Bonny Lee Collins

Bonny Lee Collins was born in Holden, Missouri to parents, Clara and Leslie Caldwell, who moved to Montrose when she was 3 months old. She attended Montrose Schools until her sophomore year when she transferred to Hotchkiss High School.
On May 4, 1963, she married Marvin Collins at the First Baptist Church in Montrose. Their first home was next door to her grandparents, Paul and Bessie Sutton. From there they moved across the alley from her aunt and uncle, Mary Ruth and John Dunham. It was in this home that their oldest daughter Kelley was born. Their second daughter Mardy was born when they lived around the Hog Back. The couple had a logging business during this time.
From there, they bought a herd of sheep and moved to Gateway. They returned to Olathe and were involved in heavy construction. They bought a farm on South River Road and moved into their newly built house on New Year’s Day, 1972 in the middle of a snowstorm. Their last move was in 2006 to Pea Green, where she made her home right up until the day of her passing.


Bonny loved being outdoors and she liked to keep busy. She loved working beside her husband and was happiest when she was with him. Together, they spent countless hours and days improving the homeplace. She wasn’t afraid to work hard and especially enjoyed the tractor work on the farm. She had a penchant for keeping her life and home uncluttered and simple. Anybody who knew her, knew she had a soft heart for animals, especially her cats and dogs. She liked to brag about the grandchildren, of which she was very proud. Bonny appreciated many things and had a variety of interests including reading, gardening, canning, cooking and bird watching. She could identify most birds just by their sounds. She was on a bowling league and women’s softball team for many years. For seventeen years, she delivered the Daily Press and became friends with many people on her route.
Bonny liked to laugh and joke. Her sharp sense of humor and total involvement in everything around the farm and ranch will be missed. She had a fiery spirit and maintained a strong independence right up until the very end.
She was preceded in death by her mother and father, sister Peggy Roberts, aunt Mary Ruth Dunham, and granddaughter Kaylyn.
Bonny is survived by her husband Marvin, two daughters and their husbands, Luke and Kelley McCrain, and Kent and Mardy Thompson, plus six grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Graveside service will be held at Olathe Cemetery Tuesday, August 16 at 10 am. A meal will follow at Pea Green Community Center.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory.
View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com