Virginia Collins (April 6, 1917 - May 20, 2017)

Virginia E. Morris Collins went home at the age of 100, Saturday, May 20, 2017, at McLarney Manor in Brookfield.

A funeral service will be Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at Wright-Baker-Hill Funeral Home in Brookfield with Pastor Rex Leppin officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery north of Meadville. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service at the funeral home.

Memorials to the Mt. Olive Cemetery may be left at or mailed to Wright-Baker-Hill Funeral Home, P.O. Box 496, Brookfield, MO 64628.

Virginia Edith (Jennings) Collins was born April 6, 1917, near Browning. She was the daughter of Bertha and Cleve Jennings.

On May 5, 1940, Virginia married James D. Morris. They made their home in the farming community near Shafter. James preceded her in death on June 7, 1975. Born to this union were Jody and Jennie Sue. She later married Howard Collins who preceded her in death in 1995.

She became a Christian at an early age and had an unwavering faith in God throughout her life. She was a faithful member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church for many years later moving her membership to Park Baptist Church in Brookfield. Virginia attended Kirksville State Teachers College (now known as Truman State) and taught school in the rural Shafter community. She was an accomplished homemaker, seamstress, talented baker and preferred cooking from scratch, and skilled gardener. Family was often the recipients of her many talents such as created garments, crocheted afghans, quilts, and coonskin caps. Many times she was asked for her “cinnamon roll” recipe and the reply was “you can tell how to make it by the feel of the dough”…needless to say no one has the recipe. Throughout her life she had many and varied interests such as teaching children’s Sunday school class, playing organ, and crossword puzzles. Virginia loved to dance and loved music and sang harmony with various groups. She was very competitive in playing card games and enjoyed fishing on a creek bank or in the river. As long as her health permitted, she lived an active life and above all loved her family and the Lord.

She is survived by her daughter, Jennie Sue Ewing; daughter-in-law, Sue Morris; and four loving grandchildren, Susan McBroom and husband, Mike, Greg Ewing and wife, Denise, Molly Crawford and husband, Brian, and Marcy Cooley and husband, Jim; 11 dearest great-grandchildren, Gabriel, Cady, Jenna, and Ashlyn Crawford, Samuel and Jack Cooley, Taylor, Morgan, and Kate Ewing, and Reed and Thorpe McBroom.

Her son, Jody Morris preceded her in death on February 26, 2013; and son-in-law, Gary Ewing on March 2, 1993. Her parents, three brothers, one sister, sisters-in-law, several nieces and nephews also preceded her in death.