Mary (Harmon) Collins

Born: Unknown at this time

Died: April 15, 1893 in Ashtabula, OH

 

About:

Mary Collins was in Ashtabula at the home of her father  (Ed Harmon) when she received the news of her husband's shooting. She was told it was a suicide, but she and others did not believe it. In the very religious 19th century there was a real stigma concerning suicide. We feel the entire Collins family would have been very upset over the suicide verdict. It was Mary Collins who was very instrumental in pushing for an investigation of her husband's death and having hi skull exhumed and examined by two different doctors one year later. Both doctors came to the conclusion Charles Collins was murdered.  She and her family also had the mausoleum built, which is located in Chestnut Grove Cemetery just outside of the city of Ashtabula. In a strange twist, his mausoleum is only about 75 feet away from the obelisk marking the grave of the fifty unidentified victims of the disaster.