Iolan Roger Collins has died following a 19-month battle with COVID-19.
Wife Billie announced her husband’s passing in a Facebook post Monday.
“I thought today I would be whooping and hollering about the strides we had made,” Billie wrote. “Well, sadly or happily, today was the day my plan did not come to pass but a much better, more amazing plan took place as God called Roger home.”
Collins tested positive for COVID-19 on July 13, 2020.
By that evening, he experienced trouble breathing and was taken via ambulance to the hospital, first to Allen County Regional Hospital, then to Kansas City, and finally to a long-term care facility in Dallas as his symptoms worsened.
“The last 19 months were tough but they were ours,” Billie wrote. “We shared the good, bad and the ugly. My heart is broken for our loss but it is soaring knowing Roger is no longer in pain. He can walk and talk … and if you know Roger he can talk and talk and talk.”
The Collins family shared their story with regular updates for Register readers, most recently about 18 months of hospitalization and rehabilitation efforts.
Billie praised her husband’s strength and determination. She said the family’s faith helped them through the difficult times, including at the end.
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