Randall L. Collins, 74, El Dorado Springs, entered into eternal peace and into the arms of is Savior Wednesday night, April 23, 2014 at his daughter and son-in-law’s house near Cole Camp, MO where he has resided for nearly six years.
Randall was born May 1, 1939, near the Lewis School House, northwest of Osceola, MO, to Nolan E. and Maretta Richter Collins. On February 29, 1944, they moved down the road a bit to the farm where he would grow up.
He attended elementary school at the Lewis School, junior high at the Roscoe Public School, and graduated from Osceola High School in 1957.
Randall was inducted into the military on April 11, 1962 in Kansas City, MO. He attended Basic Training in Ft. Gordon, GA and was later stationed near Bremerhaven, Germany for 1 year, 7 months, and 4 days. He served his country in the United States Army, first as a Military Policeman, then as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic. On April 3, 1964, Randall was released from active duty with an honorable discharge coming on March 31, 1968.
In 1952, Virgil Postlewait in the Osage River east of Osceola baptized Randall. Throughout the years, he attended Cooks Chapel, Herriman Chapel, and Blue Ridge Church. When asked what he wanted people to remember him for or what he wanted people to remember about him, he said, “Just that I went to the right place.”
Randall was a truck driver from 1958 until he retired in 1998. Throughout his driving career he had only one mishap, a minor one, while on the road. He was a very conscience driver and always looked out for the others on the road that might not be paying as much attention as he.
On June 25, 1962, Randall married Elaine West at Laverne’s Wedding Chapel in Miami, OK. Once Randall returned from military service overseas, they set up house keeping in Tiffin, MO. After a couple of years they bought a place just a block away and there they raised their six children. On February 17, 2007, Randall lost his wife of almost 45 years, his only son, and a granddaughter in a house fire.
Randall was preceded in death by his father, Nolan E. Collins; his wife, Elaine Collins; his son, Randall L. Collins Jr; his brother, Larry Collins; and his granddaughter Alexis Collins.
He is survived by his mother Maretta Collins, El Dorado Springs, MO, daughters Diana Hudson (David); Donna Stewart, Nevada, MO; Dorothy Graves (Jason), Cole Camp, MO; Bonnie Bowman, El Dorado Springs, MO; Brenda Vandenberg, Springfield, MO; and 2 sister-in-laws Linda Lumley, El Dorado Springs, MO and LaWanda West, of Texas; brother-in-law Kermit Anderson of Schererville, IN; cousins, friends, and numerous trucking buddies.
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