Mr. of Apple Valley, Minnesota, formerly of Rockford, Michigan, age 97, passed away on the evening of Sunday, December 17, 2017, and rests now in the arms of his Lord and Savior. Clarence was born to Walter and Crystal (Dear) Allen on Sunday, December 21, 1919, in Birmingham, MI. Raised on his family farm, he hand-milked cows, cleaned the barns, plowed the fields by horse, and gathered hay the old-fashioned way. It was Clarence’s brother, Bob, who set him up on a blind date with Bernice Terry. At the time, Clarence owned a 1936 Ford coupe. He and Bernice dated and then married in Ortonville, Michigan by Pastor John Afman on November 11, 1944. Clarence was a man of great faith— his life verse was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In 1947, he went to work for the Genesee County Road Commission. He started by working with the tar gang, filling cracks in the road, driving truck and operating heavy equipment. Through very hard work, he moved his way up the ranks and retired in 1981 as the Superintendent of a Road Commission District. After retirement, Clarence and Bernice moved to Leisure Village in Rockford, to be closer to family, and joined their grounds maintenance staff for 27 years before finally retiring at age 92. All his life, he enjoyed fishing and hunting, especially fox hunting with his brother Harold.  For years he would hunt for deer in the Upper Peninsula near Paradise with his brothers and nephews for a week every year. He felt his greatest achievement in life was being a godly husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Clarence is survived by his children, Garry Allen of Burnsville, MN and Sherryl Shadle of Apple Valley, MN; grandchildren, Jereme (Terry) Allen, Jennifer (Yancey) Stam, Shelly (James) Wilkins; seven great grandchildren; former daughter-in-law Dariel Allen; brother Bob Allen; sister Joyce Lucas; numerous nieces, nephews, and other beloved members of the Allen family. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Bernice Louise Allen on September 12, 2017; son Terry Allen on July 24, 1949; son-in-law William Shadle; and seven siblings. There will be a time of visitation from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 27, 2017, at Pederson Funeral Home, 127 N. Monroe Street NE, Rockford, MI 49341. A Service of Praise and Thanksgiving will be celebrated by Pastor Ben Phebus at 10:00 a.m., on Thursday, December 28, 2017, at Blythefield Hills Baptist Church, 6727 Kuttshill Drive NE, Rockford, MI 49341. Clarence will be laid to rest in Ortonville Cemetery, Oakland County, Michigan. A committal service will be offered in the chapel at the cemetery at 1:30 p.m.