Dorothy A. Collins, 94, passed away peacefully at her home on May 28, 2024. She was born on December 1, 1929, in Beatrice, NE, to John and Nannie (Trueblood) Barnett. She grew up in Wymore, NE, where she attended school and graduated from Wymore High School in 1948. She married Kenneth LaWayne Collins of Beatrice, NE, on August 14, 1949. They resided on the Cedar Hills Farmstead in Southeast Beatrice. God blessed their union in holy matrimony with a son, Gary Wayne. They celebrated 58 years of marriage before Kenneth passed away in 2007.

Dorothy worked for many years at the J.M. McDonald department store in downtown Beatrice. She began a new career as an LPN after earning a nursing degree from Nebraska Southern Community College, Fairbury, in 1974. For more than 25 years, she was an LPN at the Lutheran Hospital, Parkview Center, and the P.E.O. Home in Beatrice. She was honored for her nursing career by the Nebraska Nurse Honor Guard in 2022. In 2023, Dorothy and one other classmate from the class of 1948 were honored at the Wymore High School Alumni Banquet, celebrating 75 years since graduation.

Dorothy loved the Lord, faithfully serving in a variety of ministries at the First Christian Church in Beatrice. She served as a Deaconess, church greeter, and was involved in Women’s Circle. Her greatest source of joy was her family. God blessed her with a big heart to love each one of her grandchildren. Birthdays were always remembered with a card and a phone call, and holidays were celebrated at “Grandma’s house”.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter-in-law Judith Collins (James Pinkerton) of Lincoln, NE; grandsons Jeffrey Wayne (Julie) Collins, and John Casey (Melissa) Collins of Beatrice; Great-grandchildren Crystal (Caleb) Swanson, Jacob Collins, Daniel Collins, Nathanael (Brianna) Collins, Alexis (Caleb) Allen, Janelle Collins, Joanna Collins, Jackson Collins, Christina Collins, Hannah Collins, Avery Collins, Joshua Collins, and Elizabeth Collins; Great-great-grandchildren Noah Brown, Merrick Allen, and Joyce Collins; step-great-grandchildren Grady, Lorelai, and Tucker; niece Shirley (Terry) Terhune of Wahoo, NE; nephews Larry (Lynn) Collins of Richardson, TX, Robert (Jan) Overbeck of Shawnee, KS; nieces Diana Hart of Concord, NH, Debbie Collins (John Pickett) of Overland Park, KS, Lynette (Scott) Nixon of Atlanta, GA; and many other nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members. Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents, infant brother Delbert, sisters Letha Boettcher Stewart and Naomi (Roy) Boettcher; husband Kenneth LaWayne Collins (2007), son Gary Wayne Collins (1985); sister-in-law Velda Fern (Harold) Overbeck, brothers-in-law Harold (Marian) Collins, and Dale (Vi) Collins; nieces Marge (Boettcher) Younger and Ruby (Overbeck) Mannis.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, June 1st at 10:30 a.m. at the First Christian Church in Beatrice with Rev. David Bigley officiating. The service will be Livestreamed on the church Facebook page. A family prayer service will be held at 10:15 a.m. in the church parlor. Burial will be at the Evergreen Cemetery in Beatrice, followed by a lunch reception at the church. Public visitation will be held from 12:00-8:00 PM on Friday, and the family will be welcoming relatives and friends during the visitation and viewing on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice. A memorial has been established to the First Christian Church with the funeral home in charge.

We invite you to share your memories of Dorothy, and to upload photos to her memorial page at www.ghchapel.com, as we celebrate and remember a life beautifully lived. Your stories and pictures will serve as a comfort to us all, as we navigate through this time of grief and remembrance.

 These services have been entrusted to the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice.