Waylon Curtis Collins

Waylon Curtis Collins, 81, of Columbia Falls, passed away Thursday, April 29, 2010, of an apparent heart aneurism. We call it "a broken heart."

Dad will join his son, Wesley "Bubba" Collins, who died on April 12, 2010, as the result of a homicide.

Dad was born Aug. 28, 1928, in Baxley, Ga., one of 11 children born to William Curtis and Velma Collins. He was raised on the family farm and attended school in Baxley, graduating in 1945.

He later joined the Air Force where he was an airplane mechanic.

On June 19, 1950, Dad married our beloved mother, Jean Lucille Pohl, in High Point, N.C. They soon thereafter moved to Montana, where Dad went to work logging. During his early working life he did many different types of work to support his growing family, but always went back to logging, which is what he loved. He built his own small logging business and spent most of his working years logging in the Swan Valley. In 2001, he had a stroke that ended his logging career.

Dad's other favorite things were traveling and going out to breakfast with family members to the Nite Owl or Cislo's restaurant. Over the years he had many friends. Many are gone now, but there are many others left who were always there for him and his family after the stroke.

Dad was preceded in death by his son, Wesley; his parents; a brother, Harold; and a sister, Glenda.

He is survived by his wife, Jean, of Columbia Falls; three daughters, Carol Davies and husband, Dick, of Bigfork, Virginia Darsow and husband, Terry, and Kathy Collins of Columbia Falls; and two sons, Mike Collins of Kalispell, and Windy Collins and wife, Candi, of Missoula; five grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind two sisters and three brothers in Georgia, Pauline Lawrence, Kathryn Flanagan, Troy Collins, Kenny Collins, and Max Collins, and a sister and three brothers in Florida, Francis Glass, Wendell Collins, Bill Collins and Robert Collins; two aunts, Lorene Wood in Georgia and Nell Crum in Kansas; and many nieces and nephews who all loved "Uncle Waylon."

The family will have a gathering at a later date to remember the lives of Waylon and Wesley.

"We miss you, Dad, more than you can imagine. We love you and have a safe and peaceful journey!"