George Oliver Collins
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 11 Sep 1872 - Washington Co., Arkansas 2
Christening:
Death: 29 Jun 1964 3
Burial: in Claude, Armstrong Co., Tx
Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Thomas Columbus Collins (1850-1878) 4
Mother: Mary Jane McCurdy (1855-1942) 5
Spouses and Children
1. *Nettie Moore (29 Oct 1883 - 18 Oct 1972) 1
Marriage: 8 Jul 1930 - Tucumcari, Quay Co., NM 6
Notes
General:
CENSUS:
<pre>1920 Quay Co., New Mexico, Obar Precinct No. 10, ED 139; Jan 26; sheet 8A
60/60
George O. Collins 47 S Ar Ar NM Farmer/General Farm </pre>
He owns his own unmortgaged home. His younger brother Tom lives at 59/59.
<pre>1930 Quay Co., New Mexico, Precinct 10 Obar, ED 19-14; sheet 2B
--/52
George Collins 57 S Ar Tn Tn Farmer/truck farm </pre>
He owns his own home and lives on a farm. There are 58 households in Precinct 10 including the town of Obar, which is on the railroad. Besides farmers the inhabitants include railroad workers and a teacher. George Collins is in the census a second time as 'George Weaver' living in Sierra County, New Mexico in the household of John G. Weaver, the second husband of his mother.
<pre>1940 Quay Co., New Mexico, Precinct 4, Obar, ED 19-9; May 11; sheet 2B
35
George Collins 67 Ar Stock Farm/Ranch
Nettia A. " 56 Tx </pre>
They rent their home for $4/month. They lived in the same place in 1935.
LIFE STYLE:
Twice in "Unbroken Circle" Mary Jane McCurdy says of her eldest son George that he was a wanderer who was often incommunicado for long periods of time. On page 44 she says,
"When we first went to Farwell, [c. 1889] George was not there; he was ramblin'. He rambled this world all over and commenced before he was grown. He'd be gone years at a time and I wouldn't know where he was."
On page 57 she says,
"George was here one day and someplace else the next. He traveled all over this United States; I don't know how many times he was gone so long that I just give him up. Then he would apologize so much about his neglect that I'd try not to worry about him any more. He was always a wanderer and didn't settle down until he was married a few years ago."
In July 1999 I had a telephone conversation with Mary Collins Thomas, a daughter of Tom Collins, younger brother of George Collins. She said that her father had had a ranch not far from the Canadian River and not too far from Naravisa, Quay Co., New Mexico. Uncle George had a cabin on or very near the river. He had a still and brought moonshine to Naravisa to sell it. Periodically the sheriff came by to check out Uncle George's place, but he (the sheriff) would tell her father in advance and he would tell Uncle George, who then cleaned everything up, hid his equipment, etc. before the sheriff arrived.
My aunt [Elizabeth Collins] relates that in the late twenties she, her older sister Allie Rae, and her mother [Lizzie Collins] went from Claude, Texas to Naravisa to visit Aunt Ida [wife of Tom Collins] shortly before she died.
Lizzie to Ida: "What is George doing these days?"
Ida: "Oh, the same thing as always."
Lizzie: "What's that?"
Ida: "Lizzie, don't you know? He's a bootlegger."
Apparently Lizzie was unaware how George made his living. On the same trip Allie Rae asked someone in Naravisa if they knew George Collins. The person said, "Oh yeah, I know George. He was in town last night with a load."
SUMMARY OF REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS:
In the 1920 census George Collins is living near Obar in Quay Co., New Mexico on a farm which he owns. He was probably living on the land which was patented to him in 1922 (320 acres) or in 1923 (another 320 acres). Almost immediately he began to borrow against this land. The first tract was patented June 12, 1922, and on June 28 he borrowed $569.89 against it. In November 1925 he borrowed $1055 against both tracts and in October 1926 he sold them for $1400. These 2 tracts were more or less in the middle of township T14NR35E. His younger brother Tom Collins owned a ranch about 3 miles away in the SE corner of T15NR35E, the township immediately to the north of T14NR35E.
In February 1929 George Collins bought 80 acres for $600 in the far SE corner of T14NR35E, which was on or very close to the Canadian River. It was about 7 miles from his brother's ranch and was probably the site of his whiskey making activities. Again he soon began to borrow against the land. In May he borrowed $235.65 from the First National Bank in Nara Visa. It appears that he periodically renewed and extended this loan (at least 9 times) until he borrowed $480.41 in May 1935. In November 1936 he and Nettie sold their 80 acres for $800.
