Brian J. Collins 1972-2011

COLLINS

Posted By: Missy Anderson Maher (email)
Date: 7/8/2012 at 12:51:12

Brian J. Collins, the son of John and Shirley (Hammen) Collins, was born August 27, 1972 at Fort Dodge, Iowa and departed this life November 18, 2011 at the Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.

Brian, or BC to most who knew him, lived his entire life loving his family, friends, Lohrville, hunting, and farming. He graduated from Prairie Valley in 1991 and farmed with his dad while living southwest of Lohrville. He returned to the home place in 1998 when his parents moved to Rockwell City. Dedicated to his community, Brian became a Lohrville firefighter in 1994, and on July 17, 2000, met the love of his life at a small annual gathering for Lohrville firefighters and EMTs. He quickly proposed on Labor Day weekend and married Carol on June 1, 2002 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, making him a husband and a dad – two roles he was meant to fulfill and had learned from his parents. Brian gave Carol the biggest part of his heart and showered her everyday with thoughtful deeds. Brian found extreme satisfaction in sharing his love of the land, livestock and nature with Chase, building his operation for his family. A whiz in the kitchen, he never made a meal that didn’t receive rave reviews from Mallory.
BC was an excellent storyteller whose sense of humor was only outweighed by the love he shared with others. He often reminisced about Minnesota family vacations, karaoke, fishing trips, deer hunts, daily antics of farming with his dad and Buford, being the youngest brother with three sisters, getting three brothers when his sisters married, the Steelers game in Pittsburgh, senior year homecoming football game, arranging the day’s work around coffeetime, secretly working for the animal rescue league, and countless more stories that everyone who knew him shared. Brian was a tough guy on the outside with a soft heart on the inside.
Left to share his stories are his wife, Carol, and children Chase and Mallory Willett of Lohrville; parents John (Jack) and Shirley Collins of Rockwell City; sisters Debbie (Peter) Erpelding of Bode, Linda (Dennis) Sukovaty of Manson, and Pam (Alan) Kirsch of Dakota City; in-laws Irvin and Lois Vander Leest of Reasnor; brother-in-law Kent (Mary) Vander Leest of Prairie City; and sister-in-law Jody (Jeff) Stravers of Reasnor. He was Uncle Brian King to Brandon (Katie) Donahe and daughter Peyton of Urbandale; Brianne Donahe of Des Moines; Katie (Aaron) Keyser of Ankeny; Kelsey and Kolin Sukovaty of Manson; and Jason and Jenna Kirsch of Dakota City. Also, Brandon, Kendra and Koy Vander Leest of Prairie City; Kelsie (Cody) Johnson and son Trace of New Sharon; and Jacob, Megan and Bret Stravers of Reasnor. Brian had many memories created with Dennis (Glenda) Gentry of Lohrville; Tracy (Casey) Wetter of Lake City; Mike (Crystal) Kavanaugh of Lohrville; and Travis Blanchfield of Lohrville.
Welcoming Brian to heaven are his grandparents Edward and Clara Hammen and Maurice and Rose Collins; fishing partner Ron Buswell; Pat Parker who is comforting all the kids; and Curtis Vander Leest, Carol’s brother who went to heaven as a child..