Funeral Service for Claude Collins

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Claude Collins, even as we mourn his death. As we grieve, we desire the Lord’s help and strength, so will you pray with me?

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of life, the gift of family, the gift of friendship. We thank you for the gift of the life of Claude Collins. Help us today as we grieve. Remind us of fond memories we shared with Claude and give us hope for the life to come. Grant us your strength and your peace today. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Claude R. Collins was born February 28th, 1941, the son of Archie and Ruby Gilmore Collins. He and his twin brother Clyde were the youngest of 13 siblings. He graduated from La Harpe High School in 1959 and was a veteran of the Korean Conflict. He married Rose Shaver on July 21st, 1968 in Abingdon, Illinois. Claude worked in Building Services at Western Illinois University for 27 years.

Claude loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He had not missed a deer season since hunting resumed in 1957. He also loved doing puzzles as well as gambling. Most of all, he loved going to his grandchildren’s sporting events, and rarely missed a game of any of the local sports teams. He was a member of the La Harpe American Legion and was a lifetime member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Claude died Monday September 14th, 2020 at the age of 79. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rose; one grandson, Caleb Peterson; son-in-law, Karl Thompson; and nine brothers and sisters. He is survived by his four children, Betty Collins of La Harpe, William Collins of La Harpe, Juliana Thompson of Donnellson, IA, and Patty McConnell of Burlington, IA; twelve grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; his twin brother, Clyde Collins and two sisters, Joan Shoemaker and Adeline Weast; and numerous nieces and nephews.

SONG—Grandaddy’s Gun

Claude was a character. He was someone who was quick with a joke, and loved to play around with you. One of the ways you knew Claude liked you was if he teased you. The people he liked the most tended to get called pretty similar names: names like “Simp” or “Stupid”. He expected that you would call him something similar in return. To Claude this wasn’t an insult, but a (somewhat warped) term of endearment. If you did something dumb, you could count on Claude telling you, “You should have been twins, because you’re too dumb to just be one!” It didn’t take long for his kids to learn to reply back, with I guess that’s why God made you a twin, huh? I could always tell when Claude called the church, because Dave would answer the phone with, “Hey stupid” or something along those lines. I’m hopeful that Claude was the only person who was greeted that way when he called the church!

Despite his tendency to give people a rough time, Claude loved his people dearly. He absolutely loved his children, and relished the time he got to spend with them. He also loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and counted them as some of the greatest blessings of his life. Those who married into the family were not second-class citizens to Claude. They were accepted as a full member of the family, and Claude treated them like they belonged. He greatly valued his family.

That is not to say that he didn’t have his run-ins with them throughout the years. I am told that when they were growing up, Claude loved to play jokes on his twin brother Clyde. Once, Claude thought it would be fun to stir up a nest of bumblebees right when his brother was nearby. As Clyde tells the story, he got stung a whole bunch of times that day and Claude ended up paying the price later at the hands of his parents. But I’m told that orneriness went both ways. Another time, Clyde stole some candy from the store. Being twins, the shopkeeper got confused and accused Claude of stealing the candy. As a result, Claude got spanked for the incident when they got home. Even though he was innocent (at least in this case), he didn’t tell on his brother. As Claude told it, the worst part of it all was that Clyde didn’t even share any of the candy with him!

He loved to play tricks on the kids. He knew that Bill hated snakes, so he loved to find ways to scare him with snakes. I was told that when the kids used to come and spend the night over at Western while Claude worked the night shift, they stayed in a building that had a bunch of snakes and other animals in display cases downstairs. Claude thought it would be funny to put a rubber snake on Bill’s chest while he slept, knowing there would be quite a scene when he woke up in the morning. And apparently there was quite a scene! Once again Claude paid the price for his trick—but this time at the hand of his wife! I was told he also loved to find garter snakes, pick them up, and throw them at Bill while he was mowing or otherwise unaware. Claude thought it hilarious. Bill found it less so.

