PAGE 10 • THE PICAYUNE
SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
TELL ’EM YOU SAW IT IN THE PICAYUNE
Collins always had home-cooked meal for difficult times FROM PAGE 1 that likely will go unfilled. For years, Collins was the first voice people heard when they called the Burnet County Courthouse in downtown Burnet. “Burnet Courthouse,” she answered. From there, Collins sent them to the person for whom they were looking. Or, if the caller wasn’t sure who he or she needed to talk to, Collins helped narrow it down to the right office or person. Sometimes, the caller sought a person or office that wasn’t in the courthouse or not even related to county business. A simple way of handling a call such as that would be saying, “Sorry, but I don’t know” and letting the caller try to sort it out on his or her own. Collins, however, wouldn’t hang up the phone without trying her hardest to help. Often, this meant pulling out her address book. She had long ago filled up the lines with numbers, names, addresses and other information. As she acquired new information and numbers, Collins scribbled it in along the sides or she stuffed pieces of paper in the book with contacts. The chances were, if somebody needed to find somebody, Collins could, and would, help. “She did so much more than just answer the phones,” Burnet County Judge Donna Klaeger said. “Anytime somebody needed help, Nancy was there. And it wasn’t just helping people who called or came by the courthouse. Nancy was so much more.” If somebody took ill or suffered
NANCY LOU KIRBY COLLINS
Nancy Lou Kirby Collins, 75, of Burnet died Sept. 17, 2013. She was born Sept. 30, 1937, in Lometa to Gaylian and Marqueritte Todd (Beasley) Kirby. A service was Sept. 21 at First Baptist Church in Burnet. A graveside service followed at Senterfitt Cemetery in Lometa. Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 Texas 29 East in Burnet, (512) 756-2222. Go to www.clementswilcoxburnet.com for condolences. a loss, Collins soon was at his or her door with some home-cooked food and a hug. It didn’t matter how small the problem or how large, Collins wanted to help. Even if all she could do was offer a hug. “Oh, those hugs,” Klaeger said with a laugh. “She gave big, strong bear hugs. Nancy hugged like a man. When she hugged you, she held on. You knew she cared.” Hugs weren’t the only thing Collins offered. And she wasn’t one to offer a little help. She went all out. When the 40th anniversary of Drake and his wife, Angie, approached, Collins and another woman decided to throw them a party. “Yeah, it was just a small party,” Drake said with a bit of laughter. “Seven hundred people showed up.
That’s Nancy.” But it wasn’t just an anniversary celebration. Drake suffers from post-polio syndrome after contracting the disease as a youth. The disease weakened his muscles to the point he relies on a wheelchair. During the course of the anniversary party, Collins helped raise $16,000 so Drake could purchase a specially fitted van to travel around better. “That was Nancy,” he said. In 2009, Drake’s wife passed away after battling cancer off and on for four years. And while many people shared their condolences and then moved on with their own lives, Collins made it one of her personal ministries to see him through the loss. Every Tuesday, the local Sonic sold two-for-one hamburgers. And every Tuesday, Collins and a few other women stopped at the Sonic, picked up a few burgers and headed to Drake’s house. “They would come by, and we’d talk, fellowship and just be together,” Drake said. “I don’t think I would have made it through that year had it not been for Nancy.” And after Drake remarried, his wife, Marie, faced some physical problems because of a low iron level. “So one day, Nancy shows up at our house with a dinner of liver and onions,” Drake said. “She said, ‘I don’t know this will help, but I thought it might.’ She was just that type of person. She didn’t love you a little, she loved you full on.” People came to know Collins’ cooking as well. Whether it was a plateful of brownies she made for a friend who stopped by the courthouse or her cinna-
mon rolls she baked for a co-worker’s birthday, Collins was ready to feed folks. It was one of her ways of demonstrating her love for others. And Collins always thought of others. She pushed her own problems and struggles aside to help friends, and even strangers, with their lives. “It was always about everybody else to Nancy,” Klaeger said. “It didn’t matter what was going on in her life, Nancy was always about helping you.” Even as she lay in her hospital bed, pain ravaging her body, Collins’ thoughts focused on somebody else. As Drake sat by her hospital bed, Collins struggled through the pain trying to tell him something. “She said, ‘I made you some trail mix, but I wasn’t able to get it to you,’” Drake said, his voice cracking a bit. “Even in her own pain, she was thinking of me.” While Collins might not have cured any diseases, traveled the globe or started a multimillion-dollar business, she showed people how just acting out of love could make life better, could make a difference. “Nobody can ever replace Nancy,” Klaeger said. “The courthouse will never be the same. But we’re all better for Nancy having been a part of our lives.” It’s been said that when a person dies, the headstone gives his or her date of birth and death, but between the two lies a dash. It’s what a person does during that dash that matters and defines him or her. In her dash, Collins packed a whole lot of love. daniel@thepicayune.com
OBITUARY ROBERT W. ANDERSON
Robert W. Anderson, 83, of Bacliff, Texas, passed away July 20, 2013. He was born Nov. 1, 1929, in Montabello, Ill., and was a recent resident of Austin, Spicewood and Marble Falls. As a young man, he lived on a farm in Montabello, performing many chores, including milking the cows before school and harvesting fruit from the many trees they had. His strong work ethic continued to develop as he worked many jobs, including a paper route, as a bell hop, a cook and at a soap company. In 1947, Robert joined the U.S. Air Force at Fort Sheldon, Ill. During his tour of duty, he was stationed at Wheelus Air Base, Libya MC, Guire Air Force Base, Tinker Air Force Base Harmon and Air Base Thule in Greenland. Robert retired 1968. After his retirement from the Air Force, he worked as a traveling salesman for the Milstead Co. in Austin. It was not long after he began his employment at Milstead Co. that he became a licensed master plumber and began to own and operate A&B Plumbing for many years. In 1990, Robert moved to Marble Falls and worked at The Picayune newspaper for many years. Robert is survived by his wife, Alice Anderson of League City; sons, Bobby, Richard and Terry; daughter, Diana; and numerous grandchildren in the Austin area.
