Roberta Collins

Roberta Larson Collins, 96, formerly of Morton, Ill., passed away peacefully on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, at her home in Woodland Park, Colo.She was born Dec. 1, 1917, in Salem, Iowa, to Robert and Frieda Nyberg. She was married to Henry Larson from 1938 until he died in 1979. In 1982, she married Eldred "Dick" Collins, who passed away in 2010. Surviving are her children, Janet (Tom) Amyette of Bettendorf, Iowa, Norman Larson of Amarillo, Texas, Karen (Bob) Magistrelli of Woodland Park, Colo., and Steven (Rosy) Larson of Groveland, Ill.; and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.Roberta served on the Morton School Board for 14 years, as well as the Tazewell County Special Education Association for six of those years. She held leadership positions in Morton Women's Club, PTA and Girl Scouts, and she was on the Horizons Committee to build Freedom Hall in Morton, Ill. Roberta was the Tazewell Publications Citizen of the Month in 1974 and Morton Jaycees Citizen of the Year in 1976. She was principal owner of General Insulation in East Peoria for 15 years, until she sold the business. Roberta was a charter member of the Morton Methodist Church in 1947. She was active in Methodist churches all her life, teaching Sunday school, serving in camping and retreat ministries, serving on Living Springs Church Camp board, doing Peoria inner-city mission work and traveling throughout the U.S. for 10 years doing volunteer work with Methodist NOMADS. Her final "mission work" was at High Winds men's transition home in Woodland Park, Colo., as their "grandmother," with all that title encompasses. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 16, at Morton United Methodist Church, 420 N. Tennessee St., Morton, Ill. Come and share your remembrances. Memorial donations may be given to Easter Seals or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital .Cremation was accorded by Blunt Mortuary in Colorado Springs, Colo.