Charlene Collier

Charlene Childress Collier was born in Rankin, Texas February 18, 1920 to Ethel Derden Childress and Charley Clay Childress. She married Tommy Ray Collier on May 24, 1941 in Waxahachie, Texas and they enjoyed 54 years of marriage together. Soon after her husband left for the war in 1941 she went to work at Consolidated Aircraft in Ft Worth and became a true Rosie the Riveter shooting rivets into the wings of bombers during 1942 and 1943. After the war, Tommie & Charlene moved to Emhouse & raised their three children. She was always involved in her children's activities at church and at school and later in life remained busy every day doing something for others. She loved being outdoors and tending to her yard & cattle. When she went inside she was busy with her hands. She learned from her grandmother how to work with her hands, sewing, crocheting and quilting. She was a very talented & creative lady that could see a picture of something & duplicate it. For all the years of her life she made curtains, pillows, party dresses, coats, costumes, bridesmaid & wedding dresses & in later years devoted herself to making quilts. As a hand quilter she has spent long hours & many days at the quilt frame, but piecing quilts gave her great pleasure. She found a peace in the quiet world of silent stitches. She completed quilts for all her children and grandchildren and lots of special friends and relatives. This was her gift of time for times to come. She passed on those simple treasures that cannot be mass produced. May beautiful memories of her will always be quilted together in our hearts. She is survived by her children, Barbara Watkins & husband Ronny, Charles Collier and wife Bobbie and Debby Bryant and husband Marc; five grandchildren, Brandye West and husband Tom, Kevin Collier and wife Elizabeth, Caryn Collier and husband Les McKay, Becky Sultan and husband Bryan & Matthew Bryant and wife Beth; three great grandchildren, Gavin Collier, Luke Bryant and Grayson McKay. She was a member of Northside Baptist Church & worked in the Care Center & cooked on Wednesdays for many years. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and four brothers and one sister and many dear family members and friends. Visitation will be Thursday, May 9, 2013 from 5:00-7:00pm at Griffin-Roughton Funeral Home. She will be remembered in a funeral service on 2:00pm Friday, May 10, 2013 at Griffin-Roughton Funeral Home Chapel. Pallbearers will be Kevin Collier, Matthew Bryant, Tom West, Bryan Sultan. Les McKay and Scott Watkins. Honorary pallbearers will be Wayne Nelson, John F. Henderson, John Paul Collier and Brett Watkins. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Northside Baptist Church Care Center or a organization of your choice.

Charlene Collier

February 18, 1920 - May 7, 2013