DEATH NOTICES Death notices must be submitted by 10 a.m. Monday for Wednesday publication. Go to DailyTrib.com to read complete obituaries.
GLEN DALE BLANKINSHIP
Glen Dale Blankinship, 68, of Granite Shoals died Sept. 13, 2013. He was born March 29, 1945, in Houston to Oran Lee and Ruby (Nettles) Blankinship. A graveside service was Sept. 18 at Marble Falls City Cemetery. Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 1805 U.S. 281 North in Marble Falls, (830) 693-4373. Go to www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome. com to make condolences.
LUCILLE M. BODE
Lucille M. Bode, 97, of San Saba
County died Sept. 19, 2013. She was born Jan. 1, 1916, in Cherokee to Boyd and Mabel Christian Hanna. A funeral service was Sept. 21 at Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home, 307 E. Sandstone in Llano, (325) 247-4300. Burial followed at Pontotoc Cemetery. Email whhfuneral1@verizon.net with condolences.
KAREN ELAINE PRIEM CARLON
Karen Elaine Priem Carlon, 59, died Sept. 20, 2013. She was born Feb. 19, 1954. A funeral service was Sept. 23 at St. John Lutheran Church in Pflugerville. Burial followed.Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 Texas 29 East in Burnet, (512) 7562222. Go to www.clementswilcoxburnet.com to make condolences.
SHIRLEY ANN HATFIELD
Shirley Ann Hatfield, 76, of Llano died Sept. 20, 2013. She was born May 8, 1937, in Clarksdale, Ill., to Harry Clinton and Bernita (Moses) Brown. A funeral service was Sept. 24 at First Baptist Church in Llano. Burial followed at Llano City Cemetery. Arrangements by Waldrope-HatfieldHawthorne Funeral Home, 307 E. Sandstone in Llano, (325) 247-4300. Email whhfuneral1@verizon.net with condolences.
THOMAS RAY HOWARD
Thomas “Tommy” Ray Howard, 79, died Sept. 16, 2013. He was born Nov. 25, 1933, in Conroe to Archie Thomas and Virgie Inez (Strickland) Howard. A memorial service was Sept. 20 at
United Methodist Church of Burnet. Arrangements by Edgar Funeral Home, 109 N. Main St. in Burnet, (512) 7564444. Go to http://edgarfh.com to express condolences.
PAUL CHARLES KELLY
Paul Charles Kelly, 51, of Spicewood died Sept. 15, 2013. He was born July 1, 1962, in LaMarque to William and Dorcus Liffick Kelly. A memorial service was Sept. 21 at the Lakeside Beach community center in Spicewood. Arrangements by Edgar Funeral Home, 109 N. Main St. in Burnet, (512) 756-444. Go to http://edgarfh.com to express condolences.
BILLY MARCELL ROSE
Billy Marcell Rose, 79, of Burnet
died Sept. 18, 2013. He was born Nov. 13, 1933. A graveside service was Sept. 23 in Charleston. Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 Texas 29 East in Burnet, (512) 7562222. Go to www.clementswilcoxburnet.com to make condolences.
GEORGE DALLAS TURNER
George Dallas Turner, 81, of Burnet died Sept. 20, 2013. He was born in Heidenheimer to Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Turner. A memorial service is 4 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Burnet. A private burial will be at Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. Arrangements by Edgar Funeral Home, 109 N. Main St. in Burnet, (512) 756-4444.