Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 873
WILLIAM H. COLLINS

More than forty years have elapsed since William H. COLLINS came to Harrison county, Iowa, as a young man of eighteen. Born and reared in West Virginia he came to this county in 1874, where he worked for a short time and then went to Texas. Soon after he returned to Harrison county, and has since continued to make this county his home. He has lived on the same farm in Raglan township since the spring of 1866, and has engaged in general farming and stock raising in such a manner as to make a comfortable living for himself and family.

William H. COLLINS, the son of Edward and Rebecca (COPELAND) COLLINS, was born October 15, 1856, in Monroe county, West Virginia. Edward COLLINS was a native of County Monaghan, Ireland, while his wife was born in West Virginia. Edward COLLINS was a mason by trade and followed that occupation along with general farming.

William COLLINS was the youngest of six children born to his parents. He was educated in the schools of Monroe county, West Virginia, and lived at home until he was eighteen years of age. He then came west to Woodbine, Harrison county, Iowa, and worked for his uncle, James COLLINS, remaining with him for two years. Desiring to see more of the west he then went to Texas and herded cattle and sheep for about two years. By that time he had enough of the �wild west,� was glad to return to Harrison county, and was never again seized with a desire to leave it.

Shortly after returning to the county he was married and began farming on rented land. After renting for three years he bought one hundred and twenty acres in Jackson and Raglan townships. There were few improvements on the farm and a year later he sold it and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 15 in Little Sioux township. He lived on this farm for five years, during which time he bought one hundred and sixty acres in Raglan township, and in the spring of 1886 he moved on to his present farm. During the many years which have elapsed since he settled on it, he has had the opportunity to bring it to a high state of cultivation. Many improvements have been added from time to time and now it is one of the best improved farms in the community. He raised all of the crops common to this locality and gave a proper amount of attention to stock raising. He died March 1, 1915.

Mr. COLLINS was married February 26, 1880, to Susan SOUTH, who was born in Monroe county, Iowa, and is a daughter of Jackson and Rebecca (NOAH) South, natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively. The parents of Mrs. COLLINS later located in Harrison county and owned the farm where Mrs. COLLINS now lives.

To William H. and Susan COLLINS were born five children, four of whom are living, Cora, Minnie, Edith and Mabel. Cora, who married William Oliver, lives in Raglan township, has four children, Leal, Leslie, Annie and Homer. Minnie married Reuben Clark, and lives on the old home place in Raglan township. Edith, who married Charles Oliver, a farmer of Little Sioux township, have five children, Blanche, Lucile, Joy, Everett and Wayne. Mabel married Harry Goodman, a farmer of Raglan township.

Mr. COLLINS usually gave his support to the Democratic party, although he was not a partisan in any sense of the word. He believed in voting for the best men rather than for the platforms of any particular party. He served as township trustee for several years and gave to this office that careful attention which the office demands. The family are loyal supporters of the Christian church, to whose support they are generous contributors. In addition to the four living children of Mr. and Mrs. COLLINS, they have one son, Thomas, who died at the age of ten. They also adopted two children, Virgil and George Andrews, the children of Minnie, one of the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. COLLINS.

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