Allan Willard Burleson, 94

Allan Willard Burleson, 94, passed away, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006, in Sandpoint, ID.

Allan was born on March 11, 1912 in Jamestown, N.D. He was the fourth son of Rev. Edward Welles Burleson, an Episcopal priest, and Alice Wilcox Burleson. The family moved in 1912 to Sandpoint, Idaho. His father was reassigned in 1919 to Palouse, Wash. Allan attended school there, graduating from Palouse High School. He attended Washington State College (now WSU), then Hobart College, N.Y., from which he graduated in 1934.

His father had been wounded in a gun accident a few years earlier and was hospitalized in Spokane, requiring that Allan interrupt his schooling to tend to his father's ranch north of Sandpoint. Allan later did graduate studies at Columbia University, earning a master's degree in English. He then taught English at Hobart College until he was drafted during Word War II.

In the Army, Allan trained in Wisconsin and then was assigned to an infantry division in Patton's Third Army. He saw action in the Battle of the Bulge and later earned a Bronze Star for heroic action when his unit was preparing to cross a major river near the German border.

In the post-war years, Allan taught English and algebra at Sandpoint High School while also looking after his elderly father and dependent elder brother. After they had passed on, Allan devoted much time to the history of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, serving as secretary of the Eastern Washington Historical Society for many years. He also tended to the interests of aged friends in northern Idaho and Spokane and helped them find their genealogical roots until his own advancing age slowed him down.

Allan was also a 70-year member of The Masonic Order. Ark Lodge No. 33 F & AM. Geneva, New York.

Living in his final years at the Life Care Center of Sandpoint, Allan found that some residents there were former students of his. Allan is survived by a niece, several nephews and numerous cousins around the United States, most of whom fondly recall his warmth and sharp wit and are indebted to him for his efforts over the years to unearth and preserve family history.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Allan's memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his online guest book.