Allen Rede King died Feb. 13, 2010. He was 81.

He was born March 29, 1928, to George and Lenore King in White River, S.D., the second of seven children. Following in his father’s footsteps, he was a working cowboy all his life, on ranches in Western South Dakota and in Oregon. He was a member of the PRCA at age 13 and rodeoed until his early 30s. He married Phyllis Hughes on August 6, 1954. They moved to Oregon in 1978 where they have lived since.

Allen was beloved to his family and many friends who will miss him always. He was an authentic man and spoke his truth quietly and often with a dry wit. He was a man of integrity of whom a person once said, “When Allen King says ‘because it’s just not right’, you feel it is etched in stone.”

He was Dad to daughter Georgia King, of Pendleton, sons Ethan King and his wife Brandi of Redmond and Clayton King of Terrebonne. He was Grandad to Allen King and his wife Angie of Moorhead, MN., Alexa Vein and husband Marc of Fargo, N.D., and Garrett King, Quentin King, Braeden King, Lani King and Ashlee King, all of Redmond. Stories of him will be told to his great-grandchild Sawyer and Riley King, soon-to-be born Gus King and Alaina, Haydn and Nora Vein. He was Bub to brother Clayton King and his wife Connie of Burns, brother Dick and sisters Margee and Beverly. He was Uncle Bub to Monte Beckman of Pendleton, Matt King and his wife Lisa, Carla Davies and husband Matt all of Burns, Katie Carmon and husband Jason of Nevada including great nieces and nephews Chad, Tara, Cody, MacKenzie and Jason, and many other nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Alvin and sister Lynn.

To all of them, he was a hero.