Norma Jean Collins, 93, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away Monday, September 26, 2022, in Mercy Hospital after a brief illness.  She was born in Pottersville, Missouri, on December 14, 1928, the daughter of Lewis and Gertrude Welker.
Jean married Truman Floyd Collins in West Plains, Missouri, on June 23, 1946, and celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary shortly before his passing in 2014. She bore four children, worked as a homemaker and teacher aide for Springfield Public Schools, then embarked on a successful 17-year career in real estate before retiring in 1989.
Her passions included visiting family and friends, traveling throughout the United States, England and Germany, attending countless Missouri State Lady Bears basketball games with Truman as season ticket holders in the 1990s and 2000s, tending her flourishing gardens and flowers, reading fiction of all sorts, and watching movies about the Old West, especially those starring John Wayne. Her selfless devotion to Truman as his health declined in later years was an inspiration to many. She was a longtime member of Schweitzer Methodist Church.
In addition to her husband and parents, Jean was preceded in death by son Danny Lewis Collins, sister Margie Lee Hoglen and infant granddaughter Amy Elizabeth Bryan.
She is survived by son Larry Truman Collins of Springfield, Missouri; daughter Paula Jean Shinn (Jim) of Chesterfield, Missouri; daughter Robin Linn Dailey of Springfield, Missouri; grandson Patrick Kevin Dailey of Springfield, Missouri; son-in-law Kevin Bernard Dailey of Springfield, Missouri; and nephew John Edgar Hoglen of Kansas City, Missouri.
Visitation will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, October 4, 2022, in Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel, followed by graveside services in Hazelwood Cemetery at 2 p.m. with pastor Jim Mason officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Ozarks Food Harvest, P.O. Box 5746, Springfield, Missouri 65801.