The Collins Story: In the years between 1943, through WWII and into the mid-60's, large families were the "norm" in the Appalachian coal mining towns of Southwest Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. The story goes that there were so many Mullinses living in Pound, Virginia, that one man (not a Mullins) felt like an ousider so he took his family and moved to Ohio. Upon reaching his destination, he looked up and saw a sign that read "Mullins Manufacturing Company". He turned to his wife and said, "Well, we can't live here either; this is where they make "em".
The union of Alfred Noah Collins and Ella Mae Mullins produced eleven children: Giles, Janice, Betty, Vicky, Kathy, Ginger, Ricky, Teresa, Joey, Diane and Winfred.
Alfred passed away in 1982 from the complications associated with Black Lung. It was a tremendous loss, but Ella continued her life and kept the family whole. In May of 2001, Ella suffered a dibilitating stroke. Though she was paralyzed and suffered from several illnesses, she lived until March of 2003 under the watchful eyes of all eleven children and their families. Throughout those months of providing their mother's daily care and comforting her and one another, the Collins children turned to song, which had been a constant throughout their childhood.
It wasn't the fact that the Collins siblings sustained their vigilance over their mother for two years that was extraordinary. It was the fact that they grew even closer than they were as children and develped deeper friendships with one another. People kept saying, "After your mother is gone, the family will grow apart." That did not happen. The home place became a haven where they continued to gather frequently and, in the spirit in which they wre raised, celebrate life and support one another. The singing continued at the core of every gathering, and in 2007 the Collins children, with Betty C. Brown as director, produced a CD called "Signs of God's Love" as a tribute to both of their parents and as a way of letting go of their grief.
"Signs of God's Love" inspired a continuation of writing, singing and recording. Family visits became practice and recording sessions, resulting in a second family CD called "Something In These Mountains." This CD, which was directed by Kathy Gail, includes all original songs and most of the music tracks are played by family members. Meantime, Betty recorded a CD called "Holding His Hand" with a group (Children of Zion) to which she belongs in North Carolina. She also recorded "Dalton's Story" as a fundraiser for St. Jude's hospital and "Promises," which is a collection of some of her favorite songs. Betty and Kathy Gail co-authored a song book called "Ballads, Blues and Blessings," and Kathy Gail wrote a children's book called "Logan's Lullaby."
Our works are ongoing. We are compelled to keep it up and find that as we continue to write and sing, we also spend more time together and find inspiration in one another. Eleven siblings are obliged to share our talents, as we were encouraged to do so by our parents. Eleven siblings are in awe of the talents of the next generations, which includes singers, writers, dancers and artists. Our collection of songs and books is growing, as more of the siblings decide to share pieces they have written and hidden away. We are including artwork in our repertoire, as our nieces and nephews step up to make their own contributions. We are enjoying our continued journey through life together, and our unspoken mission to "pass it on," which became reinforced with our mother's passing. We are confident that our children "get it" and will keep it going.
The union of Alfred Noah Collins and Ella Mae Mullins produced eleven children: Giles, Janice, Betty, Vicky, Kathy, Ginger, Ricky, Teresa, Joey, Diane and Winfred.
Alfred passed away in 1982 from the complications associated with Black Lung. It was a tremendous loss, but Ella continued her life and kept the family whole. In May of 2001, Ella suffered a dibilitating stroke. Though she was paralyzed and suffered from several illnesses, she lived until March of 2003 under the watchful eyes of all eleven children and their families. Throughout those months of providing their mother's daily care and comforting her and one another, the Collins children turned to song, which had been a constant throughout their childhood.
It wasn't the fact that the Collins siblings sustained their vigilance over their mother for two years that was extraordinary. It was the fact that they grew even closer than they were as children and develped deeper friendships with one another. People kept saying, "After your mother is gone, the family will grow apart." That did not happen. The home place became a haven where they continued to gather frequently and, in the spirit in which they wre raised, celebrate life and support one another. The singing continued at the core of every gathering, and in 2007 the Collins children, with Betty C. Brown as director, produced a CD called "Signs of God's Love" as a tribute to both of their parents and as a way of letting go of their grief.
"Signs of God's Love" inspired a continuation of writing, singing and recording. Family visits became practice and recording sessions, resulting in a second family CD called "Something In These Mountains." This CD, which was directed by Kathy Gail, includes all original songs and most of the music tracks are played by family members. Meantime, Betty recorded a CD called "Holding His Hand" with a group (Children of Zion) to which she belongs in North Carolina. She also recorded "Dalton's Story" as a fundraiser for St. Jude's hospital and "Promises," which is a collection of some of her favorite songs. Betty and Kathy Gail co-authored a song book called "Ballads, Blues and Blessings," and Kathy Gail wrote a children's book called "Logan's Lullaby."
Our works are ongoing. We are compelled to keep it up and find that as we continue to write and sing, we also spend more time together and find inspiration in one another. Eleven siblings are obliged to share our talents, as we were encouraged to do so by our parents. Eleven siblings are in awe of the talents of the next generations, which includes singers, writers, dancers and artists. Our collection of songs and books is growing, as more of the siblings decide to share pieces they have written and hidden away. We are including artwork in our repertoire, as our nieces and nephews step up to make their own contributions. We are enjoying our continued journey through life together, and our unspoken mission to "pass it on," which became reinforced with our mother's passing. We are confident that our children "get it" and will keep it going.
