Christopher Columbus Collins and Minerva Fitzgerald
Minerva is believed to have been a child of Anderson Fitzgerald and Charity Bailey. "The Fitzgeralds" by Beth Gunn gives details.
Tax records show C. C. Collins in Cass County in 1853 and 1854. By 1855 he appears on the Denton County tax roll, owning no land. By 1856 he pays tax on 160 acres of land which are in Wise County, formed that year from Cooke County, and just west of Denton County. His land increased in value from $1 an acre in 1856 to $2 in 1859 when he was also taxed on one horse. By 1861 he had 4 horses, 5 cattle and 5 sheep. By 1862, his 160 acres were valued at $640 and had 3 horses, 8 cattle, 11 sheep and $5 at interest (on loan to someone, probably). [Juli Dalton did the tax roll work on this data.]
Their fourth child, Parilee Ethel Collins was born August 14, 1861.
C. C. Collins enlisted on 18 February 1862 in Capt. Geo. B. Pickett's Company, 15 Regiment Texas Cavalry. C. C. Collins died of measles in Arkansas on 16 June 1862.
Minerva is shown paying the taxes on the land in 1864, but she had married again and is shown as Minerva Ray. Her daughter, Sarah Evelyn Ray was born in August of 1864.
Documents found in the General Land Office in Austin by Juli's research show that C. C. Collins had 160 acres surveyed for him, to which he was entitled, but died before he could gain title. Minerva sold her rights to the Collins survey on January 1, 1865, to William Eads for two horses and one yoke of oxen.
Minerva Fitzgerald Collins married James Ray after C. C. Collins died. James and Minerva had a little boy who died as an infant and Sarah Evelyn in 1864. The family story is that when Ev was a year or two old, James Ray left and was never heard from again. The early Wise County marriage records are lost, so the dates for Minerva's second marriage is unknown.
Minerva married Thomas Clayton Calk, known as T. C. A marriage record in McLennan County is believed to be theirs. It has been transcribed from the original as Miss Minerva Ray and Thomas C Clark on 26 May 1868. T. C. Calk was born about 1820 and died 28 Dec. 1893. He had kinfolk living in the Lytle area, and he and Minerva moved there after living near Kyle in Hays County for a time.
Minerva Collins Calk with one of the girls
Minerva's children were:
| Charity Bell Collins | b 1856 | d | m Bee Calk 19 Feb 1870 |
| Margaret Collins | b 1858 | d 1901 | m George Calk 1873 |
| Columbus Anderson "Lum" Collins | b 16 October 1858 | d 19 June 1931 | m Pauline Clementine Keppert 24 June 1885 |
| Parilee Ethel Collins | b 14 August 1861 | d 13 Feb 1924 | m William Henry Long 1880 |
| Sarah Evelyn Ray | b 15 Aug 1864 | d 31 August 1949 | m Louis Paul Brown 1883 |
| Jerry Walter Calk | b 26 June 1870 | d 22 July 1934 | m Adeline Rebecca Elizabeth Williams 30 April 1896 |
| Ira Dell "Bud" Calk | b 20 April 1873/74 | d 27 Sept 1960 | m Otilia "Tillie" Groos 4 Nov 1897 |
| Alonzo Evans Calk | b 17 April 1876 | d 25 Oct 1948 | m Susie Reid 11 Nov 1896 and others |
| m Mary Elizabeth Welch 14 Jan 1910 | |||
| m Myrtle Fuller Alexander 20 Dec 1924 | |||
| Thurmanta/Samantha | b 1878 | d before 1880 | |
| Lula Samantha | b 5 July 1880 | d 15 June 1963 | m Robert Monre "Jewel" Bigham 21 June 1905 |
| John W | b | d | m |
A bittersweet family story tells of Elijah Calk, son of T. C. Calk by his first wife. Elijah was in love with Parilee, Minerva's daughter. But Minerva and T. C. thought it unwise for the two of them to marry, and Elijah never did.
Parilee did marry at the age of 18. She married Bill Long. With the marriage license is a note which was either written by her mother or for her by someone else. It has been noted that Minerva signed the guardianship papers in Hays County with her mark instead of her name. So perhaps she did not write this note, but had a friend do it for her.
Minerva Collins' permission for Parilee to marry
Parilee Ethel Collins Long
Parilee's older brother, Columbus Anderson Collins was known as Lum. Lum Collins married Pauline Keppert and they had six children. Lum and Pauline had a farm at Runge for many years. In 1920 they moved to Elmendorf.