R. Lucille Collins

Rosie Lucile Bolinger Collins was born to Alice Alma Johnson and James Thomas Bolinger on

Friday, May 17th 1946 at Cobb Creek in Madison County, Arkansas. She passed away at

Willard Walker Hospice Home in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Thursday, May 2nd 2024. As Lucille

would say, “what mattered most was how she lived her life between the dash.”

Lucille was the 10th of 13 children born to Jim and Alice. She loved being part of a large family

and cherished her 8 sisters and 4 brothers. She looked forward to any opportunity for them to

gather, laugh, and share stories. Lucille never smoked a cigarette, but she had a lot of second-

hand smoke at those large family reunions. Her and her oldest sister Maxine would laugh and

say, “we’re just smoking whatever brand everyone else is.”

Lucille adored her mother and always spoke of their home with much love and tenderness. The

Sears and Roebuck catalog served as inspiration for the children’s clothing choices, and her

mother would create a pattern from old newspapers to help bring those catalog pages to life.

Lucille and her father, Jim, were both saved the same night in a little country church. At the age

of 8, she committed her life to the Lord and continued to pursue a personal relationship with

Him. Recently, she shared stories of how her father would end each day by gathering the family

to read the Bible and pray. Lucille took every opportunity to share her testimony and encourage

others to live faithfully. Everyone who knew her learned of her love for the Lord.

Lucille met her future husband, Carney Floyd Burton Collins, while she worked at the canning

factory in Huntsville, Arkansas. Her friend and Floyd’s sister, Melba, introduced them, and that

began a love story that lasted throughout her life. Floyd and Lucille dated for four years and

were married on September 21st 1966. The Lord blessed them with two daughters, Stephanie

Renae Collins Wiles and Melissa Lucille Collins. Lucille and Floyd raised their family in the

Freewill Baptist Church and contributed to the Lord’s work through children’s church, teen

ministries, and young adult classes.

Lucille returned to work when her youngest daughter, Melissa, was 4 years old. She wanted a

job that allowed her to take care of her children and contribute to the household. She found

what she needed at Red Shoe Preschool and worked there until she moved to the associated

church, Faith Assembly of God. In total, she was there for 15 years. She left her role as the

church secretary, and joined Backstrom Pyeatte Funeral Home. She spent 17 years working at

the funeral home and often commented that she had found her calling when she became a

funeral director. She served a multitude of family and friends throughout Northwest Arkansas

during her time there.

Lucille enjoyed singing and playing the piano and was once part of a gospel singing group who

traveled Northwest Arkansas. She continued to sing throughout her life and as recently as last

week sang with her sisters, LaVera McFee and Polly Majors. Other hobbies included

crocheting, writing poetry and songs, and later drawing and painting.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one grandson, multiple siblings; 4

brothers and 5 sisters, and many other loved ones. She is survived by two daughters, Stephanie

Wiles and husband Mike Atchley of Eureka Springs, and Melissa Collins of Springdale. Three

sisters: Lorene Bolinger of Wichita, Kansas, LaVera McFee of Huntsville, Arkansas, and Polly

Majors of Beaumont, Texas. Five grandchildren: Carrie Alice Rose Wiles, Richard Blane

Gamblin, Hannah Elizabeth Renae Wiles, Brooke Lucille Gamblin Smith, and Sarah Emily Carol

Wiles. Two great grandchildren: NiKiyah Jhenae, and Myles Glenn.

She will be remembered for many things and among them:

● White gravy

● Fried cornbread

● Sunday lunch of roast, carrots, and potatoes

● Sunday night dinner of popcorn without butter (which her children believed to be criminal

and still can be heard complaining about it)

● Ritz crackers & peanut butter

● Cinnamon candy

● Youth Dew perfume that her grandchildren remember fondly

● Merle Norman pink moisturizer

● A red scarf that was fixed around her head with a small hair clip every night

● Her willingness to cut bangs and give perms even though she struggled to use a curling

iron on her own hair

● Ability to memorize ANY phone number

● Her MANY collections

● Nightly calls to her sisters who she loved so very much

● Daily devotions and journaling her prayers

● Greeting cards covered with stickers and containing a single dollar bill

● Determination to ensure she met the minimum number of accessories - for anyone

wondering 13 is the number. It is important to note that she never provided the article

where she read this.

● Ability to leave lengthy voicemails

● Her love of God and gospel music

Visitation will be held at Backstrom Pyeatte Funeral Home in Springdale, Arkansas on

Thursday, May 9th 2024 from 5pm-8pm. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Backstrom

Pyeatte Funeral Chapel on Friday, May 10th 2024 at 10am. Burial and committal service will be

held at the Huntsville Cemetery in Huntsville, Arkansas on Friday, May 10th 2024 at 2pm.

We encourage you to wear pink - any color of pink! Wear a pink shirt, wear a pink accessory or

a pink dress. If pink is a difficult choice then wear something with flowers. It doesn’t matter, but

we want to honor her as best we can.