Claude loved his wife dearly. And she took good care of him. She always fixed his plate for dinner, though I’m told he would always make sure the kids had food before he would eat. Rose also clipped Claude’s toenails for him. When she got sick, the roles reversed a bit. Claude took good care of his wife until the end. When she died, Claude was at a loss. He wasn’t sure what he would do without Rose. The girls told him they would never clip his toenails for him…but they did. They took care of their dad, following the example they had seen from their parents.

Claude was proud of his cooking. He often had requests for his macaroni and cheese. Claude’s cooking wasn’t complicated. He took ingredients he knew he liked and put them together. His macaroni and cheese recipe was only two ingredients: Creamette noodles and Velveeta cheese. It may not have been fancy, but he liked it, and it seemed many others did as well. He was also proud of his lasagna, and for a number of years he would come to the church and feed a big group of us once or twice a year.

Claude was an attentive father. He recognized and called his children on their faults when he saw them, but also never gave them any reason to question his love for them. They knew he loved and accepted them, faults and all. The kids agree that growing up, Claude was not the disciplinarian, Rose was. When Bill got in trouble, he would often try to run away from his mom in the house (which was set up in a circle). Claude found this humorous and wouldn’t put a stop to it right away. Instead he’d cheer for Rose as she chased Bill, “Get him, Rose! You better run, boy!” Eventually when he thought it had gone on long enough, he’d grab Bill as he ran by and Rose would punish him as she saw fit. One time she told Claude he needed to spank the kids, so he took Betty and Bill into the bedroom and closed the door. He told them they needed to scream and cry like they were getting the spanking of a lifetime, or else they actually would. Then he put a pillow over them and proceeded to spank them through the pillow. The kids got the idea and made it sound like dad was doing what he’d been told.

All the kids remember doing stuff with their dad. They all learned about the timber from Claude. They knew how to hunt and fish and how to navigate in the woods. He liked to put them in situations that made them just a little scared—the result was that they felt confident in most any situation. Claude was an avid hunter himself (and back during the CB days, his handle was the Great White Hunter), and he passed on that love of hunting to not only his kids, but to other family members. He remembered taking his nephew Johnny hunting with him and teaching him how it was done. Johnny came to really love hunting and became a pretty good big game hunter as well. Claude, of course, took credit for teaching Johnny everything he knew. Claude loved to hunt for just about anything, even though he didn’t want to eat it. His family knew, however, that Claude actually did like meat from wild game…as long as he didn’t know that’s what it was! They all had various dishes that incorporated deer or other meats Claude loved. They just didn’t tell him exactly where the meat had come from.

Claude was very active in the Rocky Mountain Elks Club, which works to help increase the wild elk population in the US. He loved participating in their annual fundraising banquet each year. He was disappointed this year’s banquet was cancelled due to the pandemic. Claude’s contributions to the club earned him a lifetime membership, which he was very proud of.

As an outdoorsman, Claude not only liked hunting and fishing, he just enjoyed wildlife in general. Claude was known to catch various animals and bring them home to show the kids. One night they were amazed that he had managed to sneak up on and catch a wild screech owl! He loved (or at least tolerated) animals of all kinds—except for bugs. Claude hated bugs of any kind. The story is told of the day a spider crawled into Claude’s pants. Everyone was horrified that in seemingly seconds, Claude was suddenly no longer wearing pants. He was not about to share space with a spider.

Another activity the kids all shared with their dad was walking alongside the roads near golf courses to pick up lost golf balls. They learned quickly that you could only pick up balls that were outside the fence. One day Betty and Julie saw a golf ball sitting out in the open just across the fence, and they went to go pick it up—only to find that the golfers were not real happy about them picking up a ball in the fairway! After you collected the golf balls, it was everyone’s responsibility to get them cleaned up. It was a pretty common sight to see the bathtub at the Collins house filled with golf balls soaking, waiting to be scrubbed clean. If you got home and needed to use the tub, you needed to clean the golf balls before you could use it! Needless to say, the kids all learned about working hard from the hours they all spent scrubbing golf balls.

