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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald
By H. W. Strawbridge ~ 1950s - 60s

F. F. Collins

Collins Cleared 77-Acre Farm, Was Teacher, Churchman

Fayette Friend Collins, a highly respected resident of Bradleytown, was born Nov. 4, 1858, in Jackson Township, the second of six children of Moses H. and Olive Holder Collins. Fayette, however, spent his entire childhood on a farm just south of Bradleytown.
After receiving his elementary education he attended the Sunville Seminary. Following that he was hired to teach the Moss Grove School in Troy Township. He was appointed to that school to enforce new discipline because the unruly pupils had run a couple of teachers out.
Fayette allowed the situation to go wild two or three days to figure out just who the ringleaders were and what measures to take. Three girls appeared to be the ringleaders. He took them right to the center of the floor and spanked them severely. This ended the troubles in the school, and discipline was first rate after that.
Although the school ran smoothly Fayette learned that teaching was not his line of work. He resigned the position after a term or two and never taught again.
It was probably following the teaching career that he worked on a sawmill for a Mr. Woods in the Townville area.

Weds Chapmanville Girl

On April 22,1885, Fayette was married to Miss Estella Alvira Newton of Chapmanville. She was born in Titusville on Feb.28, 1863, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Z. Webster Newton. Her mother’s maiden name was Zeigler, and she died when Estella was probably three years old. She was buried in the old cemetery in Titusville, but no tombstone can be found with her name on it. The father later married Mary Jane Wolfkill.
Fayette and Estella began housekeeping in a fair-sized house, long-gone now, that stood just above the present Dewaine Ray home east of Bradleytown. A few years later they moved into a new two-story house just north of Bradleytown which was carpentered by one John Freeman. Fayette had had the barn build first and he hired John Wentworth of Guys Mills to carpenter it.
Eventually, Fayette had a two-story addition attached to the south side of the original house, and he remained on that place until his death.
Fayette had bought his farm by two separate purchases. In 1883 he bought 50 acres from two men named Klinordinger of Pittsburgh; and in 1895 he bought 67 acres from W.H.Dilley, but he sold 40 acres of this last purchase in 1898. Thus Fayette had a total of 77 acres in his farm. He and his father mainly cleared the farm. Fayette first used a team of oxen.

Sold Butter in Franklin

He first kept Durham cattle, but Estella did not like their butterfat content, so he changed to a general stock of cattle. They use to deliver butter to a store in Franklin.
Fayette, a raw-boned man five feet, 10 or 11 inches tall, weighed 160 to 168 pounds. He had brown wavy hair, He was quite a strong man.
He was a quiet, pious man. His example as a Christian was unsurpassed in his community. For many years he was very active in the churches of his community, and he also kept a family altar in his home. His example of good neighborliness was also first rate. If one in the community was ill, Fayette was to be seen walking down the road with a basket of goods for the unfortunate one.
As a young couple Fayette and Estella occasionally attended the Sunville Methodist Church. They were always in attendance at the protracted meetings held there. A church had not been built in Bradleytown yet but Sunday School was held in the schoolhouse when it was located just west of the creek. Fayette served as the superintendent.
In 1893 a segment of Free Will Baptists from the old Plum church in Jackson Township erected a new church in Bradleytown. Fayette was an original member of this new church. His father had pledged $25 toward it but died before paying the pledge. Fayette paid the pledge.

Church Deacon, Janitor

Fayette served as both Sunday School superintendent and deacon in this church. He was also the janitor due to the fact that he lived so close to it. He tolled the bell at funerals held there. At the large funeral of John M.McClelland in May, 1901, he tolled the bell 27 times – the age of the deceased. He remarked that when the head of the procession pulled into the churchyard, the rear of the procession could be seen still creeping down the hill west of the community – a distance of at least three-quarters of a mile.
In April, 1910, Fayette and Estella transferred their memberships to the Methodist class of the community which met in the Valley schoolhouse situated north of the community. The reason for their transfer was that some dissention arose within the Free Will Baptist Church which was to Fayette’s dislike.
The Methodists were then planning to erect a new church, and Fayette was the one who drove over the countryside raising subscriptions for the new church. The book of subscriptions is still kept by the descendents. He also gave the one-half acre of land on which the church was built.
Fayette was also the spokesman in bargaining for the church bell bought for $50 from a man named Woods who had the bell stored in a cellar. It originally hung in a Spartansburg church tower.

