Inez Emily Collins– age 97, of Manchester, Tennessee, passed away
peacefully under hospice care on Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Glen Oaks
Health & Rehabilitation Center in Shelbyville, TN. She was born in
Spartanburg, SC on August 15, 1923 to Lonnie and Pauline Melton. Since
early January she battled the ill effects of having had Covid-19. During
the last few weeks of her life, the nursing home allowed in-room
visitation, and a number of her family members were able to visit and
provide loving care that she needed. To her, there could not have been a
better gift at the end of her life after a year of isolation. To her
family, she was the loving family matriarch with a unique ability to accept
each of us individually and to provide love, acceptance, and encouragement.
She always welcomed family and friends with big hugs and smiles when they
visited her, and there was always much conversation and laughter. She was
an excellent cook, and there were many wonderful meals. She will be sorely
missed by all of us, and her life is a good example of how Christ taught us
to live–by loving each other, caring about our fellow man, and being
forgiving. She knew and accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior, an is
now in heaven rejoicing with Him.
Inez was preceded in death by Ivan F. Collins, her husband of 66 years, in
2008, and her son, Luke Collins, who died in 2013, respectively, her
brother Virgil Melton and sisters Ruth Bell (Toy), and Peggy Price. She is
survived by her sisters Virginia Cox (Rudy) and Shirley Flinkinshelt; her
daughter Brenda Harris; her sons Jack Collins (Beatrice), Kenny Collins
(Debbie), Ronnie Collins (Karen) and Eric Collins, and Brent Myers, whom
she helped raise as a son, and his wife Amanda; 17 grandchildren; 34 great
grandchildren; 3 great-great grandchildren and scores of nieces and
nephews. Her granddaughter, Kim Collard, who lived nearby, was the primary
caregiver in the last few years of her life. The family would like to thank
the staff at Glen Oaks Rehab for their loving care of Inez.
Funeral services for Inez will be conducted on Saturday, march 27, 2021, at
1 PM in the chapel of Manchester Funeral Home with Rev. Elijah Collard
officiating. She will be entombed at the Rose Hill Memorial Gardens
Mausoleum following the service. Visitation with the family will be held
from 11 AM until time of service on Saturday at the funeral home.
Manchester Funeral Home is honored to serve the Collins family.