In his younger years, Claude was known as a pool shark. At times, he would be flush with cash after winning a few games of pool. Even once he stopped playing regularly, he was still a great player. Many in the family were determined that one day they’d beat him, but none of them ever did. There were a lot of people he played with who could say they’d never managed to beat him.

In the later years, he enjoyed gambling. At times, it seemed he wasn’t terribly good at it, but he still enjoyed it. Claude also enjoyed having morning coffee with Ron Stone and John Louden. I’m sure many world problems were solved as the three of them sat together drinking coffee. Claude greatly appreciated his friends and looked forward to their time together.

Even as he got older, Claude still made memories with his kids and grandkids. He loved to chase the grandkids. Even when he wasn’t able to get around as well anymore he’d still chase them with his cane. I’m told that one year during the family Christmas, somehow the subject of twerking came up. Everyone was surprised (and then horrified) to learn that Claude knew what twerking was…as he proceeded to demonstrate for everyone how to do it! The laughter and tears that followed are priceless memories.

If there is an enduring legacy of the life of Claude Collins, it is undoubtedly the impact he made on his family. He adored them, and made sure they knew it. Claude’s example of love, his playful ways, and his teasing spirit continue to live on in his family—both those who are related by blood, and those who are related by choice. His impact will continue to be felt for years to come.

SONG—Daddy’s Hands

When someone we love dies, it is hard. It is hard because we know that we are going to miss that person. We know we will think of memories, of something we want to share with them, or just want to have one more conversation with them and then remember we can’t do that anymore. That is part of grief. It is not easy, and it’s often messy. Grief is not, however, a sign of weakness. Rather, it is a sign of love. We grieve Claude’s death because we love him and miss him, not because we are weak. So don’t feel you have to hide your grief.

At the same time, the death of someone we love serves as a reminder to us of what is really important. Our lives are filled with all sorts of tasks that demand our attention and energy. Some of these tasks are worth our time, while others are not. When we come face to face with death, we are reminded of what things are worth our time and what things aren’t. I don’t think there are many people who come to the end of their lives and wish they had spent more time making money or buying cool things. I suspect most people come to the end of their lives wishing they had paid more attention to the people they loved. They wish they had invested more in people than in other foolish pursuits.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out one other area that people often neglect until they begin to think about death—faith. Like many of the most important things in life, it is easy to put off the questions of faith. It is easy to claim that faith is important, but that you just don’t have time to deal with it now. It’s tempting to conclude that faith really isn’t that important. Lots of people believe that your beliefs about God really don’t matter that much—that believing in God is a good thing for you if it makes you feel better, but ultimately your religious beliefs are of little consequence.

That sentiment is dead wrong. When we stand at the grave of someone we love we are reminded of this. Suddenly we are faced with the question of what happens after you die. Lots of people seem to believe in a place called heaven. They believe this is a good and a desirable place to go after you die. The question is, what makes people believe such a place is real? Is it just wishful thinking? And if it is real, how do we get there? Most people seem to believe that you go to heaven if you are a “good person”, but again, without answering the questions of faith, there is no way of knowing what that even means.

Today, I want to show you what the Bible says happens when we die, and what is required for us to go to heaven. I do this, not because it’s my job (though it is), but because I believe that is the greatest source of comfort we can have when grieving the death of someone we love. If we can be certain that there is life beyond the grave, it gives us hope for reunion—and direction for the remainder of our lives as well.

In the Bible, Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms that there is indeed life beyond the grave. In John 14, Jesus told his disciples,

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3, NIV)

Jesus was saying that there is hope for us as we face the struggles of this life, because Jesus is going ahead of us to prepare a place for us in heaven. Heaven is a real place that really exists. How can we know this? Because Jesus died, but didn’t stay dead. He rose from the grave and promised he could bring us forgiveness and eternal life, just as he had conquered death for himself. Later in the Bible, the apostle Paul pointed to the resurrection of Jesus as the quintessential proof that there is life beyond the grave. Not only that, Jesus’ resurrection shows us that Jesus has power over both life and death—it shows He can deliver on what He has promised.

