Obituary for Winford Harvey Collier
Winford Harvey Collier, 89, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 16, 2023 after a brief
period of declining health.
He was born in Wetumpka, Alabama on April 7, 1933, attended Wetumpka High School and graduated
from Auburn University in 1955 with a degree in Dairy Management. He was an enthusiastic, life-long
supporter of the Auburn Tigers.
Mr. Collier was a veteran of the United States Army and US Army Reserves.
He worked as a Regional Manager of the Sylacauga office of Flav-o-Rich Dairies, formerly Foremost
Dairies and Farmbest Dairies, the southeast’s leading ice cream manufacturing plant throughout his more
than 40-year career.
He retired to the Deatsville area in 1998, where he resided. He was an avid gardener, planting an
impressive vegetable garden every year, and prided himself in keeping an immaculate yard.
He was a faithful member of Cain’s Chapel Methodist Church, where he was a part of the Erline Curlee
Sunday School Class, Fellowshippers senior adult ministry, served in the men’s ministry, and helped with
the food pantry and Wednesday night suppers. He will be remembered as a strong, Christian man who
loved his family, his church and his community.
Mr. Collier was preceded in death by his parents, Harvie Hansel Collier and Mattie Lou Bradley Collier of
Wetumpka, his wife Virginia Ann Miller Collier, his brother Byron Collier, and his sister Rebecca Collier
Mobley.
He is survived by three daughters, Cynthia Ann Collier, Teresa Collier Johnson (Mike), and Susan Collier
Gunter (Charlie); sisters Geraldine Collier Perkins and Asenath Collier Coker; ten grandchildren – Mindy
Craymer (Mark), R.J. Seevers (Kasey), Emily Roper (Matthew), Joshua Gunter (Savannah), Sarah
Whitfield (Terry), Caty Jane Turnipseed (Ian), Callie Cichra (Matt), Miles Gunter, Alyssa Taylor (Ty), Mattie
Cleveland (Michael), 10 beautiful great granddaughters and 13 great grandsons.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 21, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Gassett Funeral Home in
Wetumpka, Alabama. A funeral service will be conducted in the Chapel at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Gary
Stringfellow and Rev. Susan Beeson officiating. Graveside services will immediately follow at Pineview
Memorial Gardens cemetery in Elmore County, Alabama.
His grandsons – R.J. Seevers, Joshua Gunter, Miles Gunter, Mark Craymer, Terry Whitfield, Matthew Cichra, Ty Taylor, Michael Cleveland, Ian Turnipseed, Matthew Roper – will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers include great-grandsons Collier Roper, Carter Gunter, Bennett Roper, Brady Roper, Bradley Roper, Blaine Gunter, Tayton Gunter,Tommy Turnipseed, Matthew Craymer, River Seevers, Hudson Cleveland, Sellers Cichra and John Charles Cleveland.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Mr. Collier’s life may make memorial donations to Cain’s Chapel
Methodist Church, 96 Lightwood Road, Deatsville, AL 36022.
period of declining health.
He was born in Wetumpka, Alabama on April 7, 1933, attended Wetumpka High School and graduated
from Auburn University in 1955 with a degree in Dairy Management. He was an enthusiastic, life-long
supporter of the Auburn Tigers.
Mr. Collier was a veteran of the United States Army and US Army Reserves.
He worked as a Regional Manager of the Sylacauga office of Flav-o-Rich Dairies, formerly Foremost
Dairies and Farmbest Dairies, the southeast’s leading ice cream manufacturing plant throughout his more
than 40-year career.
He retired to the Deatsville area in 1998, where he resided. He was an avid gardener, planting an
impressive vegetable garden every year, and prided himself in keeping an immaculate yard.
He was a faithful member of Cain’s Chapel Methodist Church, where he was a part of the Erline Curlee
Sunday School Class, Fellowshippers senior adult ministry, served in the men’s ministry, and helped with
the food pantry and Wednesday night suppers. He will be remembered as a strong, Christian man who
loved his family, his church and his community.
Mr. Collier was preceded in death by his parents, Harvie Hansel Collier and Mattie Lou Bradley Collier of
Wetumpka, his wife Virginia Ann Miller Collier, his brother Byron Collier, and his sister Rebecca Collier
Mobley.
He is survived by three daughters, Cynthia Ann Collier, Teresa Collier Johnson (Mike), and Susan Collier
Gunter (Charlie); sisters Geraldine Collier Perkins and Asenath Collier Coker; ten grandchildren – Mindy
Craymer (Mark), R.J. Seevers (Kasey), Emily Roper (Matthew), Joshua Gunter (Savannah), Sarah
Whitfield (Terry), Caty Jane Turnipseed (Ian), Callie Cichra (Matt), Miles Gunter, Alyssa Taylor (Ty), Mattie
Cleveland (Michael), 10 beautiful great granddaughters and 13 great grandsons.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 21, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Gassett Funeral Home in
Wetumpka, Alabama. A funeral service will be conducted in the Chapel at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Gary
Stringfellow and Rev. Susan Beeson officiating. Graveside services will immediately follow at Pineview
Memorial Gardens cemetery in Elmore County, Alabama.
His grandsons – R.J. Seevers, Joshua Gunter, Miles Gunter, Mark Craymer, Terry Whitfield, Matthew Cichra, Ty Taylor, Michael Cleveland, Ian Turnipseed, Matthew Roper – will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers include great-grandsons Collier Roper, Carter Gunter, Bennett Roper, Brady Roper, Bradley Roper, Blaine Gunter, Tayton Gunter,Tommy Turnipseed, Matthew Craymer, River Seevers, Hudson Cleveland, Sellers Cichra and John Charles Cleveland.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Mr. Collier’s life may make memorial donations to Cain’s Chapel
Methodist Church, 96 Lightwood Road, Deatsville, AL 36022.