Obit: Fletcher Collins, folklorist and scholar

Subject: Obit: Fletcher Collins, folklorist and scholar
From: lamarca
Date: 10 May 05 - 12:09 PM

I am sad to report the passing of Fletcher Collins, Jr. on May 6, 2005, at the age of 98. Dr. Collins was an eminent scholar, teacher, and collector of folksong and folklore, who had a long, rich life. Here is his obituary from the Mary Baldwin College website:

http://www.mbc.edu/news/r_detail.asp?id=1665

In my day-job life, I am a biologist at the National Human Genome Research Institute. NHGRI's Director is the renowned geneticist, Dr. Francis Collins, one of Fletcher's four sons. Dr. Collins (the geneticist) is well known within NHGRI for his acoustic (and sometimes electric) guitar playing, and he regularly writes parodies of folksong with scientific jokes....

Subject: RE: Obit: Fletcher Collins, folklorist and scholar
From: JudyB
Date: 10 May 05 - 05:22 PM

Thank you for posting the information and the link to his obituary. I never met Fletcher and Margaret, but have heard a lot about them from my husband and his family. My sympathy to his family and friends.

   JudyB

Subject: RE: Obit: Fletcher Collins, folklorist and scholar
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 May 05 - 05:52 PM

I will pass this information on to my mother who still has fond memories of singing with Fletcher and his wife Margaret while visiting the Arthurdale Project in West Virginia back in the early 1930's.

Fletcher certainly had a full and interesting life and was an inspiration to anyone who came in contact with him. I had the pleasure of visiting him and his family several times in the 1970's. It was always a treat.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Obit: Fletcher Collins, folklorist and scholar
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 11 May 05 - 05:30 AM

Fletcher Collins was the man who taught 'Buckeye Jim', one of my all-time favourite songs, to Burl Ives. I thank him for that. Condolences to his family. Burl.

Subject: RE: Obit: Fletcher Collins, folklorist and scholar
From: Anglo
Date: 11 May 05 - 02:15 PM

Sorry to hear this. Custer LaRue told me I had to come down south and meet him, but I missed my chance. I realize from lamarca's posting of the obit that I do know Kit, one of his other sons. Small world.

Subject: RE: Obit: Fletcher Collins, folklorist and scholar
From: John Minear
Date: 19 Aug 05 - 10:48 AM

Somehow I missed this notice of several months ago. It is never too late to mourn the loss of a great man. I only met him once, even though he lived just over the mountain from me. I went to see him several years ago when I was trying to track down "Limber Jim" (aka "Buckeye Jim"). He sang it for me in his living room. There were rumors then that his collection at the Library of Congress was being transferred to CD. I would sure love to hear those original versions, especially the one of "Limber Jim". Anyone have any information about this? Fletcher Collins' work certainly deserves much wider attention than it gets. And, even though I was at Oak Grove a year ago, I didn't realize that it, too, was connected with this great man. Here's to Fletcher Collins, "go limber, Jim, you can't go, go weave and spin, you can't go, Buckeye Jim." T.O.M.