Houghton: The funeral for Allen Mettler will be 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, at St. John's Lutheran Church of Hecla.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 Thursday, with a 7 p.m. prayer service at the church.
Pastor Jay Haaland will officiate and burial with military honors will be in the Houghton Cemetery.
Allen passed away Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Sioux Falls at the age of 79.
His arrangements have been entrusted to Price Funeral Chapel of Britton.
Allen Albert Mettler was born Jan. 1, 1933, on a farm near Menno to Albert and Ida Katherine (Handel) Mettler. He was baptized in the Zion Reformed Church. The family moved to the Britton area in March 1944.
Allen attended country school and Britton High School. He joined the U.S. Army on Jan. 7, 1954. He served in Korea and was honorably discharged on Oct. 25, 1955.
On July 21, 1956, he married Marian Gagnum in Aberdeen. To this union, one son, Rick, was born.
Allen was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Houghton, the Roy Hall Post No. 58 of the American Legion of Columbia, the Masonic Lodge and the Yelduz Shrine. He had served for many years on the Shelby Township Board, the Columbia Collection Point and the Huffton G.A.P. He was a 4-H leader for 40 years.
Allen had a great love for his family, his farm and his cattle. He showed a Grand Champion steer in Chicago in 1953, which was bought by Arthur Godfrey.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Marian Mettler of Houghton; his son, Rick Mettler, Houghton; three grandchildren: Angela (Tom) Davis, Pensacola, Fla., Jason (Cindy) Mettler, Columbia, and April Mettler, Tucson, Ariz.; two great-grandchildren: Atalee and Marshall Mettler; a stepgreat-grandchild, Jacob Goehring; four sisters and two brothers: Leatrice (Edwin) Aman, Freeman, Cleva Wallace, Britton, Robert (Myrna) Mettler, Grandin, N.D., Marianne Kilker, Shorewood, Minn., James (Barb) Mettler, Britton, Karen (Bob) Ditmanson, Chandler, Ariz.; and many nieces, nephews and their families.
Preceding him in death were his parents; and a sister, Bernice Planteen.
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