Margaret "Babe" McCollor

The miners were a motley crew from all countries and all circumstances; some were great men, others were criminals. Babe had to hold her own as one of the only women at the mines, as she often was. Babe was known by her family as carrying a small pistol under her skirt, and was not afraid to use it should circumstances require.  Not all the miners were not to be trusted, eventually one stood out from the crowd, a gentle and kind man named Jim Vincent. They quickly fell in love and were married. Jim and Babe's Marriage Certificate Click to view larger size The photo to the right shows Babe and Jim in front of their home in Nashwauk, MN. Photos courtesy Kevin McCollor.To the right is a photo of Babe and Jim's home in Nashwauk, MN, built with the assistance of her father A.P.  and other McCollors. Kevin McCollor writes: " It has been the home to a number of Babe's children, grandchildren, boarders she took in, and my (Kevin) brother and I were raised in it. While Babe was still alive, it served as an anchor for the family as they seemed to gather there. My brother, Kyle, and I still retain the house. It hasn't left the family. We use is several times a year, especially during the 4th of July as the town has a large annual celebration. With family, friends and neighbors, it is simply referred to as "The House". Jim died, and heartbroken, Babe began to spend more time with her sister Tina, a hardy frontier woman in her own right. In many ways Tina's life had played out quite similarly to Babe's: she too had lost a young husband early on. Carl Ouse had died before he and Tina had been blessed with children. After his death, Tina, too, took to cooking, and ran a bakery in St. Paul for thirty years.   Together, the two sisters traveled, coming home whenever the wind blew them in that direction, where they were always welcomed with much fan-fair. While home, they would make the rounds, visiting the entire family each time in town. It was a good life, and the two women deserved it.   Babe died in 1961, leaving behind a legacy of spirit, strength, and love. She was a true survivor.

Babe grows up   Babe would find her husband as the result of a family tragedy: her Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary had both died in the harsh frontier of North Dakota when she was about seven years old, and 6 of their 8 children, now orphaned, came to live with Peter and Maggie. The other two, the youngest, went to be cared for by another family. Eventually Babe and her cousin Allen were drawn together, and married.This was not all that unusual in those days in the west, as other Catholics were hard to find in a mostly Protestant environment.   While they were living at the iron ore fields of Naswauk, on Christmas Day in 1912, Allen died unexpectedly, leaving Babe with four strapping young boys, and the sudden necessity of having to provide for them all. Life was rough on the range, but she was able to draw upon her ability to cook well, a skill she learned from her father and stepmother. A true survivor, strong as all McCollor women were and are, she made the difficult decision to put the boys in a boarding school while she went off to the mines as a cook. During the summers, while school was not in session, the boys would rejoin her where she was at the mines. It was a hard job, and it took a strong woman with lots of spirit to earn a living not only for herself but for four growing boys as well.The photo to the right is of Babe with her boys. The 1920 census shows the boys in a rented home headed by young Leonard. It must have been terribly difficult for Babe being away from her children for such long periods of time. Love for Babe   When Jim and Babe were married, the boys were reaching their teen years, and they so respected Jim that later some named their own sons after him. It seemed only natural that the boys would become miners, as did their sons. Babe cooked at the mines for thirty-five years.

