![]() | |||||||||||||||||||
| I assume this is Grandpa Mark but did not know he farmed so many acres. |
![]() | ||

. 
Ahira to Zipporah, my ancestors in words, photos & brick walls. Genealogy, Family History, Nevada and Elko County research helps, plus anything else that strikes my fancy.




I just chanced upon an interesting reference to Ernst H. W. Schmoe, my G.G. Grandfather and family. Here are a few pages from the book. Click to enlarge.









I recently received the following newspaper records from the Missouri Archives.
Mary Maria Helpher (my GG-Grandmother) was the wife of Stephen L. Collins. I have more information about her possible family, I will post separately. Mary may have been the daughter of Christopher & Lydia Helfer who lived in Wayne County Ohio at the time of Mary's marriage (1840) to Stephen L. Collins. The circumstantial evidence supports this but so far there is no proven link.
Mary Maria Helpher Collins Obituaries
(from the Missouri Archives)
Lockwood Luminary 26 Dec 1902
As we go to press we learn of the death of Mrs. Collins, widow of the late S.L. Collins at her home near Lockwood today. Funeral services were held at the residence and the interment at the cemetery in the neighborhood. Mrs Collins was about 78 years of age and was a woman whose life had been spent in well doing. She had resided in Dade County many years.
Lockwood Luminary 9 Jan 1903
Obituary
Mary Maria Collins, nee Helpher, died at her home near Lockwood, Dec. 26, 1902. She was born Feb. 28, 1822, in Ashland Co., Ohio, was married to S.L. Collins, Feb. 27, 1840 and joined the Baptist Church the same year. At the time of her death she was 80 years, 10 months, and 10 days old. She leaves 8 children, 5 boys and three girls, 5 children have preceded her to the better land. The children will always remember her kind words and loving deeds of mother may they all be prepared to meet her in that heavenly home where old age never comes and the inhabitants of that city shall not say I am sick, but will be one unending day of joy, a family reunion never to break up. Funeral services were conducted at her home by the writer from Psalms 116:15. The remains were laid to rest in the cemetery nearby to await the resurection morn. J. L. Leonard..
Alpha L. Collins 1844-1881
Alpha L. Collins was the oldest son of Stephen L. & Mary Marie Helpher Collins. He was born in Ohio 23 Jan 1844.
I have not yet found the family in the 1850 census. If anyone can find them I'd be thrilled to hear.
1860 Nebraska Terr Census Nemaha County, Brownville pages 61 & 62, 29 Jun 1860
Collins, Stephen 44 m Baptist Minister 700 800 New York
Collins, Mary 38 f Ohio
Collins, Alpha 16 m Asst. Farmer Ohio
Collins, Christopher 13 m Ohio
Collins, Maria 10 f Indiana
Collins, Ellen 6 f Indiana
Collins, Charles 3 m Illinois
Collins, Mark 1 m Nebraska
=
1870 Missouri, Dade Co., Center Twp, p.3
Stephen L Collins 54 b. NY, Minister of the gospel
Mary M Collins 48, b. OH
Alpha L Collins 26, b. OH, farm labourer
Lydia M Collins 20, b. IN
Mary E Collins 15, b. IN
Charles M Collins 13, b. Neb
Ahirah M Collins, 11, b. Neb
Daniel D Collins, 8, b. Neb
John T Collins 6, b. Neb
Emily M Collins 3, b. MO
1880 MO, Center Twp., Dade Co., p.189B
Alpha L. COLLINS Self M Male W 34 OH Pauper OH OH
N. J. COLLINS Wife M Female W 30 TN Keeping House TN TN
Cyrus COLLINS Son S Male W 2 MO OH TN
Alpha married Naomi J. Wright (b. Sept 1849) on the 26th of November 1876 in Dade Co., MO. Alpha's father Stephen L., performed the ceremony. Alpha and Naomi had one child, Cyrus Jerome Collins, He was born, 27 Oct 1878 in Missouri, (and died about Jun 1940). After Alpha's death in 1881, Naomi married, Daniel W. Gamble, 13 Dec 1883 in Dade Co., MO. They moved to Labette Co., KS.
Cyrus Jermoe Collins registered for the WWI draft in 1918 in Labette County Kansas. He lists his birthday as 27 Oct 1878, of medium height, medium build, blue eyes and red hair.
from Lauren Leeman, The State Historical Society of Missouri
rcd 10 July 2008
Greenfield Vedette & the Greenfield Dade Co., Advocate
(same obit ran in both newspapers)
14 July 1881
Obituary
Died of paralysis, June 30th, 1881, in Centre Township, Dade county, Mo., Alpha L. Collins, aged 37 years, oldest child of Elder S.L. Collins and Mary M. Collins, of this county. He leaves a wife, a little son three and a half years old, parents, brothers, sisters and numerous friends to mourn their loss. He professed Christianity at about 14 years of age and joined the Baptist church and was faithful until the end.

