Milford chronicle., 1962-10-19
DR.. Oliver Collins,
Methodist Leader, Dies

The Rev. DR.. Oliver J. Collins,
81, former superintendent of the
Wilmington District, Peninsula
Annual Conference of the Metho-
dist Church, died Thursday in
Adrian, Mich.
Death was attributed to an ap-
parent heart attack.
Dr. Collins had been seriously
i'll and was hospitalized last May
for several weeks, friends in Will
mington said, but had improved
and had been able to resume his
duties until the short illness pre-
ceding his death.
DR.. Collins had been pastor of
the First Methodist Church in the
Michigan city about rs miles
southwest of Detroit. He was also
a former pastor of ST. Pau rs
Methodist Church, 10th and Jack
son Sts., recently razeds for the
Adams-Jackson Freeway.
DR.. Collins was an outspoken
advocate of Methodist and Angli-
can reunion as far back as 1947.
He also advocated general union
of major Protestant denominations.
He had shared in work leading to
the reunion of the Methodist Epis-
copal and Methodist Protestant
Church to form the Methodist
Church of the United States in
1888.
DR.. Collins completed a six-year
term as superintendent of the Will
mington District in the spring of
1947.
In May, 1947, DR.. Collins trans
ferred to the Baltimore Confer
ence to become pastor of historic
First Methodist Church in that
city. The church, close to tn e
campus of the old Groucher Col
lege for women, is now known as
Lovely Lane Methodist Church.
After 51a years at the Baltimore
pastorate, DR.. Collins became pas
tor of Trinity Methodist Church,
Detroit.
He served there about six years
and then accepted the pastorate of
the Adrian church.
In addition to his work as pastor
of the church in Adrian. Dr. Col
Inns was a chapel lecturer at
Adrian College and was a member
| of it's board of trustees.
DIR. Collins also served for manv
| years on the board of trustees of
Western Maryland College, West
| minister, Md.
Before becoming superintendent
| of the Wilmington District, DR.
Collins had pastoral experience in
several towns in the Peninsula
Conference. He served as pastor of
st. Paul's Church, Wilmington
1933-40; at the Mars ALT o n
| Church, 1930-32; Ee b ezer
Church, Newark, 1928-29, and al
Charlestown CMd.) Church. 1924
27.
DR.. Collins was born April 81,
| 1901, on his fathers farm near
Laurel. He was the second of 8
| children.
After graduation from Wesley
Collegiate Institute at Dover, now
Wesley College, he took a years
course at Dickinson College, Car
isle, Pa. He then joined the old
Wilmington Annual Conference of
the then Methodist Epi S cops i
Church and continued his educa-
ton, obtaining his bachelor of arts
degree at the University of Della
ware. in 1927.
DR.. Collins took his theological
studies at Drew Theological Semi
nary, Madison, N j., receiving a
bachelor of divinity degree, cum
| laude, in 1880.
His widow, Mrs. Ruth Pauline
Locates Collins, survives as do 2
children, Oliver Clovis Collins OF
Warren, Mich, and Miss Jean
Olivia Collins of New York City
Funeral services were held in
the First Methodist Church n
Adrian, Monday. Interment serv-
ices were in Gracelawn Memorial
Park, DUPONT Parkway, Tuesday
at leo pm.
There was a viewing in the new
chapel at Gracelawn Memorial
park Tuesday.
The interment services were
| conducted by the Rev. R. Jervis
| Cooke, superintendent of the Will
mington Methodist District, assist
ed by the Rev. John Wooten, a
| retired Methodist minister, a n d
| the Rev. DR.. Charles l. Carpenter,
| pastor of Avenue M e h o d i s
Church, Milford, and former chief
of chaplains of the Air Force.
|