"Milt was a great scientist, mentor and friend. His legacy will live on in his scientific contributions and in those of us who had the great fortune to know him. Thank you Milt!!!"
In loving memory of
Milton Allison
May 10, 1931 - March 6, 2022
Milton Allison, age 90, of Ames, the best and kindest man many of us have ever known, died on Sunday March 6, 2022, at Green Hills Health Care in Ames, Iowa.
A gathering of friends and family will be 4-6:00 p.m. Monday March 14, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way Ames, with a Celebration of Life memorial service at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 15, at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, 209 Colorado Ave., Ames, Iowa. Inurnment will be in St. Andrews Columbarium.
Milton was born on May 10, 1931 in South Dakota, the son of James Albert and Gunda Mathilda (Amdahl) Allison. He graduated from South Shore High School in 1949. He received his B.S and M.S degrees from South Dakota State University. He married Marjorie Peterson on December 27,1953. He was inducted in the US Army and after an honorable discharge he received his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Maryland. Milton worked at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa retiring in 1993. In his career, he was considered a top research person in the area of rumen and other bacterial metabolism. He had such a passion for his research, that upon retirement he continued to work on special projects at NADC and maintained a lab at ISU up until his death.
He was an active member of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church where he sang tenor in the choir and served on numerous boards. Milton loved growing up on Punished Women's Lake in South Shore South Dakota and from that idyllic boyhood grew a life long love for fishing. Some of his very favorite times were spent on his boat fishing for Walleye with his buddies, his brother Paul, his nephews, his children and his grandchildren. Milt had a way of listening to everyone with a quiet smile on his face, asking thoughtful questions and assuming the best of all.
Milton is survived by his wife Marjorie Allison of Ames, his South Dakota sweetheart, who agreed to get a ride back home with him from college and fell in love with him even though he was a year younger than her. He is also survived by daughters, Linda (Hessam) Rejvani, Brenda Allison (James Trahan), and a son Bradley, grandchildren, Kelsey (Kyle) Dunn, Hunter Torgerson, Lauren Rejvani (Julian Hirschbaum) and Alex Rejvani, a great granddaughter Sofia Dunn, sister, Ruth (Vic) Godfrey and four nephews, Ryun Godfrey, Nathan Godfrey, Michael Pearce and Monte Kramer.
Milton was preceded in death by his parents, a 4 year old brother Orlyn Allison and a brother, Paul Allison.
Memorials may be directed to St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Lakes Life Skills in Spirit Lake Iowa or NAMI of Central Iowa.
Online condolences may be directed to: www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com
Tributes
"As residents of Green Hills, we came to know Milt as friendly, kind and engaging. However, it was during the past year, when we ate dinner with Milt as part of a group of about 8 residents that came together for fish dinner once a week that we got to know his broad interests in bacteria, pandemics, his family, the environment, music and much more. We very much enjoyed his company and were shocked to learn why he did not attend last week?s fish dinner. Our condolences to Marge and her family."
"An amazing man, a great loss to the world. I have known Mr. & Mrs. Allison for sixteen years and have always admired their fortitude, resilience and quiet dignity. Being in their company was always a treat. Mr. Allison could be persuaded to try and simplify the bacterial properties of sheep's rumen while Mrs. Allison had a joke or moment of self-deprecating humor that had everyone laughing! I shall never forget him and his grace. Slainte!"
"Truly one of the best and kindest men I have ever known! I knew him because he was my husband's "Doctor Father," as the Germans call one's Ph.D. advisor. What a wonderful mentor and a lifelong friend. Steve and I both send our deepest condolences to Marge and her family. Your loss is shared by so many. It was our privilege to be a part of Milt's life, and we are grateful for the impact he made on us. You are in our prayers."
"Yes, Milt Allison was one of the nicest persons I have ever known. I knew him through the Animal Disease Center. Thoughts and prayers for his family??"