William Collins Jr.

William ?Bill? Collins, Jr. age 74, Clark, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Sunday evening, May 13, 2007 in the Golden Living Center at Clark, where he had resided since December of 2005. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 10:30 AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with the Reverend Gary Anderson officiating. Burial with military rites by the Smith-Cagley American Legion Post #60 will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Honorary casketbearers will be all family, business associates, friends, members and former members of the Clark Volunteer Fire Department and the Staff of the Golden Living Center at Clark. Active casketbearers will be Christopher and Matthew Drayer, Tim Mehlberg, Marshall Drexler, Cody Wells and Patrick Welk. Dorothy Fuller will be the organist and Roger Nordhus the soloist will sing "How Great Thou Art" and "The Lord's Prayer". The congregation will sing "What A Friend We Have in Jesus". Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and 1 hour preceding services at the Church on Wednesday. He was born south of Clark, the son of William, Sr. and Anna (Vick) Collins, near Willow Lake in Hague Township on November 19, 1932. He went to school in Hague Township until he was a 4th grader when the family moved to a farm west of Clark. He then attended Clark school graduating in 1953. Following his high school graduation, he entered the US Army and was stationed in Washington state. He was united in marriage to Arlene Hanson. The couple lived in Washington for a short time before moving to Clark in July of 1960. When he returned to Clark he began his career in the blacksmith/machining business and worked for Bob Forest at Oscar?s Machine Shop, a business he would later be a partner in. To this union 6 children were born, Gary, Linda, Brian, Carol, Mark and Joan. The couple later divorced. On December 17, 1988 he was united in marriage to Trudy Barton Welk in Sioux Falls. The couple lived in Clark. He continued in the machine shop business until retiring in 1994. Some of his hobbies included hunting, fishing and boating, golfing, and being an active outdoorsman. He will long be remembered for being a great storyteller. Besides being a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and serving as a former Church councilman, he was involved in other community organizations including the Clark Volunteer Fire Department, the Smith-Cagley American Legion Post #60 of Clark and had served also as the Mayor of Clark. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife Trudy of Clark, children, Linda Wells of Pawhuska, OK, Brian Collins and wife Jessica of Lewiston, ID, Carol Dix and husband Randi of Doland, Mark Collins and wife Belen of Apache Junction, AZ and Joan Grohs and husband Kelly of Mina Lake, SD; 10 grandchildren, Ashley (Brian) Simmons, Aubrey and Cody Wells, Brittany and Melissa Raap, Chloe Collins, Christina (Randy) Nessman, Christopher and Matthew Drayer and Shannon Freeburg; 5 great-grandchildren, McKenna, Brylee, Braydon, Caleb and Paige. He also leaves siblings, Violet Drexler of Clark, Eleanor Mehlberg of Raymond and Charles Collins and wife Connie of Denver, CO., a step-son Patrick Welk and wife Cheri of Fargo, ND, a step-daughter Wendy Davis and husband Courtney of Watertown, 5 step-grandchildren, 3 step-great grandchildren and a ? sister-in-law, Gwen Collins of California. Preceding him in death were his parents, a son Gary in 1974, brothers, Osmer (Doris) Collins, Daniel (Pat) Collins, ? brothers, Orval and Oscar Collins and brothers-in-law, Clifford Drexler and Clarence Mehlberg. email condolences to www.furnessfuneralhome.com