Kenneth McCollor School Photo

Kathleen McCollor School photo Click to view larger

Children of Allen and Babe	Grandchildren of Allen and Babe
LEONARD JAMES McCOLLOR b. 3/15/1904 at Hannah, ND. Stock picker at GM. d. 1/4/1990 at Lansing, MI at the age of 85. m. 1/10/1930 at Lansing, MI to VIOLET ETHEL GRANDY, dau. of ANDREW AND LULU BELLE (CHAMBERLAIN) GRANDY. Housewife. b. 1/3/1911 at LeRoy, MI. d. 5/17/1977 at Lansing, MI. buried at Lansing.   Research notes:  --1920 census shows Leonard as head in a rented home where his little brothers live with him. --1930 census shows Leonard living with his brother Clifford  in Lansing.	ARTHUR EUGENE McCOLLOR b. 4/13/1931 at Lansing, MI. Served in Marines in Korea as a Corporal 11/30/1951 to 11/3/1953.  Bartender by trade. d. 2/23/1990 in MI. Buried at Wood National Cemetery, Milwaukee, WI, which I believe to be a veteran's cemetery (?). m. MARIANNE JOAN CARBER (aka Joan Marie Carberry?), 1/5/1956 at Cook County, IL b. __/__/1934? d.? dau. of ? --They divorced in Florida in 5/1963 (her name for this is listed as Joan M., she remarried 2/26/1975.   Research note: marriage record lists Joan as: Marianne Joan Carber. I don't know which is correct. It also gives a marriage date of 1/5/1956, which also contradicts family records.  While researching I found a Joan Carberry in a 1930 census of Portland, ME, 3 month old dau. of Peter J. and Helen T. Carberry and sister to Helen Carberry (7 yrs old). I also found an obituary with a death date of 1/10/2004 in The Arizona Republic newspaper, born 1932, aged 72 of Prescott Valley for (Sue) Joan Carberry. No other information is given so it's hard to tell if this is our Joan.   COLLEEN RAE McCOLLOR b. 9/30/1933 at Lansing, MI.  waitress. d. ?. m (1). __/__/1951 at Lansing, MI to ROSS FLECK, son of ROSS FLECK. Served in Army. No children of this marriage. m (2). 8/ __/1953 at Lansing, MI to LARRY WESLEY MARKHAM son of CLARE MARKHAM. served in Air Force. b. ? d. __/__/___, at ? buried at Mesick, MI. m (3). 2/20/1960 at Lansing, MI to RICHARD B. WEATHERBY son of EARL AND KATHERINE (ROSIER) WEATHERBY. b. 1/10/1935 at Lansing, MI served in Air Force, painter. d.?.    SHIRLEY ANN McCOLLOR b. 8/24/1941 at Lansing, MI. secretary .  d. ? m .5/6/1961 at Lansing, MI to ALBERT GEORGE EVANS, b. 10/20/1937 at Lansing, MI, son of DELBERT RINN AND MARION (BLISS) EVANS., d. ? Served in National Guard, data processing manager.   SHARON KAY McCOLLOR b. 10/18/1944 at Lansing, MI. telephone operator.  d. ? m. 12/30/1966 to SANFORD PRESTON AMES, b. 6/12/1945 at Lansing, MI, d. ?, son of IRWIN AND BETTY (SANFORD) AMES. Engineer.   KATHLEEN DIANE McCOLLOR b. 2/28/1948 at Lansing, MI . Clerk at telephone company. See school photo above, J.W. Sexton High School, Lansing, MI 1965 Yearbook. d.?. m (1). 1/11/1969 at Lansing, MI to MICHAEL DEAN BOWLIN, b. 7/5/1948, Lansing, MI, d. __/__/1976 at Lansing, buried there. son of DEAN AND JESSE (McGEE) BOWLIN. Served in Army, Vietnam vet. m (2). 9/26/1970 at Lansing, MI to ROBERT DEAN GROW, b. 4/23/1949 at Lansing, MI,  son of GEORGE AND WINNIFRED (KRAMER) GROW. Served in Army, carpenter.    KENNETH EARL McCOLLOR b. 7/10/1951 at Lansing, MI. carpenter. .  SEE PHOTO ABOVE, ANYONE CONFIRM THIS IS THE RIGHT KENNETH? J. W. Sexton High School, Lansing, MI, 1969 m (1). 9/10/1977 at Lansing to BECKY SUSAN FEIGHNER, b. 3/11/1957 at Lansing,  dau. of ROBERT AND PHYLLIS (BARRETT) FEIGHNER. Secretary. m (2). 12/22/1983 at Lansing to THERESA ANN BEERS, b. 7/28/1957 at Lansing,  dau. of LARRY AND TERRILYN (ALDRICH) BEERS. Postal clerk.   Research note: Public records give a birth date for Kenneth of 7/1 not 7/10
