Murlene B. Collins, 83, of Dell Rapids died Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at Avera Dells Area Health Center.
Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM Friday, January 18, 2013 at Willow Creek Lutheran Church, rural Dell Rapids. Visitation with the family present will be from 5-7:00 PM Thursday at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Dell Rapids. Burial will be at a later date at the Willow Creek Cemetery.
Murlene was born December 31, 1929 in Scotland, South Dakota, the daughter of Melvin and Carrie Jeanette (Gran) Berg. On November 12, 1954 she was married to Kenneth L. Collins in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Murlene earned her nursing degree from The Sioux Valley School of Nursing in Sioux Falls. Upon graduation she moved to Alaska to work as a nurse. It was there she met her future husband, Kenneth, while he was serving in the Air Force. Murlene and Ken lived in many locations during their marriage, including years in West Africa during the 1960’s. Murlene loved and was very proud of her grandchildren.
Grateful for having shared her life are her son, Kenneth Brian Collins and wife Stephanie of Artesia, New Mexico; daughter,Kerri Haugland and husband Arild of Bergen, Norway; sister, Maxine Mannion, Sioux Falls; brothers, Irwin Berg and wife Marge, Brandon and Navis Dybedahl, Dell Rapids; six grandchildren, Gabriel (Erika) Collins, Christopher Haugland, David Collins, Aleksander Haugland, Hannah (Tanner) Dean and Richard Haugland. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth on January 26, 2000; sisters in law, Melva Dybedahl and Grace Burns and brothers in law, William Mannion and Ray Burns.
Memorial maybe directed to the Willow Creek Cemetery Fund.