Rogers Co. Obit for: William A. 'Bill' Collins ************************************************************************ http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogers/rogers.htm Rogers County Archivist: Bill Cook, billcook44@aol.com Submitted to the Rogers County Oklahoma Archives Date: 1/04/2003 by: Bill Cook, billcook44@aol.com ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ 1/04/2003 William A. 'Bill' Collins Services for William A. "Bill" Collins will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2002 in the Chapel of the Garden at Rice Funeral Service. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with family receiving friends from 6-8 p.m. Bill passed away on Friday, Dec. 27, 2002. He was 71. Born in Claremore on Aug. 28, 1931 to Kenneth and Amanda Bolinger Collins, Bill's great-grandmother walked the Trail of Tears. His Native American heritage was a true source of pride. He was reared and educated in both Claremore and Tucson, Ariz.; his family moving there when he was 11. He graduated from Tucson High School and it was in Tucson where he met Jeri Hutchinson. Following a brief courtship, they married on Sept. 16, 1958. All three of the Collins children were born in Tucson before returning to Oklahoma, making Tulsa home. After a year there, they settled permanently in Claremore. Bill was employed as an aircraft parts inspector for T.K. International, part of Nordam Corp., in Tulsa. He retired at age 62 after 30 years of service. His retirement allowed Bill time for the things he enjoyed most - hunting, fishing and gardening. His tomatoes were so plentiful, he used the money raised to finance family vacations. And family was more important than anything. Bill loved his family very much, but no more than he loved to tease them. Family stories will keep his memory alive. Those who survive Bill and carry on these memories include his wife, Jeri, of their home in Claremore; children, John Collins and wife Dr. Cindy Meyer of Lindenhurst, Long Island, N.Y., Jeri Kendall and husband Mark, and Robert Collins and wife Mary, all of Claremore; seven grandchildren, Tricia Exendine and husband Chris, Amy Kendall, Jenifer Kendall, Emily Kendall and Dodge Kendall, all of Claremore, and Scott and Daniel Collins of New York; brothers, Gene Collins of Claremore and Sherman Collins and wife Josie of Sedalia, Colo.; and his mother-in-law, Aileen Hutchinson of Claremore. He was preceded in death by his parents. ************************************************************************* Transcribed from the Claremore Progess Newspaper, we sincerely thank them for allowing us to post these obits on the Rogers Co., OK USGenwebpages http://www.claremoreprogress.com/ copyright c 2002-2003, by webmaster Rogers Co. Arhchives Bill Cook billcook44@aol.com *************************************************************************