Biography
In the small town of Nevada, Iowa, Harvey and Leota Collins marked the new year of 1929 with the birth of a son on January 26. Max Harvey Collins was the first of three boys born into the Collins family. Richard arrived two years later. And when Max and Richard were 10 and 8 years old, Robert was born.
Harvey and Leota Collins raised the boys in rural Story County on a farm. The Collins family sold milk and eggs, and they also farmed 100 acres east of Nevada. They grew corn, soybeans, and oats. The boys all learned to weld at a young age, so they could help fix the farm equipment.
A favorite fun activity on the farm involved zip-line type ride Harvey built for the boys over a creek. The boys would climb up a platform, grab the rope and sit on the stuffed grain-sack seat, and zip across the creek and back again. It took perfect timing to get all the way back to the other side of the water without getting wet!
The rest of the narrative will be added on November 14, 2024 after it is read at the 2024 Gold Star Hall Ceremony. The Gold Star Hall Ceremony will take place in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on Wednesday, November 13th at 4:15 pm.