Helped to Build Church

Fayette was one of three members on the building committee, a trustee, and the Sunday School superintendent during the construction. He must have felt a sense of great satisfaction when the church was dedicated before a capacity congregation on July 28, 1911.
Records list him as having been a steward in later years, a member of both the auditing committee and benevolent committee.
Fayette also took an interest in the affairs of Plum Township. He began a term as township road supervisor in March, 1908. Records which he kept in his home of his supervisor activities are still preserved, and they show that he devoted much time toward the upkeep of the roads. One summer he got $17 for his work.
He also worked the state road past his own home for several years. This included scraping, picking stone and hauling gravel.
He served two separate terms as Plum Township school director. He commenced the first term about 1900, and the second term in early 1916. He served as secretary of the board during his last term. He was very good at figures, as shown by the following incident:

Accurate Prognostication

During the last year of his term he attended a meeting of the board in Sunville. They were trying to set the millage. Most thought it would require 12 mills, but Fayette said 10 mills would be sufficient. They finally compromised on 11 mills. Fayette told them that at the end of the school year there would be $1,300 left over. The rest of the board disagreed with him. When the audit was made at the end of the year there were $1, 303 left over!
One day in 1916 or 1917 he journeyed to the Sunville school for either business or a visit. He walked in unexpectedly on some high school boys who were pitching pennies in one of the lower rooms. Fayette immediately made them stop it. He was very set against anything like that.
Fayette was also a charter member of the Sugar Creek Grange, and he remained a member until his death.
He and Estella had the following children: Leroy Collins, born May 21, 1886; Ralph Newton Collins, Jan. 4,1888; Clarence Glenn Collins, Jan.22, 1892; and Olive Audrey Collins, Nov.5, 1894.

Son Dies in Infancy

Leroy died May 27, 1886, at the age of six days. Family tradition states that his ailment was a hole in his spine. He was buried in the old Plum Cemetery.
Ralph was married in New York in the winter of 1914 to Miss Jennie Anderson of Youngsville. His occupation was a waxmaker, and he first worked in Warren, then at Charleston, W.Va. He died March 21, 1959, at Clendenin, W. Va. Their children are Ronald Collins of Charleston, Howard Collins of Clendenin and Mrs. Audrey Andrews of Charleston.
Glenn was married at Warren to Miss Sylvia Wright of near Cooperstown on April 6, 1916. They have resided on the family homestead at Bradleytown where he has farmed these many years. Their children are Mrs. Genevieve Neff of Blooming Valley, Mrs. Gladys Manning of Franklin, Mrs. Isobel Yates of Sandy Lake and Hazel Collins of Bradleytown.
Olive was married in Franklin to Hazen Fleming of Cooperstown in June, 1917. They resided on a farm at Cooperstown, and he also was a carpenter. Olive died on Oct. 30, 1941, and he died in February, 1948. They had no children.

Avid Reader

Mrs. Estella Collins, the mother, was a great reader. She indeed kept up on the subjects of the times. She was also a fine cook. Due to arthritis, her last nine years were spent in a wheelchair.
Fayette enjoyed attending the harvest home picnics held each year at Chapmanville and Cooperstown. He once attended the Stoneboro Fair, but declined to go again because there was a shooting affair there that particular year.
During the spring of 1908 he lost a 14 acre field of corn which he had planted on the Cowen farm south of Bradleytown. On May 26 enough rain fell in three hours to raise the creek until it overflowed and entirely washed out his cornfield.
Fayette was troubled with varicose veins in his legs, and he was crippled to some extent during his last few years due to this condition and an accident which he had.
He died the afternoon of Feb. 3,1927, in his home mainly from the effects of a stroke of paralysis which he suffered several days previously.
His funeral was held in the family home on the afternoon of the Feb. 5 with Rev.L.E. Gibson, the Methodist pastor, and Rev.L.W. Miller, a former pastor, officiating. Interment was in the Townville Cemetery.
Mrs. Fayette Collins died in the family home on May 8, 1929.

Transcribed by Paula Harry
dharry@pa.rr.com
Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.