Portia Allbert

Portia Anderson Allbert, 92, died on January 18, 2020 at her home in Hoyt, KS. She was born on May 28, 1927 at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka.

Portia was a Topeka native, graduating from Topeka High School in 1945. Her college education included time at Washburn Municipal University, Eau Claire State Teachers College (WI), College of Emporia and graduation from the Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia in 1949. She earned a BA in English, with a major in Library Science, and a minor in Science. During this time she began a life-long avocation in organ performance at Emporia and at Eau Claire where she was a student of Cecile Neubecker.

After graduation her first job was at the Atchison County Library in Rockport, Missouri. She was an assistant librarian, whose primary responsibility was the management of the bookmobile for county elementary schools. She returned to Topeka and dedicated the next 40 years to the Kansas State Historical Society Library, where she worked as a cataloguer and later as the director until retirement.

Portia lived most of her adult married life in Hoyt, KS, on property that was a wild-life sanctuary. She fed and adored many types of animals through the years. Every animal from cat to vulture could often find a meal at her home. She found great joy in caring for all her pets, wild-life and birds.

For many years she played the organ at a number of churches in Topeka including West Side Baptist Church, until retirement. Among her many other interests, she did reading and recording for the blind, wrote poetry, and was an avid origami enthusiast.

Her twin sister, Priscilla Anderson Nolan Conary, preceded her in death on June 30, 1982. Her husband, Vernon P. Allbert, preceded her on February 22, 2011. She was preceded by another sister, Addo Lee Anderson Hauke, and by her parents, Flossie Mayes Anderson and Paul William Anderson. She is survived by her niece, Roberta Hauke Devine, Seattle, WA, and her nephew, Thomas L. Hauke, Kent, WA.

Arrangements are being made by Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home, 1321 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka. The funeral service will be held at West Side Baptist Church, 1008 SW 4th Street, Topeka at 10 am on January 24th, 2020, with visitation starting at 9. The service will be conducted by Rev. Dr Ivan E. Greuter and the piano music performed by H. Hurst Coffman. An interment service will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery, 3616 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka, where she will be buried next to her twin sister.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the animal protection organization, Heart of Jackson Humane Society, 414 E 8th Street, Holton, KS 66436, and to West Side Baptist Church, 1008 4th Street, Topeka 66606.

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