eddie “edd” collier
1889-1969
Life Story
Eddie Collier, often known simply as Edd, was born on January 29, 1889, in the Lawrence community of Newton County, Mississippi. He was the son of Patrick (“Pat”) Collier and Laura Black Collier. His father was born in Alabama, while his mother was a native of Mississippi.
Raised in Beat 4 of Newton County, Edd grew up during a period when African American families were working to establish stability and independence in the decades following Reconstruction. The Collier family was part of a large and close-knit farming community whose members relied upon hard work, family cooperation, and faith to navigate the challenges of rural life.
By 1900, eleven-year-old Edd was already contributing to the family’s livelihood as a farm laborer. Despite the demands of agricultural work, he attended school for four months during the year and learned to read and write. At a time when educational opportunities for Black children in rural Mississippi were often limited, literacy represented an important accomplishment and reflected the value his family placed upon education.
Growing Up on the Family Farm
By 1910, Edd was twenty-one years old and working as a general farmer on the family farm.
The Collier household remained large and active, including siblings David, Lida, Will, Mary Bell, Jessie, Everline, Mary Ella, Patrick Jr., Annie, and Wallace. Like many young men of his generation, Edd learned farming through daily labor and practical experience, developing the skills that would eventually allow him to establish a successful farming operation of his own.
His early adulthood coincided with a period of growing agricultural opportunity for Black farmers who were able to acquire and maintain land ownership despite significant economic and social obstacles.
Marriage and Establishing a Homestead
During the World War I era, Edd registered for the military draft. His registration described him as a man of medium height and build with black hair and black eyes.
Around 1911, he married Emma McElroy, beginning a partnership that would last for nearly six decades. Together they established a home in the Lawrence community and built a life centered on family, farming, and faith.
By 1920, Edd had achieved something that was both difficult and significant for an African American farmer in the Jim Crow South—he owned his farm free of a mortgage. Landownership represented independence, economic security, and a lasting investment in future generations.
Edd and Emma became the parents of one daughter:
Throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, Edd continued operating his farm as an independent agricultural producer. Even during the hardships of the Great Depression, he remained self-employed and committed to maintaining his land and supporting his family.
Agricultural Leadership and Community Service
Edd was more than a successful farmer. He was also recognized as a leader within the Lawrence community.
His dedication to agriculture earned public recognition. In July 1962, his farm was selected as one of six featured stops on the annual district tour sponsored by the Lawrence Negro Development Club. Newspaper coverage highlighted the quality of the crops being grown on his property, including particularly impressive corn production.
The recognition demonstrated the respect Edd had earned among fellow farmers and agricultural leaders. His farm served as an example of good stewardship, productive land management, and agricultural success.
Beyond farming, Edd remained active in community organizations. Newspaper accounts from 1958 document his participation in the Christmas Aid Club, a local organization dedicated to fellowship and mutual support. Through such groups, residents worked together to strengthen community bonds and assist one another during times of need.
Faith and Church Life
Faith occupied a central place in Edd’s life.
For many years he was a devoted member of Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, where he worshiped alongside family members, friends, and neighbors. The church served not only as a place of worship but also as a center of community life, leadership, and mutual support.
His commitment to his faith became a defining feature of his character and was remembered by those who knew him best.
Later Years
Even as he entered his sixties, Edd remained actively involved in farming.
The 1950 census recorded sixty-one-year-old Edd working approximately fifty hours each week on his farm. His continued labor reflected a lifetime commitment to the land and to providing for his family through honest work.
Unlike many Americans who moved frequently throughout their lives, Edd remained deeply rooted in the Lawrence community. The fields he worked, the church he attended, and the community organizations he supported remained the center of his world for nearly eight decades.
Death and Burial
After several weeks of declining health, Edd Collier passed away at his home in Lawrence on November 13, 1969, at the age of eighty.
Funeral services were held on November 18, 1969, at Union Chapel Church. Reverend Rudolph Whitehead officiated the service, while community leaders including Ezeil Kidd and Lucile Johnson offered remarks honoring Edd’s Christian character and lifelong contributions to the community.
Following the service, he was laid to rest at Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery in Lawrence, Mississippi.
Legacy
Edd Collier’s life spanned a remarkable period of American history. Born during the final years of the nineteenth century, he witnessed the rise of Jim Crow, two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.
Through it all, he remained committed to his family, his land, his church, and his community.
His legacy lives on through his daughter Annie Laura Eubanks, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the many descendants who continue to preserve the history of the Collier family. His story stands as an example of Black landownership, agricultural excellence, faith, and perseverance in rural Mississippi.
For the Lawrence community, Edd Collier represented a generation of men and women whose quiet determination helped sustain their families and strengthen their communities despite the challenges of their era.
Resting Place
Union Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Patrick Collier.
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Patrick Collier.
- U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card for Edd Collier, Newton County, Mississippi, 1917–1918.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Edd Collier.
- The Newton Record (Newton, Mississippi), July 25, 1962, article regarding the Lawrence Negro Development Club farm tour featuring Edd Collier’s farm.
- The Newton Record (Newton, Mississippi), January 9, 1958, article concerning the Christmas Aid Club social gathering.
- Obituary of Edd Collier, November 1969.
- 1950 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, household of Edd Collier.
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