the Panorama West Thursday morning men’s golf league by throwing a surprise party for himself. He brought pastry items for league members, then paid for ice cream, candy and drinks for anyone else who played at Panorama West that day.
“One consolation for our loss is that he enjoyed a life well-lived,” says Allen Jr. “We placed that bench on the golf course so his memory and presence can live on to celebrate his full life of love, laughter and kindness.”
A dedication of the bench at Sunset Beach was held May 25 with friends from the neighborhood attending. Courtney Allen Jr. said his father “wasn’t all about himself. He was about everyone else.” He handed helium-filled balloons to several people in the crowd.
Dilma Allen, sitting on the new bench, was the first to release her balloon. Allen Jr. then called on others, one at a time, to release theirs.
“It’s each of you, and the people you represent, who make the Lake Panorama community what it is today,” he said.
Several in attendance told stories about their connections to Courtney Allen Sr. There were nods of agreement when one person said,“They broke the mold when they made Courtney.”
The bench at Sunset Beach is positioned near a small jetty of land protecting the beach area and was chosen because Courtney Allen Sr. loved to sit and watch the lake, especially at sunset. The memorial plaque on the bench calls Allen “One of Lake Panorama’s First Friends” because of the many friends he had and his long-time involvement in the community.
The Panora and Lake Panorama Area Economic Development Group, known as PRIDE, met in person at the Lake Panorama National Conference Center on June 3 after a year of video conferencing due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Courtney P. Allen Sr. had a long history at Lake Panorama.
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times
Courtney P. Allen Sr. passed away Oct. 11, 2020. Three days later, a Celebration of Life gathering was held at the Panorama West clubhouse. Burial of his cremains was Oct. 19 at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter.
Allen had a long history at Lake Panorama. He was a stockholder in Mid-Iowa Lakes in about 1965, bought his first lot in 1969, and traded it in 1971 for the one near Sunset Beach where he and his wife Dilma built a home in 1980. They moved to Lake Panorama permanently in 1984.
After his death, many Lake Panorama friends donated money for a future memorial. That money was used to provide two new benches honoring Allen — one at the Panorama West golf course, another at Sunset Beach.
The bench at Panorama West is located on the ninth tee box. The granite bench is engraved with these words: “Golf is a beautiful walk spoiled by a little white ball.”
Courtney Allen Jr., who moved to the Allen home at Lake Panorama more than a year ago to help his parents, says much of the financial support for this bench came from Courtney’s golfing buddies at Panorama West.
“He loved and so looked forward to his Thursday morning league play, and any other chance he had to play a round of golf,” Allen Jr. says.
Allen Sr. turned 93 on June 25, 2020, which was a Thursday. He said at the time he thought it would be fun to have a party for himself with his best friends. He celebrated with the Panorama West Thursday morning men’s golf league by throwing a surprise party for himself. He brought pastry items for league members, then paid for ice cream, candy and drinks for anyone else who played at Panorama West that day.
“One consolation for our loss is that he enjoyed a life well-lived,” says Allen Jr. “We placed that bench on the golf course so his memory and presence can live on to celebrate his full life of love, laughter and kindness.”
A dedication of the bench at Sunset Beach was held May 25 with friends from the neighborhood attending. Courtney Allen Jr. said his father “wasn’t all about himself. He was about everyone else.” He handed helium-filled balloons to several people in the crowd.
Dilma Allen, sitting on the new bench, was the first to release her balloon. Allen Jr. then called on others, one at a time, to release theirs.
“It’s each of you, and the people you represent, who make the Lake Panorama community what it is today,” he said.
Several in attendance told stories about their connections to Courtney Allen Sr. There were nods of agreement when one person said,“They broke the mold when they made Courtney.”
The bench at Sunset Beach is positioned near a small jetty of land protecting the beach area and was chosen because Courtney Allen Sr. loved to sit and watch the lake, especially at sunset. The memorial plaque on the bench calls Allen “One of Lake Panorama’s First Friends” because of the many friends he had and his long-time involvement in the community.
The Panora and Lake Panorama Area Economic Development Group, known as PRIDE, met in person at the Lake Panorama National Conference Center on June 3 after a year of video conferencing due to COVID-19 restrictions.