Renella (Davis) Allen

Renella Jean Cherry Allen, 83, was born on November 21, 1933 in Columbus, Ohio. She passed away after a short illness, March 21, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. She attended Champion Jr. High School and East High School before moving briefly to Chicago, Illinois where she attended Hyde Park High School. Friends loving called her Ray. Renella married the love of her life Herbert M. Allen Jr. in 1971 in East St. Louis, Illinois. She worked for the Federal Government for 14 years, transferring in 1964 to St. Louis, Missouri. She retired in 1976. She was a member of the House of Prayer West Church for many years where she taught Sunday school. She loved reading the Bible and all types of books. She enjoyed traveling with her husband and playing the organ. Over the years, she owned and dearly loved several dogs, all of them either a Shih Tzu’s or mixed with Shih Tzu. Renella was a fighter having survived cancer and major heart surgery. Renella is preceded in death by her mother Jean Davis Banks, father Dennis Cherry, loving aunt Jane E. Davis, brothers Ronald Dennis Cherry and Romero Cherry. She is survived by her loving husband Herbert M. Allen Jr., son Ronald A. (Rebecca) Gray, Pahrump, NV, stepsons Herbert (Sue) Allen III, Seattle, WA and Clinton (Karen) Allen, Columbus, OH, sisters Andrea Hernandez and Martha Cozzens, both of Columbus, OH, niece Rhonda Cherry (Brian) White, Indianapolis, IN, nephew Ronald T. Cherry, Columbus, OH, great niece Destiny White, Indianapolis, IN and great nephew Christopher Cherry Guay, Columbus, OH, grandchildren Ronald Christopher Gray, Tiffany Gray, Herbert IV, Lisa, Sabrina and Melanie Allen, sister-in-law Mary Jane Meadley, Gahanna, OH, brothers-in-law Louis A. (Donna) Allen, San Salvador, Bahamas and David Allen, Columbus, OH, and special longtime friends Bertha Brownlee, Darlene Bell, Margaret J. Walters and Sue Long, all of St. Louis, MO and a host of other relatives and friends.