Carolyn Blanchard Allen (born Carolyn Jensen; June 13, 1921October 9, 2018) was an American Republican politician and

funeral home A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary is a business that provides burial, entombment and cremation services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared visitation and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for t ...

operator from

Rock County, Wisconsin Rock County is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 163,687. Its county seat is Janesville, Wisconsin, Janesville. Rock County comprises the Janes ...

. She served four terms in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

after winning a 1963

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

to succeed her deceased first husband, David J. Blanchard.

Background

Allen was born Carolyn Jensen on June 13, 1921, in

Cambridge, Wisconsin Cambridge is a village in Dane and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,638 at the 2020 census, of which 1,539 were in Dane County and 99 were in Jefferson County. The Dane County portion is part of the Madi ...

, daughter of Clarence B. and Eva (' Bilstad) Jensen. She graduated from Cambridge High School, and from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

with a Bachelor of Science degree in

speech therapy Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...

. She married David J. Blanchard September 29, 1943. They moved to David's home town of

Edgerton, Wisconsin Edgerton is a city in Rock and Dane counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,945 at the 2020 census, of which 5,799 were in Rock County and 146 were in Dane County. Edgerton was historically known as "Tobacco City U.S.A." ...

, where he practiced law. David was elected as a Republican to the

representing Rock County's 2nd Assembly district in 1954. At the time of his death, he was

speaker of the Assembly Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

Legislative career

She was first elected to the Assembly in 1963 in a

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of David Blanchard. She was the first

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

woman to be elected to the Legislature via a special election, and re-elected in 1964, 1966, and 1968. On August 30, 1969, she married Malcolm V. Allen in her home in Edgerton. In 1970, while easily winning her

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

, she was defeated in the

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Janet Soergel Mielke by 63 votes (5824 votes to 5761). She attempted to unseat Mielke in 1972, but fell short by a wider margin in what was now the 47th Assembly district.

After the legislature

For 24 years she lived in Evansville where she and Malcolm operated Allen Funeral Home. He died on May 16, 1987. Allen died on October 9, 2018, in Cambridge, Wisconsin, at the age of 97.Madison.com Local Obits: Allen, Carolyn Blanchard
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Carolyn Blanchard 1921 births 2018 deaths Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People from Cambridge, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Women state legislators in Wisconsin American funeral directors 20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature 20th-century American women politicians