Barbara Leraan Collins

Born in North Hornell, NY, on December, 11 1935, to Harold Boraas, Ph.D. and Borghild Leraan Boraas. Barbara and family lived in Alfred, NY, before moving to Northfield, MN, where her father taught at St. Olaf University. In 1952 they moved to Peru, NE, where she graduated high school also earning a B.S. in Biology Education at Peru State College in 1956 and in the same year married Ben L. Collins Ph.D. On 28 Feb, 1957, in Omaha, NE, Barbara gave birth to their son, Christopher. Also in 1957 Barbara and family relocated to Germany where her husband acquired a teaching position at the University of Mainz in Darmstadt, Germany, then with the University of Maryland Overseas Division where he taught classes at U.S Army bases at different locations in Germany. This gave Barbara and family an opportunity to explore a wealth of European and Scandinavian culture and history.

After four years in Germany, Barbara and family moved to Whitewater, WI, as her husband acquired a teaching position at UW-Whitewater. After five years in Whitewater, they relocated again to Fairfield, IA, and another teaching position with Parsons College. After two years they moved again to another position at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. In 1971 Barbara and Ben divorced and Barbara and her son Christopher relocated to Hudson, WI. In 1980 Barbara earned her M.S.E. degree in Guidance and Counseling at UW-River Falls. Barbara worked in her professional field until her retirement to Grand Marais, MN, in 1996.

Barbara enjoyed gardening and was a voracious reader, especially books on politics, geology, nature, and history. She was an avid aficionado of classical music, and her fervent love of nature infused joy into every area of her life. Her retirement in Grand Marais was well lived for decades without television or Internet in her home. In 2015 Barbara moved to the home of her son in River Falls, WI, and in 2022 to Comforts of Home Assisted Living. Her love, compassion and worldly advise will be missed.

Barbara is preceded in death by grandparents Julius and Julia (Rygh) Boraas of Northfield, MN, and Anders and Johanna (Gimse) Leraan of Superior, WI; father Harold Boraas, Ph.D. and mother Borghild (Leraan) Boraas of Hudson, WI; and sister, Janet (Boraas) Corwine (Robert). She is survived by son Christopher Collins (Mialisa) and grandson Andrew Collins (Diana), both of River Falls, WI; and cousins Ginny Nelson and Leslie Leraan, both of Duluth, MN., and Mark Leraan of Gordon, WI; nephew Robert Corwine Jr. (Carla) of Oakland, NE; and niece Karen Sue Stearns (Scott) of Florida. A private graveside ceremony at Oaklawn Cemetery in Northfield, MN, for family and friends will be held in the near future.