Jan. 8, 2004
Fred Collins services Friday
Funeral services for Fred Morgan Collins, 82, West Plains, will be 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, 2004, at First Baptist Church, with the Rev. Richard Wright officiating under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home of West Plains.
Mr. Collins died 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004, at Ozarks Medical Center, West Plains. He was born Sept. 22, 1921, at Grimmett, the son of Rube and Jennie Morgan Collins.
On Oct. 21, 1939, he was married at west Plains to Dorothy "Maxine" Foster.
Mr. Collins was a veteran of World War II, having served with the U.S. Army Air Corp in the European Theatre. He received six battle stars and the President Unit Citation and was discharged as a sergeant.
He owned and operated the Western Auto Store at Eminence from 1955 until his retirement in 1973. Mr. Collins served two terms as mayor of Eminence, was a baseball coach and served as a volunteer and fire chief. After moving to West Plains, he became a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1828 and was a volunteer at Ozarks Medical Center.
Mr. Collins was a member and deacon of First Baptist Church of West Plains.
Survivors include his wife, Maxine Collins, of the family home; two children, Kenneth R. Collins and wife, Kay, West Plains, and Rhonda Counts and husband, Steve, Bowling Green, Ky.; four grandchildren, Kenny Collins and wife, Shelly, Kenya Cook, Karla McDuffey and husband, Tim, and Angela Counts; six great-grandchildren, Taran Collins, Jamie Collins, Kayla Baker, Austin Cook, Tyler McDuffey and Sara McDuffey; three sisters, Edna Adams, and Shirley Brown and husband, Clyde, all of West Plains, and Gladys Smith, Kingsville; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and three sisters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Ataxia Foundation and left at the funeral home.
The body will lie in state at the funeral home from 4 p.m. today until 1 p.m. Friday.
Burial will be in Howell Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.