Obituary of Rev. Conrad A. Collins

Rev. Conrad A. Collins, age 86, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, January 28, 2006. Rev. Collins had pastored churches in both Connecticut and New York over his more than 40 years of ministry. He was the devoted husband of the late Viola (Ottoson) Collins and a loving and supportive father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was born on the family farm on New Sweden Road in Woodstock on April 3, 1919, the sixth of seven children of John Arvid and Emma Christina (Ask) Collins. He attended the one room Quasset School and later graduated from Woodstock Academy. He served in the European Theatre of War during World War II. At the end of the war he became a chaplain's assistant and began to sense God's call on his life to full-time Christian service. Rev. Collins attended Providence Bible Institute in Rhode Island where he met his future wife. He and Viola were married on June 10, 1950 in Worcester, MA. He graduated from Taylor University in Upland, IN. He later received his Master's degree from the University of Connecticut. He began his ministry as a student pastor at the North Star Congregational Christian Church in OH. He was then privileged to pastor at the Eastford Baptist Church in Eastford, CT, the Northville Baptist Church in Northville, NY, the Huntington St. Baptist Church in New London, CT and the Faith Baptist Church in Southington, CT. Rev. Collins was also the interim pastor of several local churches including the Evangelical Covenant Church of Woodstock where he later served as Minister of Pastoral Care. Conrad and Viola took great joy in serving the Lord together. They had a deep and abiding commitment to sharing the gospel in these communities and through missions throughout the world. Conrad found tremendous fulfillment in caring for the needs of God's people through the ministry of visitation. He was devoted to the ministry of prayer. Conrad and Viola loved music and belonged to various choirs and also sang duets together for many years. Rev. Collins took delight in his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the surrogate grandchildren he acquired in his church family and community. He spent the last 24 years on Moheda Farm, his childhood home and enjoyed the opportunity to garden and work in his yard, as well as to assist in the haying operation on the farm each summer. This past summer he participated in the 100th anniversary of the farm. Rev. Collins is survived by his three sons: Mark and his wife Marta-Maria of Woodstock, CT; Jack and his wife Glenda of Newburgh, NY; and David and his wife Kim of Beverly, MA; one daughter, Karen Carlson and her husband Jim of Gorham, ME; thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandsons. He is also survived by his two sisters, Esther Wyeth of Woodstock and Juliette Christensen of Ashville, NC and a brother Sigfred of Cromwell, CT. He was predeceased by his wife, Viola in 1991, as well as by two brothers, Spencer Collins and John Collins and a sister Sylvia Marcy. The funeral will be Thursday February 2nd at 2:00 pm at the Evangelical Covenant Church, 24 Child Hill Road, Woodstock, CT. Calling Hours will be Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove Street, Putnam. Burial will be in Elmvale Cemetery in Woodstock. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his memory to the Memorial Fund of the Evangelical Covenant Church, 24 Child Hill Road, Woodstock, CT 06281. To share a memory with the family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com