Douglas “Doug” Allen, of Little Suamico, was selected as the 51st member of the Oconto Falls Wall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place May 31, the same day as the 2015 Oconto Falls High School graduation celebration.
The Wall of Fame was created to honor former graduates who have been successful in life and to serve as an inspiration for today’s students. Members of the Class of 50 past nominated Allen for the honor, and a plaque in his honor will be hung in the 500 hallway of the high school.
Allen was born in Green Bay. At the age of 2 he moved to Little Suamico when his parents bought the Allen family farm from his grandparents. He attended Little Suamico Elementary, graduating from eighth grade in 1961.
At Oconto Falls High School, Allen was involved in the National Honor Society and served as FFA secretary. He graduated in 1965 and has many fond memories of friends and events from high school.
After high school he attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay at the Deckner Avenue campus. After two years of college, he realized that farming was in his blood. Not wanting to have a career behind a desk, he formed a partnership with his parents and began his lifelong connection with agriculture.
He met Susan Steier at a dance, and two years later, in October 1969, they were married. Their family grew with the birth of twins in July 1970. Five more children followed over the next 15 years. When Allen’s parents retired in 1979, he and Sue bought the farm and became the fourth generation of the family to own the homestead.
Despite being a busy farmer and family man, Allen pursued his interest in public service. Starting with the Little Suamico Volunteer Fire Department, he began a lifetime devotion to community activities. While his children were in school, Allen served 12 years on the Oconto Falls School Board. He and his wife also helped organize a 4-H club in Little Suamico that continues today.
A strong advocate for local dairy farmers, Allen was a board member of the Oconto County Farm Service Agency for 18 years. As his community began to change with farmland being sold for development, he worked with other citizens to establish the Little Suamico Zoning Commission to help guide the community into the future. He served on the Little Suamico Town Board for eight years and as a member of the Oconto Electric Cooperative board for more than 31 years.
In 2013, at the age of 66, Allen moved into semi-retirement. He sold the dairy operation but continues to crop farm and raise young stock. He stays busy with his Oliver tractor collection, being active in his community and spending time with his seven children and 12 grandchildren.
