Idalee Tomlinson Allen

Idalee Tomlinson Allen, who enjoyed seventy years of marriage to the love of her life, died Wednesday evening, August 19, 2026, in Murfreesboro. She was 93.

Idalee was a bookkeeper for Commerce Union Bank in downtown Murfreesboro when she first noticed a young Bill Allen dropping in to make deposits from his job. She was smitten and arranged a “blind” date through a friend. Six months later, in August of 1955, they married at Bill’s workplace, making them one of just a few couples to marry in the chapel at Woodfin Funeral Home.

Their family later grew with the births of two daughters, Patti and Linda.

A native of Lebanon in Wilson County, Idalee was the second of five children born during the Great Depression to Sory and Lounette Tomlinson. She graduated from Lebanon High School in 1951, where she was selected as Girls State Representative and received her associate’s degree in business in 1953 from Middle Tennessee State College in Murfreesboro.

For 30 years, she worked as a financial secretary, first for the state’s vocational school’s office and, for the bulk of her career, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Murfreesboro.

She was a member of First Baptist Church, where she taught children’s Sunday school classes for decades. A member of the Garden Lovers Garden Club, she had a talent for growing and arranging flowers, winning many blue ribbons for her floral designs. Later in life, she expressed herself artistically through watercolor painting.

Idalee and Bill liked to travel and logged visits to 47 of 50 U.S. states, as well as to France, where Bill served in the Navy during World War II. When all was said and done, both agreed that Tennessee was their favorite place.

She is survived by her loving husband, Bill; daughters Patti (Glen) Hutchinson and Linda Allen, both of Murfreesboro; siblings Ada Midgett, of Lebanon, and Ed Tomlinson of Mt. Juliet; grandchildren Will (Robin) Hutchinson, Emily Hutchinson, and Ashley (Curtis) Smith; and seven great-grandchildren: Van and Charlee Hutchinson; Jaxston and Heath Kipping; and Calloway, Chloe, and Griffin Smith.

In addition to her late parents, she was preceded in death by siblings Ona Mai Smotherman and Jerry Tomlinson and grandson Kevin Kipping.

Visitation with the family will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Monday, August 24, 2026, at Woodfin Memorial Chapel. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, August 24, 2026, with Danny Tomlinson and Pam Pilote officiating. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery with Dan McHugh, Phillip Tomlinson, Glen Hutchinson, Will Hutchinson, Dave Hill, Curtis Smith, and John McClure serving as pallbearers.

The family wishes especially to thank Karen Burke for her loyal, attentive, and caring service to Idalee and her husband during their final years.

To honor Idalee, her family invites friends to make a donation to the charity of their choice.

An online guestbook for the Allen family is available at www.woodfinchapel.com.

Woodfin Memorial Chapel. (615) 893-5151.