Clara M. Collins was born about March of 1870, the oldest child of Christopher Royce and Esta Jennie Cleavinger Collins, the first cousin of my Grandpa Mark Collins. In 1870 she is living with her parents in Daviess County Missouri. Christopher & Jennie had married there in Dec of 1868. In 1880 she is living with her family in Brownville, Nemaha Co., Nebraska. By 1887 her family had moved to St. Joseph, MO, where she is listed as a seamstress working for Wood Manufacturing Co, and living at 311 Middleton St. With her mother and brother Stephen Moses Collins, they moved to 1208 N. 3rd St in St. Joe by 1890, she is still listed as a seamstress. 10 years later, the 1900 census has Clara M. Collins born, March 1870 in MO, divorced, a dressmaker, her father born in OH, and her mother born in MO. I cannot find Clara in the 1910 census. Sometime before the death of her father in 1919, Clara married Bertrand B. Powell and moved to Chicago where she and her husband were listed in the 1920 census. By 1930 they had moved to Marion Co., IN, where she died in 1940 of lobar pneumonia. Her residence was listed as 2421 N. Ritter St. in Indianapolis IN. As far as I can tell she had no children.
Through the kindness of Chester O. Fiene and the State Historical Society of Missouri, we now have the following additional information about Christopher R. Collins
Lexington News - 17 April 1919
C.R. Collins, 71 years old, died of heart disease, at the home of his step son, C. W. Selby, near Lexington, Monday, April 14. Mr Collins was born in Seaville, Ohio, May 11, 1847. He is survived by his wife, one son, S.M. Collins of St. Joseph Missouri, one daughter, Mrs B.B. Powell of Chicago, and one step son, C. W. Selby. He is also survived by three brothers, and three sisters. Before coming to Lexington Mr Collins made his home in Golden City Missouri. The funeral was held at four o'clock Monday afternoon.
Card of thanks - Lexington News (Missouri) 17 Apr 1919
We wish to thank our friends and neighbors for their kindness and sympathy in the death of our beloved husband and father. We shall never forget you in this hour of sadness. Mrs C.B. Collins, Mrs B.B. Powell, S.M. Collins, Mr & Mrs C W Selby and family.
The Lexington Intellinger , 18 April 1919 (lookup by Chester O. Fiene)
Death of C.R. Collins - C.R. Collins died at the home of his step-son, C.W. Selby, east of Lexington, Monday morning at 12:25 o'clock. His death was due to heart trouble. Mr Collins was born in Ohio and leaves a wife, one son and one daughter. The funeral was held Monday evening at 4 o'clock.
Cemetery listing showing page 168, Machpelah Cemetery, Lexington Missouri, Ewing Addition II. (lookup by Chester O. Fiene May 2008)
Collins, Christopher R. ; 11 May 1847; 14 Apr 1919
From this we now know that
Christopher was buried in Machpelah Cemetery (Ewing Addition II).
Christopher's daughter (Clara) married B. B. Powell, and they lived in Chicago. S. M. Collins is Stephen Moses Collins who later moved from St. Joseph to California.
Christopher and Jenny's daughter Sarah must have died before his death. in fact the only record I have of Sarah is the 1880 census.
Clara must have married between 1900 (census St Joseph MO), and the Apr 1919, death of her father. We still don't know if Clara had children.
We are indebted to Reference Specialist, Lauren Leeman at The State Historical Society of Missouri and Chester O. Fiene, for this great boost to our Collins Family research.



Their 5 children; Jesse McKinley, Thomas Antone (Ed), Fairy Valentine, Ahira Mark, & Joseph Claude, were all born near Tygh Valley Oregon. A. Mark homesteaded 21 acres, about 1 ½ miles north of Shearer Bridge Road. Joey the youngest died as a baby and may be buried at the homestead, along with his oldest brother Jesse McKinley who drown in about 1914-5. In 1910 Julia become ill and went to stay with her sister in Iowa. Julia died there, 13 March 1910, of tuberculosis, and is buried in Essex, Page County Iowa. The children remained with Julia's sister Jesse who raised them as her own. Ahira Mark Collins died 13 Oct 1939, at The Dalles Oregon, and is buried in the IOOF cemetery.


Five years ago on a trip to The Dalles, with my sister, we visited the IOOF cemetery. Once there, we found two maintenance workers one of whom indicated that Great-Grandpa Mark was buried in a certain section, but that he did not know the exact spot without checking the records in the cemetery office. With a 180 degree sweeping motion of his arm, he indicated where we should start looking. This was a huge area.. I hopped out of the car and my sister with the aid of one of the workers started up and down the rows of graves. Instead, I headed out on foot angling across with no sense of where I was headed or even if there would be a headstone to mark the grave. I walked at a steady pace for a few minutes until I felt the sudden urge to stop. Looking down at that spot, not 6 inches from my foot, was the small flat headstone of my great-grandfather, Ahira Mark Collins. I firmly believe he guided me straight to his grave.
Obituary: "The Dalles Weekly Chronicle" 14 Oct 1939 page 2 – The Dalles, Wasco County Oregon. Mark Collins, 80, resident of Tygh Valley for 52 years, died yesterday at a local hospital. Funeral arrangements will be announced later by C.R. Callaway & Sons. Surviving relatives include, Mrs Abe Fulkerson, Shenandoah IA, and two sons Mark Collins, Dundee, and Ed Collins, Redmond.
The Dalles Daily of Oct 16th 1939
Services Announced - Funeral rites for Mark Collins, long time resident of Tygh Valley who died here Friday, will be held from Callaway's chapel tomorrow at 3:30 pm, it was announced today.
The Dalles Daily of Oct 17th 1939
Funeral serviced for Mark Collins, Tygh Valley man who died last week, were held this afternoon from Callaway's chapel with Rev. W. I. Eck officiating. Burial was in Odd Fellows Cemetery. (The Dalles).

