Vergene Collins

Vergene J. Collins, 82, of Waukon died Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 3 at 11 a.m. at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville, with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, December 2 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.
Vergene Joyce Collins was born November 4, 1927 in Eau Claire, WI, the daughter of Albert and Nellie (Rich) Harris. She attended schools in the Eau Claire area and graduated from Eau Claire High School in 1945. Vergene work at a paper mill factory in Eau Claire and worked as a nurse’s aid at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in LaCrosse, WI.
February 14, 1954 she married Grant W. Collins at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They farmed together for many years in Paint Creek Township, where they operated a dairy herd and raised hogs and grain. From 1974 to 1986 they had 22 foreign exchange students from France and Mexico, and one from Ecuador. Having the foreign exchange students inspired her to write a book called “Reach Out With Love”. Vergene was a resident at Northgate Care Center in Waukon since 2005.
Vergene was a member of Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church and its ladies circles. She was also a member of the Farm Bureau. Vergene enjoyed staying in touch with the foreign exchange students, fishing, baking, traveling, crocheting, embroidery work and playing cards with her friends and neighbors.
Survivors include her children, Bill Collins of Waterville, Bob Collins of Cedar Rapids, Russel (Kitty) Collins of Waterville, Joyce (Dave Kiley) Rounds of Harpers Ferry, and Carla Schulz of Lakefield, MN; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; two brothers, Donald (JoAnn) Harris of Red Wing, MN and Duane (Virginia) Harris of Eau Claire, WI.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Grant, who died in 1996; three sisters, Eltha Solie, and Zelda and Norma Harris; and three brothers, Arlo “Bud”, Kenny and Dick Harris.
Casketbearers are Nathan Collins, Dustin Rounds, Kenneth and Kent McCormick, Mike McGeough, Gary Kolsrud, James Christianson and Jose Luis Sotelo.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.