Ed Collins Jr.

Ed Collins Jr. passed away at his home in Jamestown on Dec. 12, 2023, at the age of 74.
He was born on July 7, 1949, in Concordia, Kansas, to Edward S. Collins Sr. and Anna Ireland Mills Collins. He attended Jamestown public school.
Ed worked for a hot tar roofing crew, did shingle roofing and worked for area farmers doing manual labor. During his adult years he was a help to neighbors and community residents, shoveling snow and doing odd jobs for the elderly.
Ed had a lifelong interest in keeping birds. He had nesting places for turtle doves and later branched out to make homes for purple martins. He made many purple martin houses for his own yard and many friends and family members. He got much joy watching the martin scouts return and the martins nesting each season.
Ed suffered a major heart attack in 1999 and had bypass surgery in Jan. 2000. Following surgery, he could not continue farm labor and began making purple martin birdhouses and also making clocks of the states. One wall of his home had a map of the United States with a clock in the shape of each state.
Ed was an avid fan of the KU basketball team. He used that theme on many clocks and had many KU t- shirts and hats. He loved watching westerns and Chiefs football.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Anna; brothers, John Collins, Milton Mills, Willie Collins, Milford Mills, and sister, Joann Mills Wells (Ed), and brother-in-law, Phil Swenson. He is survived by sisters, Jackie Alcorn (Marion), College Station, Texas, Janice Swenson, Concordia; sisters-in-law, Diana Mills and Margaret Collins, both of Glasco; brother-in-law, Ed Wells, Boise, Idaho, and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be at Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home on Saturday, December 19, 2023, from 1-6 p.m. with family greeting friends from 5-6 p.m. Funeral service will be at Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home on Sunday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m. with Judy Hill, PMA officiating. Burial will be at Jamestown cemetery following the service. The family suggests memorials to the Cloud County Food Bank in care of the funeral home. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.