Gladys Bernice Collins, 84, of the Mt. Verd community, died Sunday, April 20, 2008, at Athens Regional Medical Center.

A native and resident of McMinn County for most of her life, she was a daughter of the late Will and Minnie Foshee Lankford. She was of the Holiness faith and attended New Vision Church. She was a former employee of Carver Chair Manufacturing Company and Park Avenue Laundry and Cleaners. She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert W. Collins; two sons, Ralph Collins and Roger Collins; four brothers, Mack Lankford, Alvin Lankford, Kenneth Lankford and Leroy Lankford; and two great-grandsons, Adam Harris and Cody Martin.

Survivors include two sons and one daughter-in-law, Otto Fincher and Ronnie Collins, both of Decatur, and Toni Collins of Athens; four daughters, Shirley Scott of St. Petersburg, Fla., Wanda Harris and Barbara "Bobbie" Hicks, both of Athens, and Frances Rule of Decatur; 11 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Laycock-Hobbs Funeral Home with the Rev. DeWayne Howard officiating. Burial will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Sean Collins, Josh Womack, Jamey Davis, Keith Martin, Danny Lankford and Jamie Shelton.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Those not able to attend may send condolences to mailto:condolences@laycock-hobbs.com