Collins, Nathan S.

COLLINS

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/16/2019 at 16:05:46

Nathan Smith Collins

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.576)
NATHAN SMITH COLLINS, section 35, Waveland Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, is one of the well known and successful citizens of the community. He has resided here since 1869. Mr. Collins was born in Washington Co, Vermont, October 25, 1858, son of Alfred and Cordelia (SMITH) COLLINS, the former a native of Clarendon, Vermont, and the latter of Addison, same State. His paternal grandfather was Nathan COLLINS, and his maternal grandparents were Amos and Barbara SMITH. Alfred COLLINS lived in his native state until 1869, when he came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, being one of the early settlers in this neighborhood. Here he passed the remainder of his life. He was twice married. By his first wife, he had six children, five of whom are living, viz.: Mary A. WALL of Pilot Grove, Montgomery County, Iowa; Stukely Alden of Omaha, Nebraska; Edith Cordelia DeVOSS of Arkansas; Gertrude E. SIMPSON of Denver, Colorado, and Nathan Smith COLLINS. The last named was only two months old when his mother died. His father afterward wedded Harriet A. WICKWARE, and by her had two children, only one of whom is living. Mrs. Collins and her daughter, Eliza Bessie, reside at Elliot, Montgomery County, Iowa. Mr. Collins died October 28, 1878.

He was a farmer all his life and his political relations were with the Republican party. For four or five years he served as Justice of the Peace. He was a member of the Advent Church. The subject of our sketch was the youngest son of his father's family and was eleven years old when his parents came to this county. Here he grew to manhood and was educated in the district schools. After finishing his education, he engaged in teaching for a short time. At the death of his father, although only twenty years of age, Mr. COLLINS assumed the management of the home place, where he has since resided. The farm consists of 122 acres of rich bottom land, all under cultivation. Among the improvements on this farm are a frame house, which is surrounded by shade and ornamental trees, a good barn, cribs, windmill, stockyards, feed lots, orchard and grove. Mr. Collins was married February 28, 1883, in Montgomery County, Iowa, to Emma HULBERT who was born and reared in Iowa. Her parents, Orlando and Charlotte (BLISS) HULBERT, both natives of Vermont, are now residents of Wayne Co, Nebraska. Her father is a Republican and a farmer. Her mother is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. COLLINS have three children: Mary Emma, Valma Belle and Frank Huber. Like his father, Mr. Collins is a Republican. He and his wife are both members of the Christian Church. He is numbered, socially, financially and politically, among the representative citizens of Waveland Township.