Grace M. Collins 1938 - 2003

SCMITT, BUCHHEIT, COLLINS

Posted By: Marguerite (email)
Date: 4/1/2003 at 13:18:43

Iowa City Press Citizen
Cedar Rapids Gazette

IOWA CITY

Grace M. Collins, 64, of 1408 Phoenix Drive, Iowa City, died Wednesday morning, March 12, 2003, at her home following a lengthy illness.

Memorial Mass and celebration of her life will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, March 14, 2003, at St. Mary’s Church, Iowa City, with the Reverend Kenneth Kuntz and Reverend David Hitch, officiating. Friends may call from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. Thursday at the Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, 605 Kirkwood Avenue, Iowa City, where there will be a Parish Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, following a luncheon on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City or Pathways Adult Day Health Center of Iowa City.

Grace Mary Collins was born November 24, 1938, in St. Lucas, Iowa, the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Schmitt) Buchheit. She was raised and educated in St. Lucas, Calmar and Dubuque, Iowa, She attended Clarke College in Dubuque and obtained her Bachelor of Science in nursing from St. Ambrose College in Davenport in 1961. She was united in marriage to Paul J. Collins on June 9, 1962, in Dubuque. The couple made their home in Iowa City until 1966 and moved backed permanently in 1972. She was employed as a registered nurse for the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Iowa City, Mercy Hospital in Davenport, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Oaknoll Retirement Residence in Iowa City.

She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and sang in the choir for 12 years, was a volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House, the Iowa Kidney Foundation, the Free Lunch Program as well as, numerous other groups, organizations and activities. She was extremely proud to be an organ donor of a kidney and bone marrow and continued to work on organ donation awareness for the remainder of her life.

Grace is survived by her husband, Paul, his daughter, Therese Collins both of Iowa City, three sons and their wives; Thad Collins and his wife, Jeannie, Kevin Collins and his wife, Amy, Chris Collins and his wife, Tracy all of Coralville, five grandchildren; Emily, Ryan, Rachel, Catherine, Nicholas, her sister-in-law, Nancy Buchheit of Cedar Rapids.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Duane Buchheit.