Extracted from The Times (Shreveport, LA)
William F. (Bill) Collins
LUFKIN, TX - Born on June 21, 1910, in Polk County, Texas, to Earnest Idell and Ada Collins. Called to his Heavenly home on February 13, 2002.
Mr. Collins began work in 1922 at the W.T. Carter Lumber Company in Camden, Texas. Graduating from Port Arthur Business College, he moved to Mansfield, Louisiana, and began work in 1938 at Hendricks Foundry as purchasing manager. He moved to Lufkin, Texas, in 1946, and held the position of Purchasing Agent at Texas Foundries until his retirement on December 31, 1975. He was elected to the Lufkin City Council 1953-1957. Mr. Collins was a member of the Lufkin Lions Club, the Shriners in Lufkin and Mansfield, and the Good Sams Club. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Lufkin for 56 years.
Survived by his wife of 61 years. Mr. Collins married Marjorie Corley of Mansfield, Louisiana, in May 1940. He is also survived by two children, Sandra Collins Matteson and her husband, Robert, of Bossier City, Louisiana, and W.F. (Bill) Collins, Jr., and his wife, Jenny, of Victoria, Texas.
He also leaves seven grandchildren: William Wayne Matteson and wife, Jana, of Houston, Texas Shari Knight and husband, Andy, of Tyler, Texas Shanon Richardson and husband, Brian, of Shreveport, Louisiana Tony Matteson of Minden, Louisiana Scott Collins of Fort Worth, Texas and Brian and Brandon Collins of Victoria, Texas.
He also leaves eight great grandchildren: Kaylie Shelton, Emily and Nathan Matteson, all of Houston, Texas Jordan, Angela and Alissa Knight of Tyler, Texas Taylor Richardson of Shreveport, LA and Chandler Matteson of Minden, LA.
Mr. Collins was predeceased by a sister, Linnie Alexander of Alvin, Texas, and a brother, Arva Collins of Lufkin, Texas.
Mr. Collins is also survived by one sister, Lillian Thatcher and her husband, Russell, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He leaves one brother, Iva Collins of Austin, Texas. Also surviving is a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Art and Clarite Green of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also leaves several nieces and nephews.
Bill and Marjorie Collins moved from Lufkin, Texas, to the Live Oak Retirement Community in Shreveport in October 1996.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, Brian and Brandon Collins, Wayne and Tony Matteson, Andy Knight and Brian Richardson.
Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, February 16, 2002, in the Gipson-Metcalf Funeral Home Chapel in Lufkin with Dr. Nolan Duck officiating. Committal services will follow in the Elwyn M. Gipson Memorial Chapel in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday in the Gipson-Metcalf Funeral Home.
Gipson-Metcalf Funeral Directors, Lufkin, Texas, 936-634-4411
Friday, February 15, 2002