Anna Louise Collins of 5291 Sweet Lane, Sams Valley, Oregon died November 24, 2020 at the Asante Ashland Community Hospital. She died of bacterial pneumonia after repeated episodes of congestive heart failure. Anna had been in and out of several hospitals and rehabilitation centers since May, 2020. Her death concluded an 8-month medical journey that began in Utah where she was referred for a complex ostomy reversal. She arrived in Utah mid-March, then had to wait for surgery until May 12 due to a statewide COVID lockdown. Her surgery went well, but was complicated two days later by a heart attack caused by a blood clot in her lung. A second heart attack followed five days later. Both cardiac arrests required full resuscitation and life support. After nine weeks recovery in ICU, Anna spent two months in a transitional rehabilitation center followed by three weeks in an acute rehabilitation center. During these months, Anna successfully worked her way back to using a walker and climbing small stairs. She was finally able to travel home to Oregon mid-October. In Oregon, Anna continued her rehabilitation via home healthcare, but began experiencing problems with congestive heart failure that ended in bacterial pneumonia. During her 8-month journey, Anna’s daughter, Debbie, lived with her in the various hospital rooms and stayed by her side until her passing.
Anna survived two episodes of cancer: breast cancer from early-1987 until the 1990s and ovarian cancer from 2017 until the summer of 2020 when she was pronounced in remission. She happily told people she wasn’t afraid of the “C” word because she’d beaten it … twice!
Anna was born in Wichita, Kansas on December 18, 1937. She was the middle child between two brothers (Don and Jim), and a sister, Donna Jean, who died in childbirth as a twin to Don. Her parents were Theodore Sherman Atkinson and Florence Marie Morris Atkinson. Several of Anna’s aunts and uncles moved to Southern California in the early 1940s – Frank and Velma (Morris) Freeman, Charles and Florence Morris, Les and Zula “Zuke” (Morris) Atkinson. Anna’s family traveled by train to visit them in 1944 when Anna was six years old. Anna remembered her father heating her baby brother Jim’s bottle of milk on the train engine during a stop. She also ate her first peanut butter AND jelly sandwich her dad purchased for her on the train. Prior to that, she had never seen peanut butter and jelly combined!
Her family moved from Kansas to Southern California in 1945. They intended to leave their dog, Waffles, in Kansas but he snuck in among the belongings in the car and came along! They stayed with uncle Frank and aunt Velm until Anna’s father purchased a home on 2.5 acres located at 550 Citron, Fontana, California (address became 17804 Citron in the early 1950s). The home included 1.5 acres of orange grove, a chicken house, some outbuildings and a corral. From the age of about 9-13 yrs., Anna had a white-gray horse named, Rocky. Her brother Don had a horse named, Lady. Little brother Jim would ride behind Anna. But Jim’s boots were too big, so he had to curl his toes to keep them from bouncing off his feet! Anna and her brothers belonged to a saddle club called, Los Montados. Years later, she shared stories about her fun with the club, playing horse games and riding in the annual Fontana Days Parade. When she was 13 yrs. old, she was forced to sell Rocky because her family could no longer afford to buy feed. But this was the beginning of Anna’s lifelong love for horses.
As a child, Anna had the nickname, “Punkie”, though she couldn’t remember its origin. She attended Samuel Adams Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas. In California she attended Sierra Seville Elementary, then Fontana Jr. High. She was bussed to Chaffey High in Ontario until Fontana High School was built, then finished in the first graduating class of “FoHi”! Anna loved to read and was a smart student. She enjoyed music and played the clarinet in the school band. Her best friend was Barbara McFarland, who she introduced to her brother Don. Don married Barbara, so her best friend became Anna’s sister-in-law.
Anna Louise Atkinson met David Collins in May 1952 while skating with her parents and brothers at Harry’s Roller Rink in San Bernardino, California. Dave called her “Ann” and they dated on and off from 1952 to 1954. Dave joined the Air Force and got engaged to Ann on October 28, 1954. They were married November 10, 1956 in Las Vegas after Dave returned from duty in Japan. They honeymooned at the Grand Canyon, then visited a new amusement park recently opened in Anaheim called Disneyland! Disneyland became one of their favorite places and Ann visited frequently throughout her life.
Dave and Ann first lived in Victorville near George Air Force Base. When Dave fulfilled his service, they moved back to Fontana. Thirteen months after their marriage, their daughter Debora Ann Collins was born on December 9, 1957. Their son, Micheal David Collins, was born on July 14, 1960.
Their little family lived in Fontana, California until 1969, then moved to Gavilan Hills above Perris, California to live until 1971. Dave and Ann purchased twenty acres of land in Sams Valley, Oregon in December, 1970 and settled on their homestead the following Spring to live out their days and raise their two children in the country. Yes, Anna had horses again … and burros! Her last burro, Junior, passed of old age 7 months before Ann’s death. Junior was in his late-20s.
Anna lived a happy, productive life. She loved camping, hiking, boating and water skiing. She and Dave frequently took their children to Yosemite, Salton Sea, numerous lakes in Oregon, and fishing on the creeks along Hwy. 395 near Bridgeport, California. In 1968, Dave and Ann took their family on a 7-week adventure touring the Western United States in a camper. Ann also collected old teapots and clowns.
Anna loved being a stay-at-home mom, but when K-Mart opened in Medford, she applied to manage the dry goods department. She later drove school bus for Eagle Point, then Central Point. Because her children rode her bus, they called her “Mom” … so did their friends. Years after her own children graduated, students still called out “Hi, Mom” when they boarded her bus and “Bye, Mom” when they departed. At the opening of Medford’s first Fred Meyer, she hired on to manage the boys clothing department and was #1 in sales nationwide! After her breast cancer, Anna managed the American Cancer Society’s Discovery Shop in downtown Medford. One of her responsibilities was managing the volunteers, who staffed the shop. This last job, was her favorite job. She retired shortly after David did in the early-1990s.
In her later years, Anna was diagnosed with macular degeneration in both eyes. Her love for reading shifted from paper-books to audio books. She also started wearing hearing aids in both ears. David passed away in 2007. Anna promised him on his death bed she would become active with the Church again and a year later was eternally sealed to Dave in the Lord’s temple in Medford, Oregon. Anna and her family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
During the few years after David’s death, Anna wrecked two pickups and had to stop driving. She lived the rest of her retirement enjoying the countryside in her new house her daughter had built for her following Dave’s death. She and her daughter continued to make annual visits to Disneyland and Debbie began living with her off and on during winter and spring. In 2020, Debbie lived with her full time.
Anna was preceded in death by her husband David Collins who died August 14, 2007. She is survived by her younger brother Jim Atkinson, sister in-law Judy, her daughter Debora Ann Collins who now resides at the Sams Valley residence, her son Micheal David Collins, daughter in-law Patti Collins, and grandchildren Adam, Alyssa, Dene’, Kaleb, Aiden and their spouses. She is also survived by one greatgrand daughter, Everly, nieces and nephews. We will all miss Anna, but we celebrate her life and thank the Lord for the time we’ve had to associate with her.
Go Forward in Peace, Anna! We love you!
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