CLIFFORD PETER McCOLLOR b. 8/26/1906 at Calvin, ND. Iron miner, crane operator, drill helper. d. 1/__/1992 Photo Album at the age of 85. m. 7/15/1927 at Grand Rapids, MN to VIOLETTE PEARLE KROUSEY dau. of GEORGE HENRY AND LEONA PEARLE (HOSFORD) KROUSEY  b.  1/21/1905 at Burtrum, MN, d. 4/5/1991 at St. Louis (?) Housewife	LARRY VINCENT McCOLLOR b. 3/21/1928 at Nashwauk, MN. Corporal in military, heavy equipment operator in the iron mines. d. 9/21/1989, last residence Nashwauk, MN at the age of 61.  m. 6/17/1968 at Coleraine, MN to SUSAN ELIZABETH COX b. 9/2/1945 (+/-) at _______, CA, dau. of EUCLID W. AND IRENE (LIND) COX. teacher. They divorced 3/12/1982 in MN.   Research notes: Larry enlisted in the army at Fort Snelling, MN as a private on 4/17/1946. He enlisted for the "Panama Canal Dept." In 1946 he was "single, without dependants" and had completed four years of high school. KYLE DEVLIN COX McCOLLOR b. 3/9/1972 at St. Louis, MN m. ?
EUGENE PARNELL McCOLLOR b. 8/14/1907 at Calvin, ND. Miner.  d. 8/13/1979 at Cloquet, MN, buried at Nashwauk, MN. m. 8/21/1936 at Nashwauk, MN to OLIVE MARIE HOSFORD. b. 8/14/1917 AT Burtrum, MN, dau. of ROBERT AND ANN(A) (HARDY) HOSFORD Sales clerk. d. 8/3/1976 at Hibbing, Mn, buried at Nashwauk, MN.	SHARON WINIFRED McCOLLOR b. 8/16/1935 at Nashwauk, MN. homemaker .  Sharon and Charles currently reside in Green Bay Wisconsin. m. 7/1/1967 at Minneapolis, MN to CHARLES FREDRICK KNIGGE, b. 3/13/1945 at Dawson, MN  son of CLARENCE ARTHUR AND CLARICE LORRAINE (LARSON) KNIGGE. Served as Lieutenant in Navy from '67 to '72. Buyer. TODD CHARLES KNIGGE b. 8/11/1968 at ______? Todd, Molly and all their children live in Fitchburg, WI m. 5/29/1993 at Brown County,  WI, to MOLLY ALANE STRITTMATER  b. __/__/191967? dau. of _______ STRITTMATER? SOPHIA KNIGGE b.12/9/2002 at _____? KIERAN KNIGGE b. 9/12/2005 at ___________? JAMIE LYNN KNIGGE b. 7/5/1970 at _____?  Jamie, Steve and their children all reside in Green Bay, WI m. __/__/19___ at __________ to STEVEN VanDRISSE, b. ? at ____? son of ___? HANNAH VanDRISSE b. 4/9/1998 at ____? MORGAN B. VanDRISSE b. 5/27/2000 at ____? LAUREN VanDRISSE b. 5/9/2005 at _____? THOMAS DANIEL KNIGGE b. 2/22/1977 at _____? Thomas, Angela and their children reside in Green Bay, WI m. __/__/____ at _____? to ANGELA RUSS, b. __/__/19___, dau. of _____? BRIANNA KNIGGE b.1/9/1999 at _____? KINSLEY KNIGGE b. 10/5/2010 at ___________? TERRANCE PATRICK McCOLLOR b. 6/23/1938 at St. Louis, Hibbing, MI. Miner and control room operator, resides in Nashwauk, MN.  m. 6/27/1959 at Nashwauk, MI to KATHLEEN ANN SMITH, b. 11/27/1942 at Bayfield, WI, dau. of CLARK FABIAN AND BRIDGET SMITH. They divorced in MN, 3/4/1983, Kathleen remarried in September of 1983 SHAWN PATRICK McCOLLOR b. 5/4/1963 at St. Louis, MN m. ?   BEVERLY JEAN McCOLLOR b. 6/7/1940 at Nashwauk, MN. bookkeeper  m (1). 9/27/1958 at Nashwauk to ROGER GORDON TOLLEFSON, b. 4/2/1930 at Clearwater, MN, d. 8/4/1982, at Cloquet, MN, buried there. Son of OSCAR AND GRACE TOLLEFSON. Served in Air Force. Mechanic. Divorced. m (2). 12/30/1967 at Two Harbors, MN to GILBERT ROLAND NELSON, b. 6/20/1920 at Duluth, MN, d. 2/3/1972, at Esko, MN, buried at Duluth.  served in Army, owner of bud Nelson Entertainment. TIM (TIMOTHY?) TOLLEFSON b.__/__/___ at Cloquet, MN. m. ?   LISA JEAN TOLLEFSON b. 6/27/1963 at St. Louis, MN. m. ?   GWYNN TOLLEFSON b.__/__/___ at Cloquet, MN. m. ?   RANDY (RANDOLPH?) TOLLEFSON b.__/__/___ at Cloquet, MN. m. ?   LEAH TOLLEFSON b.__/__/___ at Cloquet, MN. m. ?
