Preston County, West Virginia Biography of WALTER COLLINS This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 575 WALTER COLLINS, of Bruceton Mills, represents a family group in Preston County that has long been noted for its quiet and unobtrusive citizenship, containing people of un- doubted patriotism, industry and personal worth. Mr. Collins was born near Bruceton Mills March 13, 1861. His father, Andrew Collins, was born in Marion County, West Virginia, July 22, 1811. The Collins family was es- tablished in this state from Pennsylvania, and the father of Andrew Collins was buried at Brandonville in Preston County. His children were Ezekiel, James, Frank, Andrew, Mary and two other daughters, all of whom are now de- ceased. Andrew Collins became a blacksmith by trade, and followed that occupation until too old for such strenuous work and devoted the remaining years of his life to his farm. He began with limited circumstances, but managed his affairs so as to live well and supply the comforts for his family. He was a sheep and cattle raiser, always kept an abundance of stock, and left a modest estate when he died. In his old age he was liberal, and delighted in grati- fying some need of his children, having none of the penuri- ousness frequently associated with old age. He had only a limited education, but had an active mind which retained its vigor until his death. He was strong in democratic poli- tics, but had no desire for public service, and was a member of the Baptist Church. He married at Petersburg, Somer- set County, Pennsylvania, November 23, 1841, Olivia Mc- Clain. They were married by Rev. Mr. Sawhill. the cere- mony being performed in the presence of William and Almira Reynolds. Olivia McClain was a daughter of Wil- liam and Eliza (Brown) McClain. Andrew Collins and wife had the following children: Florence, who became the wife of Marshall Wolfe and died near Bruceton; Martha, who was married to John Dietrick and is buried at Point Marion, within the State of West Virginia; Thomas Collins, a Baptist minister at Spokane, Washington; Caroline, who died in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, as Mrs. Clark Flan- nigan; Luther, of Terra Alta; Emily, who died in young womanhood; Mary, wife of Jehu King, resident of Bruce- ton; Marshall, of Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Eliza Jane, who became the wife of James Boland and died in Fayette County, Pennsylvania; Walter; Clara, wife of John W. Yeast, of Valentine, Nebraska; Ashbel M., who occupies the old Collins homestead; and Albert, who was killed in a coal mine in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, survived by a family. Walter Collins attended school in the Hopewell locality near Bruceton, and he lived at home with his parents until he was twenty-eight, taking care of the homestead as long as his father and mother lived. He early became a stock- man and farmer, and for some years was one of the largest land growers of this region. It was frequently the case that he drove out for market from 1,500 to 2,000 lambs every fall. He also butchered for the benefit of the Bruce- ton locality. Mr. Collins began housekeeping in the same community where he was reared, but in April, 1909, he moved to the William Yeast farm a mile from Bruceton. Besides his activities as a farmer and stockman Mr. Collins has devel- oped and opened a coal mine on his land, and has marketed some of the product in the community. He is interested in banks and has been a director of the Bruceton Bank for a decade or more. In politics Mr. Collins has not adhered strictly to the party faith of his family, and has cast his ballot for the republican ticket when its policies and candidates suited him. He has never been tempted into politics for the sake of official service, is a Baptist, while Mrs. Collins has been a dutiful member of the Methodist Church since she was thirteen years of age. In Preston County November 28, 1888, on Thanksgiving day, Mr. Collins married Emma A. Yeast, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Mr. Applogate. Mrs. Collins was born at the home where she is now living July 3, 1869, daughter of William and Catherine J. (Ross) Yeast. Her father was born in the Clifton locality of Preston County September 25, 1828, was educated in Maryland and in the Crawford School of Preston County, and grew up in the home of Hamilton Crawford. During the Civil war he was a teamster for about two years and then, about three weeks after his marriage, he enlisted in Captain Hyde's Company, which was assigned to duty on the Indian frontier of Kan- sas. There he suffered so from hunger and exposure that he took leave of his command without permission, returning home, and was never given an honorable discharge. William Yeast located near Bruceton, living at the three corners of the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, then for three years lived in the Hazelton community, and the year Mrs. Collins was born established his home where Mr. and Mrs. Collins now reside. He died May 26, 1907. Mr. Yeast was a republican. His widow, still living, was born July 30, 1841. William Yeast's first wife was Martha Dean, and they had two children, John W., born in Decem- ber, 1852, a resident of Valentine, Nebraska; and Jennie, born March 9, 1860, wife of J. C. McNair, of Woodlake, Nebraska. William Yeast by his marriage to Catherine Ross had the following children: Joseph H., of Wheat- land, Wyoming; Mrs. Collins; Aminta, born August 27, 1873, wife of J. B. Everly; James Albert, born April 2, 1878. a resident of Atlanta, Georgia; Agnes, born Septem- ber 8, 1880, wife of Albert Collins; and Effie, born Febru- ary 6, 1883. wife of Edward Cunningham. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Collins had the following children: Fred H., born July 23, 1890; Ethel, wife of Jesse Benson, of Hopewell Church settlement, and has two children, Ed- ward and Beryl; Mabel Beatrice, born May 15, 1903; and Donald Glen, born September 30, 1911. The soldier repre- sentative in the family during the World war was Fred, who was in camp at Vancouver Barracks, Washington, and was assigned to duty in the timber, getting out aeroplane material. His command was designated as the Fourth Company Air Service Supply Corps.