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Zion Baptist Church
485 Prince Street
Truro, Nova Scotia
The Collins Family story begins on April 22nd in the year 1919, with the union of Ralph Louis Collins and Viola Mae Byard. Ralph was the son of Henry Samuel and Priscilla (Whydner) Collins, both of Dartmouth, N.S. while Viola was the daughter of John Byard from Truro, N.S. and Rebecca (Paris) Byard of Guysborough, N.S. At the time of their marriage, Ralph and Viola were twenty-one and twenty years of age, respectively. After settling in Truro, the young newlyweds attempted to start a family. The first four pregnancies, however, resulted either in still births or death of the child during infancy. Over time the union of Ralph and Viola would eventually produce twenty children, making up the second largest family in Truro and the start of the Collins Family Legacy. To date, seven of their offspring are still living. Those offspring who have "gone home" remain close to the family in spirit and will always live on through many loving memories.
The young couple had great love for one another and a deep faith in God which would enable them to raise their family during an era when basic necessities were scarce for many. Throughout their marriage, Ralph and Viola worshipped at the Zion Baptist Church. The church was established on November 5, 1896 and is still standing in the same location, as pictured above. Viola's grandfather, William Byard was one of the church’s founding members. It was her grandfather who moved the motion for the church to be named Zion and whose name is honored at the top of a list of names on a commemorative plaque presently hanging in the church entrance. William was also the first Deacon of the church and the one who turned the key to let the congregation in when the church opened for its inaugural services in February 1898. His wife, the former Mary Ellen Paris, was the first Deaconess. Together, Viola’s grandparents were instrumental in establishing Zion Baptist Church as the first place of worship to serve the needs of Truro's black community. More than a century later, it serves as the “church home” of the Collins Family and was a place of worship during the 1995 and 2005 Collins Family Reunions.
The Collins Family Truro household was never short on love and each child was provided for. To support the family that would soon grow larger than he could imagine, Ralph worked as a porter for many years with the former Canadian National Railway (CNR). Viola worked as a housekeeper while at the same time providing a loving home to their many children. As a young couple, Ralph and Viola would soon become very well known and respected in their community until their deaths in 1968 (Ralph) and 1959 (Viola). And although Ralph and Viola have long since gone home, they continue to smile down on us from heaven.
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May 10, 1923. The first of Ralph and Viola's children to survive infancy was a girl, Marcelle. Affectionately known as Marcie, she is the mother of two, Francis (Truro) and Carol (deceased). She is also known to be a quiet, gentle woman and continues to be the matriarch of the family to this day. Marcie raised her children in the Collins Family household in Truro along with her parents and many siblings. Because Ralph and Viola were a relatively young couple at the time, and were still in the midst of having children, Marcie's two children were close in ages to their aunts and uncles. As a result, the two soon came to accept Ralph and Viola’s children as their own “brothers and sisters” instead of the aunts and uncles that they were. The family continues to refer to one another as such today. As a young woman, Marcie moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where she currently resides. Presently, Marcie has seven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
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June 9, 1924. William "Bill" Stanley was the next surviving child born to Ralph and Viola. Bill worked for the CNR, following in the footsteps of his late father. He was known to be a very stoic man with a whispering, soft voice. Bill moved to Montreal, Quebec as a young man where he soon married and over the years fathered six children: Terry, Gary, Michel, Diane, Andre and Adria. He also had eight grand children and four great grandchildren. Bill passed away on February 24, 1998 at the age of seventy-four years.
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July 28, 1925.
Ralph and Viola were blessed with the birth of another son who would be chosen to bear the name of his father: Ralph Louis Collins, Jr. Fondly known as Pee-Wee, he was best known for his remarkable dancing skills. Dubbed “the best dancer in Truro," Pee-Wee was known and loved by all. In July of 1949, Pee-Wee moved to Montreal where he, too, worked for the CNR. Returning to Truro five months later to spend the Christmas holiday at home, he suddenly fell ill. Sadly Pee-Wee spent four days in Colchester Hospital until January 31, 1950 when he would finally succumb to complications of meningitis at the age of twenty-four years. The death of young Ralph Collins, Jr. shocked and saddened the entire Truro community. Unfortunately, Pee-Wee died without ever having married or fathering any children to continue his legacy.
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July 9, 1926. The young couple was blessed with a second daughter, Margaret. Margaret was born a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She would, however, develop rheumatic fever as a teenager which would cause her to suffer from chronic heart disease. Margaret lived in Montreal for most of her adult life, where she quickly became very well known and respected. She was best known for her wonderful zest for life. The mother of a daughter, Dy-Anne (Diane), Margaret had four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of her childhood illness would ultimately take her life. Margaret passed away on March 26, 1985 at the age of 58 years.
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May 12, 1929. Donald "Donnie" Eugene was the fifth child in a family of many. Like his older brother Bill, Donnie was also known to be very soft spoken, gentle and kind. He moved from Truro to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1948 as a very young man, also working for the CNR. Alhough married for many years, Donnie did not father any children of his own, but was a loving step-father to the children of his wife Kay.
