Biography - Almer M. Collins
ALMER M. COLLINS. A. M., M. D. A bright mind coupled with a desire to do
good in the world, has wonderful opportunities for accomplishing a great
work for God and humanity. To bend one's energies to the betterment
physically and spiritually of his fellow-men and to devote one's talents in
this direction is an aim worthy of the brightest intellect. The work which
has been done by Dr. Collins, pastor of the Christian Church at Shelbyville,
is of great value to the world. His brilliant convincing lectures on
temperance, his exhaustive treatise entitled "Prohibition versus Personal
Liberty," his critical examination of the subject of Bible Temperance and
his valuable work entitled the "Great Living Issue," have had and will
continue to have a vital effect upon the temperance movement while his new
Interest Calculator is of real merit and extremely helpful to financiers.
This gentleman, who was born in Buchanan, Mich., May 18, 1844, located in
Shelbyville in 1888. His parents, Nathaniel and Caroline C. (Cone) Collins,
natives of New York, reared a family of seven children. Two sons grew to
manhood, our subject and Frank N., who was for many years a druggist, first
in Chicago, Ill., and afterward in Detroit, Mich. He was living in Detroit
at the time of his death, which occurred January 29, 1887. The two daughters
of this family were Mary A., now the wife of James M. Crane, general agent
of the Pacific Insurance Company, having headquarters at Cleveland, Ohio;
and Emma A., unmarried. The parents of this family were married at Plymouth,
Ind., and settled at Buchanan, Mich., where the father followed general
merchandising for several years, subsequently engaging in the hardware
trade, being also for several years a Justice of the Peace and esteemed a
fair lawyer. He was an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and
for fourteen years was Superintendent of the Sunday school.
Nathaniel Collins was a stanch Republican in his political opinions and a
party leader, his advice being sought on all occasions and his judgment
being highly esteemed. He began as a poor man, but was successful in
business and amassed quite a fortune. The finest business block in Buchanan,
Mich., was built by him and he was president of a large manufacturing
establishment, besides being prominent in all public enterprises and in
every matters pertaining to the welfare of the city. He was a good pubiic
speaker, and on occasions when the pastor of the church was absent, the
pulpit was well filled by Mr. Collins. He was born February 26, 1815, and
died October 31, 1875. His widow who survives him, resides in Cleveland,
Ohio. She was born October 26, 1822, and is a sister of the late Hon.
Gustavus Cone, of Wisconsin.
The boyhood of our subject did not last long as his active mind did not
allow him to be satisfied with childish pursuits. His earnest Christian
parents stimulated his desire to do good work and upon January 23, 1859,
when a boy of less than fifteen years, he preached his first sermon at Troy,
Mich., being then a student. After this he gave his attention largely to
preaching and was known far and wide as the boy preacher of Michigan.
Twenty-five years from that day he again preached in Troy and six people
were present who had heard his first sermon. While preaching he continued
his education at Hillsdale College.
Just before graduation the young preacher left college to accept a call to
the pulpit at South Bend, Ind. His ministry since that time has carried him
to various places, among which are Auburn, N. Y., Corry, Pa., Buchanan,
Mich., Laporte. Ind., Covington, Ky., Carthage, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Mich.,
Marion, Iowa, and Cameron, Mo. While in the East he attended a course of
medical lectures at Buffalo, N. Y., and completed his course at Cincinnati,
Ohio, still preaching while he attended these studies. While at Cincinnati
he graduated from both the Eclectic Medical Institute and the Medical
College of Ohio. In 1877 while living in Grand Rapids, he had the misfortune
to lose his hearing, in consequence of which he entered the editorial field
at Davenport, Iowa, taking charge of a paper advocating the cause of
Prohibition and at the same time lecturing on this theme. This paper, the
Northwestern News, had sought him on account of the fame of his editorials
in the which was then published at Grand Rapids and now at Chicago. He
partially recovered his hearing and resumed the active ministry, and ten
years later came to Shelbyville, where he has charge of the leading church
in the place.
While at Cameron, Mo., Dr. Collins held meetngs in Shaw's Opera House and
built a baptistry on the stage where he baptized a number of people. This
remarkable measure attracted the attention of the press throughout the
country. Dr. Collins is a writer of no small calibre, and the books of which
he is author are widely circulated. He is very methodical and keeps a full
record of his work. His Calculator which was published in 1882 is widely
used by banks throughout the country, and exhibits his mathematical mind by
his numerous new methods of calculation.
The marriage of Dr. Collins and Miss Joanna, daughter of Russell P. and
Almira Hibbard, took place May 31, 1864. This lady was born in South Butler,
Wayne County, N. Y., and is now the mother of one child, Leslie N. The
Doctor is a strong temperance man and a Republican in politics. In 1880 the
College of Hillsdale, Mich., honored both itself and our subject by
conferring upon him the degree of Master of Arts.
Extracted 17 Dec 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 571-572.
