Rubin A. Stephens is such a fixture of the Allen Fire Department, he is pictured, at right, in a painting of the department.

slideshow

ALLEN — Say what you want about Rubin A. Stephens, of Allen. He certainly cannot be accused of failing to stick to something.

Stephens, 82, not only helped found Allen Volunteer Fire Department, back in 1961. He is a 50-year member of the department, serving as chief for 10 years and assistant chief for many more.

A World War II veteran who enlisted in the Army Air Corps when only 16, he returned home from the war to work 35 years in the coal mines. In August 1967, he not only survived a violent mine explosion, he continued working to help return the bodies of the victims.

He has also has been a member of the Masons for 37 years, becoming a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, while driving a van to transport sick children from Eastern Kentucky to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, in Lexington.

Last week, Stephens received some recognition for all those years of perseverance, when County Judge-Executive R.D. “Doc” Marshall declared June 29 “Rubin A. Stephens Day” in Floyd County.

Marshall said he was honored to pay tribute to Stephens, who he described as “salt of the earth.”

“I am proud to call Rubin Stephens my friend, my brother and to pay my respect by proclaiming June 29, 2012, his day, which he so richly deserves,” Marshall said.

Upon returning from the war, Stephens married his sweetheart, Mary Caudill, of Stephens Branch. The couple had four children, Barbara, Danny, Nancy and Teddy, and later seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.