If there really is a heaven, how do we get there? Jesus addressed this in John 14 as well,

You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:4-6, NIV)

Jesus said that his disciples knew the way to where Jesus was going. But at least one of his disciples, Thomas, was confused. Jesus explained that the way to heaven was through Him. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can have eternal life in heaven.

Lots of people think this is close-minded or elitist, but it really isn’t. Every one of us knows the way we are supposed to live. And even though we know the right way to live, we often choose to live differently. The Bible calls these choices sin. At its core, sin is us telling God we know better than Him. This kind of attitude causes a separation from God that we can’t undo by simply trying to do better. What we need is for someone to clean the slate for us—to pay for our sin so we can be forgiven. And that’s exactly what Jesus did. When Jesus died and rose again, he made it possible for us to be forgiven of our sin and be restored to fellowship with God. The only way for us to go to heaven is for our sin to be forgiven, and the only one who can provide that forgiveness is Jesus Christ. No one else has ever done what He has done for us.

So Jesus says that heaven is real, and then tells us to follow Him. That means admitting our sin, turning away from it, asking Jesus to forgive us, and following Him with our lives. We will still mess up sometimes, but our desire will be to align our lives with what He says. If we have this kind of faith, then Jesus tells us we do not need to be troubled as we face death. We can face death with the confidence that we will be with Him in heaven when we die—not because we are somehow good or worthy of heaven, but because of what Jesus has done for us and our faith in His work on our behalf.

Claude was a member of our church. I believe Claude had heard this message many times. I know he had heard it from his wife as well. It is impossible for us to truly know what is in another person’s heart. My hope is that Claude knew and followed Jesus in this kind of way. I hope that because if he did, then today he is more alive than he has ever been. He has been set free from a body that was failing him, he is free from aches and pains, and he has been reunited with faithful believers who have gone before him. If Claude had a genuine faith, then we rejoice for him today.

But at the same time, we must also take stock of our own faith (or lack thereof). We must ask ourselves whether we know Jesus and whether we trust Him enough to follow Him with our lives. We do not know when our time on this earth will be up. What we do know is how to prepare for the day when it is. Let me challenge you to make your eternal destination sure today. Trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection on your behalf. Trust in the forgiveness He offers you. And follow Him with the rest of your life. I promise you that following Jesus with your life is a choice you will not regret. And it’s one of those things that really matter.

Because of what Jesus has done, we know that life and death have meaning and purpose. We can face whatever comes with the confidence that there is a place for us in heaven. If Claude had that kind of faith, then one day when our time is up, we will be reunited with him, and we will spend eternity together. I look forward to that day.

As we look back at the life of Claude Collins, I think his life can teach us several important lessons.

• You can get away with calling people all sorts of things when they know you love them.

• Sometimes you need to extend grace and mercy to the people around you rather than giving them the spanking they deserve.

• Take time to share the things you’ve learned with those who haven’t learned them yet. You might be surprised at what they can do with the lessons you taught them.

• Good friends are hard to come by, so make time to keep those relationships vibrant and healthy—because they can be a source of great joy.

• Make sure your family knows how you feel about them. Never let them doubt the love you have for them. Make them feel valued and cherished, because that kind of acceptance is something most people long for.

• It’s important to laugh—so don’t be afraid to be silly sometimes.

• Be generous with what you have, whether that is money, time, skills, or anything else. Investing in other people will always pay much bigger dividends than any other investment you can make.

• Finally, I think we learn from Claude’s life and death that the questions of faith are of utmost importance, so we should settle them while we still have time—because one day our time will be up too.

Will you pray with me?

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life of Claude Collins. Thank you for the privilege of knowing him and for the way he enriched the lives of so many in this room. Thank you for the example of unconditional love Claude demonstrated to his friends and family. Thank you for the many memories we will have of times shared together. Father, today we pray for your strength and peace as we grieve. Help us to be comforted by these fond memories. But help us also to find comfort in the truth that this life is not all there is. Give Claude’s friends and family strength today and in the days, weeks, months, and years that follow. Most of all, Lord, give them yourself. Help them to carry on through the remainder of their lives as well, but always keep Claude’s memory in their hearts. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.