Beulah Ann Collins…June 28, 1937 – June 11, 2017

Funeral services for Springfield, Colorado resident, Beulah Collins will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel in Lamar, Colorado. Interment will follow in the Fairmount Cemetery also in Lamar. Pastor Eugene Birt will officiate. Visitation will take place from 8:00 a.m. until service time, on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel.

Beulah Ann Collins was born on June 28, 1937 in Wiley, Colorado to Guy Austin and Marie Rosa (Gentz) Batterton and passed away on June 11, 2017 in Springfield, Colorado at the age of 79. Beulah worked at the Corner Pharmacy for many years while living in Lamar and was a member of Lamar’s VFW Post #3621 and worked with other members to help raise money to build the post on Memorial Drive.  She later worked her way up in the chairs and became the Department of Colorado’s Auxiliary President and traveled throughout the state. She felt honored to participate in many VFW functions over the years. Her symbol was the bee, which held true to the many hours she gave of herself volunteering in the community. Beulah was truly a Busy Bee.

After her marriage to John Collins, she moved to Springfield, Colorado, and became very active in her new community. In the 1980’s, she was recognized as Springfield’s Citizen of the Year. She continued to participate in the VFW, joining Post #4001 and the Ladies Auxiliary, ordering flags and storing medical equipment for the use of fellow community members in need. She was proud to have been a part of collecting names to that were placed on the Baca County War Memorial located at the county courthouse. Beulah worked at the Springfield IGA and was later the Baca County librarian for 18 years and was called “Miss Beulah” by many people in the community who came into the library or who were children from the summer reading program over the years. Her garage was full of decorations for each holiday and costumes that she would take to the library to make the stories more believable and fun. Her retirement was held a few years ago and she missed the children and the people who came into the library each day. She was on the Baca County Fair Board for many years and served as the parade chairman, every year in August, she could be found lining up the parade participants. She was so well organized, that everyone was given a sign to announce what group they were in. Beulah was also very active in the Springfield Lions Club and worked to collect toys for Toys For Tots and the Halloween Trick or Treat night every year. She also served on the City of Springfield’s Adjustment and Childcare Boards. As active as Beulah was, she always said her most important job was being a mother to her daughter, Della.  Beulah will be missed by her family and many friends in Springfield. Her friends and family know that Beulah wrote poems for their deceased or ill family members and here is one for her:

If flowers grow in HEAVEN

I hope and pray GOD will pick a colorful bouquet for me, Please place them in my mother’s loving arms and tell her the flowers are from me.

Tell her that I love and will miss her each and every day, Please place your loving arms around her and kiss her and tell her that I will always love her and the ache within my heart will never go away.

Mother, I will miss our daily phone calls on my way to work just to hear how you are and to hear your voice in the morning. Thank you mom and always remember that I love you bestest and the mostest!!!

Beulah is survived by her daughter, Della Yoder; brother, Guy Oscar Batterton; sister-in-law, Amanda Batterton; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Guy Austin and Marie Rosa (Gentz) Batterton; infant daughter, JoAnna Kaye Yoder; husband, John Collins; brothers, Richard Lee, Robert Leo, Darrel Gene, Donald Leroy, and Donnie Ray Batterton; and sister, Alice May Batterton..

Memorial contributions may be made to the Baca County Library, in care of Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel, P.O. Box 950, Lamar, CO 81052.

For more information or to leave online condolences please visit www.valleymemorialfuneralchapel.com.