Everett Boyd Collins

He was the son of Everett Franklin Collins and Stella Martha Duncan. Perhaps being born in the rugged setting of Ouray set the stage for an extraordinary life for Boyd. At the time of his birth, he had two older sisters: Lila Jean and Darlene Fern. After Boyd, a set of twins, Ilona Berniece and Alfred Bailey, were added to the family. Boyd’s early years were spent on a ranch on a mesa at the top of Norwood Hill near Norwood, Colorado. From these early beginnings grew his appreciation of nature and all her beauty. He always had time to stop and smell the roses, watch the moon rise, and admire the sunset. He loved the mountains, but after moving over here he found beauty in the prairie and wide-open spaces where you could see for miles.

At a very young age, Boyd had “chores” to do. This must have been the beginning that gave him the wonderful perspective that work was fun. Boyd thrived on seeing that a job was well done and never minded the task. He took pleasure in digging post holes by hand, shoveling flood irrigating, and bucking bales. Boyd had numerous jobs throughout his life, with the ones in the oil field and ranching being the prominent ones. He worked for Byron Oil Industries for 20 years while starting to build his ranching dream on the side. After leaving the oilfield he completed his dream of ranching full time, which he did up to the end. When a task was done, he knew he had given it his best.

He had the sense of what was around him and see if anyone needed any help. Both friends and total strangers benefited from his help. He would be driving down the road and see a stalled car or something that needed to be done and he would stop to help. If a neighbor, friend, family, or total stranger needed help they could count on Boyd. This sense served him well because whenever he needed any help, the deed was returned. He was always surrounded by people willing to help brand or move cattle or bale hay. He lived by the golden rule.

Boyd never met a stranger. Wherever he was, whether it was at an auction, vacationing, or standing in line at the grocery store, he managed to engage whoever was around him. He was truly interested in your story and about you. He remembered what you had shared and if he saw you again, he would start the conversation with what you had shared. This ability garnered friendship from all around.

Probably around the age of three or so, his dad gave him a small cotton rope and began teaching him how to rope. Boyd has had a rope close by ever since. Not only was the rope good for roping livestock, but there was also no end to the ways it came in handy in Boyd’s life, from opening a gate that was too tight to tying on a load. To Boyd a rope was like duct tape or baling wired to someone else. Not to say he didn’t get in trouble with that rope and with a rope of course comes a horse and a dog. Boyd had a way with animals and could build their trust. It was a sight to see him in the middle of his cow herd as if he was one of them.

He attended all twelve grades in the Norwood School System. In high school, sports were a lot more fun than classes. Boyd was the center in both basketball and football, and catcher in baseball. He also wrestled. After High School, Boyd attended and graduated from a body and fender school in Denver.

Shortly after that Boyd enlisted in the army. Inspite of the controversy over the Vietnam War, Boyd was proud to serve his country and he served it with honor. After boot camp Boyd went to Ft. Huestis in Virginia. After completing helicopter mechanic school, he was sent to Vietnam and put on the maintenance and recovery crew for downed helicopters, receiving several medals, among them the medal of valor and commendation medal for his bravery.

After getting out of the service Boyd spent some time in Wisconsin with some of his relatives getting a job at Gisholt machine company working on what at that point was the biggest lathe in the world. After completing one of the projects, his boss told him it was a good job especially for a beginner.

After this time in his life Boyd had a urge to go home. He missed the mountains and home, so he quit the job and headed back to Norwood. It must have been destiny for there he met and married the new young high school business teacher, Gayle. To this union two boys were born, Glenn Franklin (Dooley) and Boyd Bonel (Bo). His family meant everything to him, and he relished teaching the boys how to do all the things that Boyd enjoyed as well as the work ethics that went with it. Boyd was keen on hunting and fishing from the time he was old enough to go. He passed this passion on to his boys and eventually his grandchildren.

Early on in his marriage, Boyd realized it was time to quit drinking, that it had become a problem in his life. He had his last drink on April 8, 1978. He joined AA and gave it his all just as he had done with all his endeavors. He revered his sobriety and as with everything else put every effort into it, including sponsoring Alateen.

Boyd and Gayle both loved to travel and see new country. It was always an adventure with Boyd because you didn’t do the touristy things. You went out and saw the country wherever we went. As mentioned before Boyd engaged the people around him and learned about the ways of the place wherever we were. Boyd and Gayle got to enjoy most of the United States including Alaska and Hawaii and Ireland, but they found no place more beautiful or fulfilling than Colorado and home.

Boyd lived a full life filled with laughter, music, family, and friends. Boyd often said it was better to be lucky than good and I called it the “Collins Charm”, but Boyd had it all. He will be greatly missed but carried in our hearts and memories forever.

Boyd passed away on December 28, 2023. He is survived by his loving wife and other half, Gayle of 53 years, his son Dooley (Shara) Collins, a daughter-in-law Leigh Collins, his grandchildren EmaLee, Erynn, Everett, Molly, and Sarah, and three great grandchildren, Connor, Boyd, and Bentley as well as his sister Berniece, and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his son Boyd (Bo) Collins and Bo’s wife, Rhonda, his parents, two sisters, his brother, one niece and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles, two sister in laws, several brothers in law, and many friends.

A visitation will be from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Thursday, January 4, 2024 at Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 W. 28th St., Greeley. Celebration of Life will be at 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 5, 2024 at Kersey Community Church, 26221 CR 53, Kersey. Interment will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday, January 5, 2024 at Collins Family Ranch Cemetery, 21271 WCR 51, Kersey.