Fred Collins

Services are scheduled at 10 a.m., Monday, June 27th at First Baptist Church for Fredrick Deforrest Collins of Artesia, New Mexico.

Mr. Collins, 90, died Thursday, June 23, 2011 at Artesia General Hospital.

Visitation will be at Terpening Son Mortuary Sunday beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Born in Strawn, Texas on November 2, 1920, Fred came to Vaughn, N.M., at age 10, in a covered wagon, where his family homesteaded a plat of land south of Vaughn. He attended school in Vaughn until his family moved to Floyd, where he graduated from High School in 1941. After attending college in Portales at ENMU, Fred married Alice Jane Shirley on May 17, 1945 and they moved to Ft. Sumner, where he operated a service station during World War II.

Fred and Alice moved to Portales in 1949, where he managed a hotel for a couple of years and then a restaurant for a couple of years before buying a lumberyard just north of the Portales Country Club. He operated the lumber yard and built houses for about 15 years before buying 300 acres behind Oasis State Park between Portales and Clovis, where he operated a riding stable for several years.

In 1967, Fred moved his family about 8 miles west of Artesia where he ranched until 1982, when he moved to town. He and Dr. Hardin developed North Park Mobile Home Park on North 13th Street. Fred operated the mobile home park until July, 2004, when he underwent heart surgery and retired. Fred was very involved in the Republican Party, both on a local level and the state level. He especially enjoyed escorting Pete Dominici and Steve Pearce around Artesia and introducing them to many local voters. For many years he served as a member of the Eddy County Fair Board and he was a very active member of the Kiwanis Club in Portales and in Artesia. He especially enjoyed his work with the High School Key Club and serving pancakes at the annual pancake breakfast. He maintained his great sense of humor until the very end He gave everyone a hard time whether it was one of his grandchildren stopping by to see him at home or a stranger at the local coffee shop

Fred was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers Lewis Collins and Jesse Collins, one sister Lois Watson, and a son Elton Ray Collins. He is survived by his wife Alice Collins and six children: Beverly Clark and husband Dave of San Angelo, Texas Rick Collins and wife Cyndy of Roswell Wayne Collins and wife Charlotte of Albuquerque Margaret Peyton and husband Kenny of Artesia Billy Frank Collins and wife Glenda of Artesia Silvia Haldeman and husband Richard of Artesia 19 grandchildren, 38 greatgrandchildren and 2 greatgreatgrandchildren. He is also survived by three sisters and two brothers: Johnny Cooper of Artesia, Jerry Ramsey of Artesia, Helen Rogers and her husband Steve of Hedley, Texas, Gene Collins and wife Lorene of Portales, and Pete Collins and wife Lola of Clarkston, Washington.