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June 11, 1930. Robert "Tucker" Sterling was born. He was best known for his wit, and as such, was loved by all who knew him. Tucker, as he was called by family and friends alike, earned his nick-name from his boxing days. He moved to Winnipeg as a young man where he married and fathered seven children: Ralph, Leslie, Mark, Wendy, Wade, Deanna and Robyn. Tucker also had 14 grandchildren. Though Tucker spent several years in the boxing ring in his younger years, he worked most of his life at the Deer Lodge Hospital where he also chose to live out his last years in the hospital's loving, palliative care unit. Tucker passed away on May 14, 2004 at seventy-three years of age.
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June 30, 1931. Charles "Chuck" and Cecil, twin boys, were born. They would be the first, and only, multiple births for Ralph and Viola. Sadly though, in March of 1931, at the age of nine months, Cecil passed away due to complications related to pneumonia. Fortunately Chuck lived on and grew to be a sensitive man who was loved by virtually all who knew him. Also known to be a very sentimental man, Chuck likewise loved his family dearly. Something Chuck was best known for was his artistic ability. Many of Chuck's nieces and nephews were blessed to have received one of the many cartoons drawn by him. Like others in the family, he moved to Montreal and worked for the CNR. He married and fathered one child, a daughter, Kristy. He also had two grandchildren. Chuck passed away on May 17, 2000 at the age of seventy years.
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October 13, 1932. Dorothy Marie was born. As a very young woman, Dorothy moved to Montreal in 1965 to be reunited with several of her siblings who had previously relocated there from Truro. Dorothy was known to be quite a humorous character in her younger days. One of her stints included portraying "Aunt Jemima” in a Halloween costume contest by painting her face with black shoe polish. This prank earned her the nickname “Buckwheat.” Always joking, Dorothy is very well known and well liked in her community. Dorothy has three children: David, Carmen and Derold. She also has one grandchild.
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March, 19, 1935. This was the date Richard Foster was born. “Dickie” as he was nick named, was a handsome young man who was very popular with the ladies. He moved to Montreal as did most of his siblings before him, but not before becoming father to one child: a daughter, Darcelle, through whom he had one grandchild. Unfortunately, Dickie was afflicted with kidney disease and would be hospitalized several times during his short lifetime. His young life was cut short at the age of thirty years when he passed away on April 15, 1965.
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September 12, 1936. Clobie Layton was born. As a young man, Clobie played baseball and excelled in ice hockey during an era when black men did not get the opportunity to play in the National leagues. An exceptionally talented athlete, Clobie ultimately broke down those racial barriers when he began to play hockey for the Newfoundland team. To this day, Clobie is listed in the Newfoundland Hockey Hall of Fame. After gaining fame on the Newfoundland hockey team, Clobie moved to Toronto, Ontario where he married and had three children: Johnny, Chery and Sonny. Later divorced from his wife, Clobie single-handedly raised his three children from very young ages. He cared for and provided a loving home for them until his death in June of 1985. Clobie had ten grandchildren.
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July 29, 1937. Royce Gilbert was born. Always talkative, Royce earned the nickname "Gabby" as a young man. At the young age of seventeen years, Royce left Truro. He first moved to Toronto where he resided for one year before relocating to Winnipeg where he currently resides. In keeping with the Collins tradition, Royce worked a short time for the CNR. To this day, Royce continues to be an avid sports fan and is a loyal Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan, having occupied the same season-ticket seat for over 30 years. In addition to his love for football, Royce spent many years playing league hockey and curling. Royce has four children: Darren, Kelly, Rashida and Malikah. He also has one grandchild.
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February 28, 1939. Sandra Viola was born. Appropriately named after her mother, Sandra bears a striking resemblance to Viola Mae. Nick-named “Syrup” because she was always the last of the siblings to be ready, Sandra too moved to Montreal in 1965. She is known as the “quiet one with dimples.” The mother of four children, Cecil, Rhonda, Stefan (Stevie) and Chuckie, Sandra also has four grandchildren. She currently resides in Montreal where she is loved by all who know her.
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July 19, 1940. Eileen Mae was born. Eileen left Truro for Montreal in 1964. She is best known for her wonderful sense of style and grace. Always well dressed and ready for any event, Eileen quickly became very popular among the Nova Scotia community in Montreal. She is mother to three children: Tammy, Tony and Tyrone. Eileen also has ten grandchildren and one great grandchild.
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April 15, 1942. Douglas "Dougie" Creichton was born. Dougie moved to Montreal as a very young man where he married and fathered two children: Tanya and Yannick. In addition to his two children, Dougie has four grandchildren. He later relocated to Nassau, Bahamas where he presently resides with his wife, Pat. Dougie continues to be a school teacher and basketball coach in the Bahamas and is constantly in search of family talent that he can recruit for the various college scholarships he hears about. He is considered to be a very outspoken, no-nonsense man by all who know him. At the same time, Dougie is known for being very jovial and a great storyteller.
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July 27, 1945. Phyllis Donalda was born. Assuming the last- born position in a line of twenty children, Phyllis is the “baby” of the family. After the death of her mother in 1959 when she was just fourteen years old, Phyllis moved to Winnipeg to live with her older siblings. In 1964, Phyllis moved to Montreal to be reunited with her other sisters. She later lived in Boston, Massachusetts for a period of time after having married a young American man. Eventually, however, she returned to Montreal where she currently resides. Although, the baby of the family, Phyllis is known to be the one who “takes charge” when the going gets tough. She has become the one to whom her older sisters look for strength and security in times of despair. Phyllis has one child, a daughter, Mandy, and four grandchildren.
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