Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

July 11, 1927 - September 3, 2020

Artie Odell Collins, age 93, of Florence, Alabama and former resident of Hohenwald, died September 3, 2020 at North Alabama Medical Center.

Services were conducted at noon on Saturday, September 5, at the Springer Church of Christ in Hohenwald with Bill McDonald officiating. Burial followed in the Springer Cemetery. McDonald Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

He was born on July 11, 1927 in Hickman County near the town of Wrigley to the late Earldon Elfry Collins and Martha Louise Baker Collins.

He was preceded in death by Gladys Marie Myatt Collins, his wife of 66 years.

He is survived by his sons, Larry Collins (Anne) of Florence, Alabama, Mike Collins (Wanda) of Dallas, Georgia, and Bill Collins (Sabrina) of Crosby, Mississippi; daughter, Brenda Vick (Jerry) of Gallatin; six grandchildren, Chris Collins, Rusty Collins, Brad Vick, Holly Hester, Briana Nelson, and Will Collins; fourteen great grandchildren, Bailee Vick, Jenna Vick, Riley Vick, Reagan Vick, Nicholas Hester, Maddey Hester, Claire Hester, Fisher Collins, Sawyer Collins, Briley Nelson, Jonah Nelson, Liam Collins, Vivi Collins, and Lewis Collins. He is also survived by one sister, Jewel Hamm of Nashville.

Mr. Collins was a member of the Jackson Heights Church of Christ in Florence, Alabama. He was a gospel preacher for over 60 years. He preached full time in located work for the Church of Christ in Lynnville, Tennessee; Lexington, Alabama; Dechard, Tennessee; Estill Springs, Tennessee; and Capitol Hill in Winchester, Tennessee. He finished his full-time preaching career as minister for the Springer Church of Christ in Hohenwald for more than 30 years. During his career, he preached in more than 350 gospel meetings, lectureships, and Vacation Bible Schools in 12 states. He is also the author of two volumes of chart sermons and an autobiography of his life.

The education of young ministers was very important to him. The family requests memorials may be made in his memory to the Preaching Scholarship Fund at Mars Hill Bible School, 698 Cox Creek Parkway, Florence, Alabama 35630 or to the general scholarship fund at Heritage Christian University, PO Box HCU, Florence, Alabama 35630.