Allen James Spiller was born in the small mill town of Belmont Falls, New Hampshire, the son of Charles and Ellen Spiller. He was their first and only son. Allen's mother was a very beautiful woman, originally from Mississippi. She had worked as a nurse at the county hospital for the majority of Allen's life. She was a devout Baptist, who dedicated her life towards serving others. Charles was the chief foreman of the local Adam's & Son shoe factory. He was a quiet, stern man, who was respected and known by everyone in the small community. Financially, the Spiller's were above the below and below the upper. They lived a modest, conservative lifestyle. Their greatest wealth was the family farm. Charles and Ellen had moved away from the farm and into town after Allen's birth. Despite their need for funds in the families early years, Charles could never bring himself to sell the old place. When Allen was six they moved back to the farmhouse.

From his mother he learned kindness and generosity. She instilled in him a deep sense of trust in humanity, and believed that at their core all people were good. Every week she went to the food pantry with Allen in town, there they gave out food to the homeless and poor. To Allen, these people were as much a part of his life as were his neighbors and his friends. His mother talked with each and every one she met as if they were president of the United States, or some great adventurer. She listened to their thoughts and stories with not only respect, but genuine interest, never bothering to criticize or condemn or pass judgment on anything they said or had done. Allen remembered once asking his mother after hearing a particularly graphic account of a domestic dispute between a man and his father, how it was that she wasn’t mad at them, after they had broken all of Jesus’s commandments. Her answer would be something Allen would never forget. She said,

 “Every man is put on this earth with the ability to live their life as they see fit. At the end of the day, the only person who has a right to judge is you and your God. I believe that even in the darkest most twisted of souls; there is a spark of pure goodness. When I wake up in the morning, I say a simple prayer to God. I ask that he give me the strength to follow through with the things I can change, and the patience and wisdom to know that which I cannot. For those things I say the prayer that never fails “Thy will be done,” and I let that be enough. If you can find it in your heart to listen to the broken, and to believe in people and truly invest in them for better or for worse, no one in heaven and earth can ever ask for more.”

From his father, he developed discipline; his father was a man who didn't believe in wasting anything. He had a mathematical brain, and he pushed his son to pursue things in a logical manner. He taught Allen to never accept good enough, and that the greatest tool a man can wield is the control of his own emotions. He remembered how as a boy his father would take him to the barn in the summertime and set him up with a paint brush and a pale of red paint. His father would then instruct him on how to paint the lattice work that was underneath the family’s porch. For hours he’d hunched in the sun, sweating, and laboring so that it would be done just the way his father had instructed. He hated the work, and his frustration would grow when he’d look at the slatted boards from another angle only to find the places he’d missed. Finally after a week of toiling, the job was done. The next week his father invited the Adams’s, Steve and his wife Emma to their home for a barbecue. Steve Adams was the owner of Adams & Son’s, the town shoe factory. Although their conversation was not directed at him, Allen couldn’t help but overhear their words. He remembered clearly his father’s warm proud smile as he gestured proudly to the paint and then to Allen.

“A fine job indeed,” Mr. Adams exclaimed. Later that night after dinner, Mr. Adams pulled Allen aside and spoke to him.

“That’s a fine job you did on that porch young man. Your father’s taught you well, and it’s clear the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to work ethic and integrity. Those two things will take you far son if you let them.”

 He was humbled by these words. Mr. Adams who was by far the most successful not to mention wealthiest man he knew, and his opinion spoke volumes. It wasn’t that he hadn’t felt good when his father had approved, he had, but when it came from the lips of such a man as Mr. Adams it took on larger than life meaning. For the first time in his young life he felt like a man. Those few words had ingrained in him a sincere sense of purpose; that was something he would not soon forget.  

Allen grew fast, learning backwoods ways from his adventures in the woods behind the farm. He developed a deep love for nature and the secrets and adventures that lay within the woods. He had a big imagination, which was always aided unbridled energy and athleticism. He was liked by most everyone who knew him. To be fair, his adventurous spirit often led to dramatic events. He was known to his teachers as a spitfire and often a distraction to other students. To his classmates and friends he was the charismatic sense of humor and fun. He always had a witty comment, and was usually the first to embark on some scheme for frivolity.

By the time he graduated high school at the top of his class, he'd become the pride of the town. He was a handsome young man, strong and capable. Still it wasn't his looks that made him such an attractive man. It was his personality. He was blessed with one of the kindest most loving hearts anyone could ask for. This simple truth was his most admirable, and unmistakable characteristic. It was embraced, and nurtured by the firm but gentle hands of his family and those closest to him. They instilled in him a deep appreciation for his gifts, and responsibility to use it to glorify his community and his home, his fellow man, and above all else Nature, and God. He was reminded often that with his love he could bring peace and accomplish extraordinary things.

So when it finally came time for him to leave home after that last glorious summer, he made a point to thank the people who made helped him become who he was. He apologized to those he'd wronged, and left no pages unturned, or sentiments unspoken. And with that, he set off into the world to find himself, and become a man. Little did he know at the time, that he’d be changing the lives of every soul he encountered along the way.