Dean Collins was born July 10, 1932 in Cedar Creek, Taney County, MO. He was born in the Ozarks to a family who farmed corn, sorghum cane and hay. Dean learned to plow from his father and by the age of eight, he was given the responsibility of his own horse-drawn, tiny plow. Before he left Missouri, he had completed the eighth grade in the one-room school house. Dean moved to Oregon at the age of 14 with his family. When he was 16, he followed his brother into the restaurant business as a dish washer and quickly worked his way up to fry cook. He worked in the restaurant business until he was drafted into the Army in 1952, where he served until 1954. In 1955, he married the boss's daughter, Pat Collins. The day after they married, they moved to Sacramento, Calif., to begin their life together. A telegram arrived in 1956 that brought them back to Oregon where they took over ownership of the Hilltop Café. Three years at the café convinced Dean that he wanted a simpler routine and they bought their first A&W in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. While living in Milton-Freewater; their daughter, Sonya was born. By the time Teresa and Brett arrived they owned an A&W drive-in in Williams, Calif. While there, they bought GE Forge & Tool which made farrier tools. It wasn't long before they retired from the restaurant business and returned to Klamath Falls. Not a man to sit around, Dean began shoeing a few horses. Later he transitioned into trading horses which he did for the next 40 years. During these years Dean furnished the horses for Sacred Ground in 1982 and Hawkin's Breed in 1986. He was always willing to share his horse expertise with anyone and frequently transported horses for the Humane Society. Dean has supplied horses to four generations of West Coast families Dean is survived by wife, Pat Collins; brother, Gale (Kathy) Collins; children, Sonya Hawkins, Teresa (RJ) Simington and Brett Collins; grandchildren, Kendra (Grant) Suty, Kent Rookstool, Kevin Rookstool, Blake Rookstool, Lacey (Josh) Nelson, Tyler Simington, Terin Simington, Brielle Simington and Kaley Collins; great-grandchildren, Meriah Nelson, Josh Nelson, Jr., Kambri Nelson, Dean Simington and Gunner Simington.
Dean Collins was born July 10, 1932 in Cedar Creek, Taney County, MO. He was born in the Ozarks to a family who farmed corn, sorghum cane and hay. Dean learned to plow from his father and by the age of eight, he was given the responsibility of his own horse-drawn, tiny plow. Before he left Missouri, he had completed the eighth grade in the one-room school house. Dean moved to Oregon at the age of 14 with his family. When he was 16, he followed his brother into the restaurant business as a dish washer and quickly worked his way up to fry cook. He worked in the restaurant business until he was drafted into the Army in 1952, where he served until 1954. In 1955, he married the boss's daughter, Pat Collins. The day after they married, they moved to Sacramento, Calif., to begin their life together. A telegram arrived in 1956 that brought them back to Oregon where they took over ownership of the Hilltop Café. Three years at the café convinced Dean that he wanted a simpler routine and they bought their first A&W in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. While living in Milton-Freewater; their daughter, Sonya was born. By the time Teresa and Brett arrived they owned an A&W drive-in in Williams, Calif. While there, they bought GE Forge & Tool which made farrier tools. It wasn't long before they retired from the restaurant business and returned to Klamath Falls. Not a man to sit around, Dean began shoeing a few horses. Later he transitioned into trading horses which he did for the next 40 years. During these years Dean furnished the horses for Sacred Ground in 1982 and Hawkin's Breed in 1986. He was always willing to share his horse expertise with anyone and frequently transported horses for the Humane Society. Dean has supplied horses to four generations of West Coast families Dean is survived by wife, Pat Collins; brother, Gale (Kathy) Collins; children, Sonya Hawkins, Teresa (RJ) Simington and Brett Collins; grandchildren, Kendra (Grant) Suty, Kent Rookstool, Kevin Rookstool, Blake Rookstool, Lacey (Josh) Nelson, Tyler Simington, Terin Simington, Brielle Simington and Kaley Collins; great-grandchildren, Meriah Nelson, Josh Nelson, Jr., Kambri Nelson, Dean Simington and Gunner Simington.
