Shella Dean Collins

Shella Dean Collins, 89, of Canadian, died January 16, 2017 in Canadian. Services will be 3:00 PM Thursday, January 19, 2017, at First Baptist Church, with Rev. Matthew McCurley, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in Edith Ford Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors of Canadian. Mrs. Collins was born December 28, 1927 in Dixie, Oklahoma to Kenard and Lela Baker McCabe. She attended Oklahoma country schools before moving to Skellytown, and graduated from White Deer High School in 1948. Shella met Cleatus Collins in the drug store in Skellytown, and they married on September 9, 1949 in Skellytown. They moved to Canadian on February 26, 1966. He preceded her in death on March 3, 2010. She worked in the school lunch room and also worked for High Plains Natural Gas, retiring on December 6, 1986 after 17 years of employment. Shella was a member of First Baptist Church where she taught the children’s Sunday school class. She liked to fish, canning salmon and giving it as gifts. She enjoyed traveling with Cleatus in their travel trailer. Shella loved her family, her birddog, and was known to be the family historian. Survivors include her son, Michael Collins of Canadian; and two brothers, Carl McCabe and wife Susan of Skellytown, and Jack McCabe and wife Kay of Waxahachie. Memorials may be made to a charity of choice, or the Hemphill County Hospice, 1020 S. 4th Street, Canadian, Texas 79014.