A young farmer in the lower part of Shiloh Precinct, is the
son of Joshua W. and Mary (Dodge) Collins. His father was born in Jefferson
County in 1817, and on October 20, 1842, was married to Miss Mary Cox, his
first wife, who bore him two children that are now lving; Lucinda who married
John Paris, and Charles W. who married Jennie Boston. In 1860, a few years
after the death of Mary, he married Mary Dodge, sister to Esquire Dodge whose
sketch will be found in another chapter. By this marriage are three living
children, our subject, Grace, who married Davis Ray, and Hesekiah who is at
home. Subject's father of the Baptist Church for forty years, and a member of
the Masonic Fraternity for nearly the same length of time. He died at his
splendid home in Shiloh, December 2, 1878. Subject's paternal grandparents were
John and Nancy (Young) Collins of Virginia, and his maternal grandparents were
Richard and Sarah (Wallace) Dodge, whose sketch will be found elsewhere.
Subject was born November 2, 1862, and has a limited education but is a fine
farmer; here November 28, he married Mary E. Sissen who was born September 15,
1863, her father, Strother Sissen, was born in Jefferson County, February 10,
1820, and is now living in Henderson County, where he is farming. Her mother,
Elizabeth (Hendricks) Sisson, was born in Jefferson in 1844; her paternal
grandparents were Edward and Mina (Hendricks) Sissen of Irish extraction. Our
subject and his wife are an excellent couple, highly appreciated in the
neighborhood in which they live. In politics he is a Democrat. In person he
manages the Collins estate, consisting of nearly four hundred acres of the best
land in Shiloh Precinct. The old residence is a large substantial frame built
many years ago. This year, 1886, he had some seventy-five acres of nice wheat
up and growing beautifully, and has plenty of fine stock around him. Subject
has been a member of the Baptist Church for eight years.
