Wilma Maxine Allen, age 62, of Benton, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on August 29, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.

Wilma was born on June 4, 1964, to John W. and Lorene M. McCann. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, prayer warrior, and servant of Jesus Christ.

Her life was marked by a deep love for her family, an unwavering faith in God, and a willingness to be there for anyone who needed a listening ear, a word of encouragement, or a prayer. Wilma was married to the love of her life, Jack E. Allen. Together, they built a family and a life centered around love, faith, and service.

She was the proud mother of Dr. Bethany Brady and her husband, Landon, and Joseph Allen, and the beloved grandmother of Addison and Carter Brady, who brought tremendous joy to her life. Wilma spent her professional career serving others through the State of Tennessee Department of Human Services in Benton, Tennessee, where she worked as a secretary until her retirement. Yet, for Wilma, caring for people was never simply a job.

Throughout her life, she became known to many as a therapist, a friend, a confidant, and, perhaps most importantly, someone who would pray for you. Countless people found comfort in her words, wisdom in her counsel, and strength in knowing that Wilma was praying for them. Her greatest passion was her faith and her service to the Lord.

Wilma was a lifelong member of Mercy Tabernacle in Benton, Tennessee, where she faithfully served in ministry. She led choirs, ministered to others, and spent much of her life evangelizing alongside her father, Bishop John W. McCann. Her love for Jesus was not something she simply talked about—it was something she lived. Wilma's faith was woven into every part of the way she raised her children. She taught them to be strong, independent, and free thinkers, while also teaching them to lean heavily on Jesus through every circumstance life brought their way. She believed in standing firm, thinking for yourself, loving people well, and trusting God through it all.

Those who knew Wilma will remember her for her strength, her compassion, her humor, her willingness to listen, and her ability to make people feel that they mattered. She had a gift for making people feel heard. She prayed for many, encouraged many, loved many, and left an imprint on far more lives than she probably ever realized.

Wilma is survived by her children, Dr. Bethany Brady and her husband, Landon, and Joseph Allen; grandchildren, Addison and Carter Brady; siblings Joyce and Gene Pack, Julia and Bobby Burger, Edith and Kenneth Blair, Hazel and Scott Hembree, Troice Deal, Mark and Teresa Allen; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. She also leaves behind many special people who held a treasured place in her heart, including Debbie and Phillip Biggerstaff, Lori Jolly Julian, Makalya Utt, Luke and Lee Julian, and Rob and Diana Solomon, and many others whose lives she touched throughout the years.

Wilma was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jack E. Allen; her parents, John W. and Lorene M. McCann; her in-laws, Lewis and Joyce McMahan and Jack G. and Irene Allen; sister-in-law Mitzi Creekmore; sister Ressie Deal; brother Joseph McCann; nephew Justin Goodman; nephew Nicholas Hembree; great-niece Gabrielle Phillips; great-nephew Michael Sanders; and niece Joanna Blair.

Though her absence leaves a tremendous emptiness for those who loved her, Wilma's legacy continues through the family she raised, the people she encouraged, the prayers she prayed, and the faith she passed down.

Her family finds comfort in knowing that the woman who spent her life pointing others toward Jesus is now in His presence.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7 (CSB)

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at Mercy Tabernacle, 443 Clemmer Ferry Rd., Benton, TN 37307, with Bro. Glenn Crane and Bro. Joseph Allen officiating. Music will be provided by Bro. Joseph Allen, who will sing Oh What a Savior and In the Garden; Sister Rebecca Ledford, who will sing I've Never Been This Homesick Before; and Sister Hazel Hembree.  Burial will follow at Benton Memorial Gardens, 217 Patty Rd., Benton, TN 37307, with a special prayer at the graveside by Bro. Anton Burnette. Serving as pallbearers are Kenney Bradford, G.W. Sanders, Terry Ledford, Jaxson Hembree, Rob Solomon, Gabriel Sanders, Samuel Burger, and Stephen Phillips.

Visitation will be held from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., prior to the service at the church.

Wilma's life was a testimony of faith, family, service, and love. She spent her years praying for people, serving people, loving her family, and pointing others toward Christ. She was a wife. She was a mother. She was a grandmother. She was a sister. She was a friend. She was a prayer warrior. She was a servant. And to the many people who called her their therapist, their confidant, their prayer warrior, or simply their friend—she was a gift. Her work on earth is finished. Her faith has become sight. And the prayers she prayed for so many have finally carried her home.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.HigginsFunerals.com.

Arrangements are by Higgins Funeral Home of Benton.