November 30, 1935 – January 14, 2021
Allen Lee Zehr, 85, of Bedford, died Jan. 14 in Indianapolis Methodist Hospital after a two-week battle with COVID-19.
He was born Nov. 30, 1935 in Foosland, Ill., to Harold and Alma Zehr. On June 22, 1957, he married Carol Miller, and she survives, along with 2 sons: Dr. Sandore Lee (Lisa) Zehr of Bedford, Stuart Douglas (Kendalee) Zehr of Skillman, New Jersey; 1 daughter Stacy Ellen (Mark) Hoffman, of Florissant, Missouri; 6 grandchildren: Kristen(Jeremy), Kelsey(Justin), Adam(Michelle), Krizia, Aaron and Abby; and 5 great-grandchildren: Gibson, Emry, Jarrett, Drake and Maris.
He was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, three brothers, and three sisters. A sister, Hazel Yoder of Goshen, Ind., survives.
Allen spent his life helping others and was known for his kind, gentle spirit and sense of humor. He was a man of faith, serving with his wife Carol doing mission work in the 1950s in Puerto Rico, where he worked on projects to help increase dairy production and develop agricultural infrastructure to improve the standard of living. He was a long-time active member of the Bedford Free Methodist Church and an active supporter of charitable projects. He was a psychiatric social worker and therapist and worked for many years as director of the Bedford Mental Health Center. He later founded the psychiatric counseling service at Bedford Regional Medical Center, where he worked until retirement.
He was good-natured, well-loved and self-deprecating. He enjoyed spending time with his grand- and great-grandchildren, bragged about his children frequently and savored every phone call, visit, meal and basketball game he shared with them.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Strategic Ministry Partnerships International’s Support for Uganda program, which has struggled to find food during the pandemic. Checks can be made out to SMPI and sent to Grace Christian Fellowship, 300 Timothy Drive, Sturgis, Mich., 49091.
Private family funeral arrangements are entrusted to Cresthaven Funeral Home, entombment will be in Cresthaven Memory Gardens.