FLOYD ALLEN McCOLLOR b. 3/25/1910 at Ambose, ND. mechanic. d. 1/4/1984 at Hibbing, MN, buried at Nashwauk, MN. m. 12/3/1930 at Grand Rapids, MN to HELMI JULE TAMMINEN. b. 1/26/1912 at Nashwauk, MN dau. of CHARLES AND MARY (MARIA) (AALTO) TAMMINEN. Housewife d. ?	ALAN CHARLES McCOLLOR, SR b. 3/24/1931 at Hibbing, MI. Career Air Force as loadmaster and teacher, rank of Master Sergeant Grade E-7.  d. ? m(1). 8/21/1952 at Nashwauk, MI to NORMA LaPREAL SMART, b. 8/15/1932 at Ortonville, MN, dau. of KENNETH MURRAY AND MONICA BELLE BENA (WALSH) SMART. Housewife. d. ? They divorced in San Bernardino, CA 3/1973 after  having four children together. m(2)? 2/28/1976 to BONNIE HOFFMEYER at San Bernardino, CA. , b. abt 1935. California marriage records have Bonnie's last name as BREITENGROS. ALAN CHARLES McCOLLOR, JR. b. __/__/19__? at ___?  m. 4/1/1972 at ___? to SALLY A. BUCHTA, b. __/__/19__ at ___?, dau. of ROBERT "BOB" and GOLDIE HENDERSON BUCHTA. Alan and Sally live in Alaska, where they met. KENNETH ALAN McCOLLOR b.10/20/1972 at _____? m. 3/26/1995 at ___? to KRISTY _____, b. __/__/19__ at ___?, dau. of ____?   Ken and Kristy have a son, KENNETH ALAN, JR. b. 5/7/2001  **PLEASE SEE HOME PAGE FOR A PHOTO OF KEN JR. AND HIS CLASS PROJECT** ALAN CHARLES III b. 2/26/1979 at ___________? m.?   One son, ALAN CHARLES IV, b. 8/26/2007 PATRICK MURRAY McCOLLOR b. __/__/19__? at ___?  m. ?   MONICA LaPREAL McCOLLOR b. __/__/19__? at ___?  m. ?   HEIDI KAY McCOLLOR b. __/__/19__? at ___?  m. ?   NANCY JEAN McCOLLOR b. 8/15/1935 at Nashwauk, MN. RN, housewife d. ? m. 6/30/1956 at Nashwauk to JOHN ANTHONY ALAMPI, b. 8/18/1932 at Grand Rapids, MN, d. ?. Son of MATTEO AND AMELIA (WILLIAMS) ALAMPI. Dentist.   MARY MARGARET McCOLLOR b. 4/7/1944 at Grand Rapids, MN. homemaker .  m. 12/28/1963 at Nashwauk, MN to WILLIAM PAUL HANSEN, JR, b. 6/17/1943 at Grand Rapids, MN  son. of WILLIAM PAUL AND ETHEL MARGARET (FORSS) HANSEN, SR. Operating foreman for Butler Taconite, M.A. Hanna Mining Co. DEBORAH JO HANSEN b. 5/21/1964 at Itasca, MN  m. ?   TRACEY LYNN HANSEN b. 11/26/1965 at Hennepin, MN  m. ?   MELANIE JEAN HANSEN b. 7/4/1967 at Itasca Co., MN  m.  1/14/1968 at Itasca Co., MN   WENDY LEIGH HANSEN b. 4/3/1969 at Itasca, MN  m. ?   PAUL ALLEN HANSEN b. 11/25/1970 at Itasca, MN  m. ?

By some error I had this table in Terrance's Lineage, but obviously the last name is that of his older sister. I'm confused, and am pasting it here hoping someone will clarify where these names belong and are they accurate?

TAMMY KNIGGE b. __/__/___ at ______? resides in Nashwauk, MN m. __/__/___ at ____ to ______? b. __/__/19__? son of _______?	AMANDA _____ b.__/__/___ at _____? JACKIE ____? b.__/__/___ at _____? MATTHEW _____? b.__/__/___ at _____? JOHN ____? b.__/__/___ at _____?
BRENDA KNIGGE b. __/__/___ at _____?  Brenda and Pat live in Winter Haven, FL m. __/__/19___ at __________ to PAT (PATRICK?)______, b. ? at ____? son of ___?	KYLE _____? b.__/__/___ at _____? (SON) b.__/__/___ at _____?
DON (DONALD?) _______? b.__/__/___ at _____?
JIMMY (JAMES?) ______? b.__/__/___ at _____?

* Much information for these pages comes from the excellent book McCollor/McCollough Family History and Genealogy by Clair Nelson and Kathy McCollor Stigman.  I thank them profusely for writing such a thorough and helpful book.