My Genealogy Hound

James W. Collins, farmer and stock raiser, was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1823, the son of James and Delia (Creagh) Collins, born in 1781 and 1803, respectively, and deceased in 1865 and 1839. Our subject, the eldest of eight children, worked on the farm, and in 1849 came to the United States, and here was employed on railways until 1851, when he came to Missouri, and two years later located in La Grange. In 1856 he married Nancy Blackburn, who was born in Kentucky in 1830. Their children are Mary (the wife of G. Westhoff), James, William, Julia, Daniel and Thomas. Our subject lived in LaGrange for twelve years, and was engaged as a bookkeeper, and as contractor for grading the streets. In 1865 President Johnson appointed him assistant United States assessor for three counties. In 1869 he came to Canton, and resumed bookkeeping, in which capacity he ranks as one of the best in the county. His wife died in 1870, and four years later he married Nancy Roech, a daughter of William Bennett, and born in 1831, in Springfield. In 1875 he came to Dickerson Township, where he owns an estate of 704 acres. He also owns 220 acres in Clark County. He is a Democrat, and he and his wife are Roman Catholics.