H. Allen Herbst was born on October 4, 1937, in Hammond, Indiana, the son of Henry and Marie (Schmueser) Herbst. He was washed in the waters of Holy Baptism and later confirmed in the faith at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hammond, Indiana. Allen attended St. Paul Lutheran School and Hammond High School. He continued his education at Concordia Teacher’s College in River Forest, Illinois, where he met the love of his life, Judith May Lang. They were married on August 1, 1959, at St. John Lutheran Church in Beardstown, Illinois. Allen went on to get his Master’s Degree in Music from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His teaching career began at St. James Lutheran in Lafayette, Indiana, where he also served as music director. While in Lafayette, Allen and Judy were blessed with three daughters. The family’s next move was to Springfield, Illinois, where Allen taught fifth grade and served as music director at Trinity Lutheran. He later served at Trinity as principal. Allen earned his PhD in Education Administration from Sangamon State University in Springfield, Illinois and went on to serve as Education Executive for the Rocky Mountain District of the LCMS. After his retirement, Allen and Judy lived in O’Fallon, Missouri, where he was a senior consultant for Rodgers Classic Organs. Allen and Judy moved to Fort Wayne in 2014, where they became members of Emmanuel Lutheran.
Allen passed away unexpectedly in his new home at Georgetown Place Assisted Living. He was taken peacefully to his heavenly home on March 25, 2023. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judy, on March 7, 2023.
He is survived by daughters, Lori Jeanne, Lisa Beth (Timothy), and Kathy Lynne (Matthew); six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Funeral Services for Allen will take place on Saturday, April 1st, 2023, at 11:00 am at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 917 West Jefferson Blvd. Visitation will take place at Emmanuel prior to the funeral service starting at 9:00 am. Burial will take place at Concordia Cemetery, 5365 Lake Ave. Preferred memorials in Allen’s memory may be directed to the Emmanuel Lutheran School Building Fund.