Jacob Ryan Collins, 36, formerly of Austin, passed away in his sleep at his parents’ home in Longville, MN, Friday, August 25. Jacob was born on April 27, 1981 in Davenport, IA.  He was an avid sportsman and played youth baseball, soccer and tennis.  Jacob was part of the original Austin traveling soccer teams and a member of the first AHS soccer team. He was an Iowa Hawkeye and Green Bay Packers fan.  He also like fishing both in summer and winter. But his ultimate love was skiing down the black diamond slopes in CO.

Jacob attended Faith Church with his family, and was part of the youth group and teen Sunday School class.  He went on several mission trips to New Orleans to make home repairs and help with games for the children living in the Projects.

Jacob graduated from AHS in 1999, Augsburg College in 2003, and earned his Master’s Degree from University of Denver in 2007 in International Affairs.  He loved traveling around the US and abroad, and during his college years did internships in Costa Rica, Germany, Southern Europe, and war-torn Serbia.   While in Serbia he and his team, taught English to children and helped older teens learn how to prepare resumes. They also restored a couple homes that families had not lived in for several years because of the war; one family was able to return to their home after 9 years living separately with other people.  It was an experience he was proud to be a part of.

Jacob served in the US Army for 5 years. He graduated from Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA and spent time in China as part of his training. He was assigned to Army Intelligence in Hawaii as a Chinese Cryptologic Linguist.  He also worked in Washington DC and Afghanistan. Currently he was a Sergeant in the Army Reserves at Ft. Meade, MD.  He was in Longville waiting for his visa to work out-of-country.   

Jacob was preceded in death by both maternal grandparents and paternal grandmother.  He is survived by his parents, Jerry and Bonnie (Butts) Collins of Longville, sister Jennifer (Steve) Delhanty, and brother Andrew Collins as well as nieces Abigail (Collins), Alison and Emily (Delhanty) and nephew Jackson (Delhanty), and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, August 31 at 2:00 at Longville Bible Chapel, Longville, MN. Lunch will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the family.

Jacob’s care has been entrusted to the Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker, MN.  Online condolences for the family may be given at www.northernpeace.com