Kenneth Cecil Collison

Kenneth Cecil Collison was born April 17, 1931 in Cass County Minnesota and passed away in Vancouver Washington on September 22, 2025.

Kenneth (Ken) moved with his parents and siblings from Minnesota to Cowlitz County Washington in the early 1940s. He lived in various homes in the Carols, Kelso and Longview area and until me met and married Gene Mudget in 1951. They had one son Kenny Eugene Collison and divorced shortly after.

Ken then married Mildred (Midge) Turner whom he met through his friends Ed and Loren Jackson in Kalama. Midge was Lorene’s little sister.

Ken and Midge lived in Longview where Ken worked at various Mill jobs. They had two children, Randy Alan in 1956 and Becky Theresa in 1959 and decided not to have any more Children.

They moved from Longview to Yacolt in 1961 when International Paper built a new plywood mill in Chelatchie Prairie and Ken found employment there. They rented an old two-story house in the area that is now occupied by the bank and grocery store in Yacolt until they scraped up the down payment for their own modest 2-bedroom home on Yacolt Mountain a mile south of town in 1962.

In 1963 Ken and Midge were somewhat surprised with the birth of another son, Troy. They raised their kids in Yacolt and continued to live on Yacolt Mountain, though in a new home they had built on property that adjoined their original home until Midge’s passing in 1991.

Ken married for a 3rd time to Evelyn Deaton. They spent the next 20 plus years traveling around the nation in an RV, visiting family and friends but continued to call Yacolt home until Ken’s health problems prompted their move to flat ground in the East Vancouver area near family in 2014.

Wife Evelyn passed away in 2019 but Ken continued to live on his own into his 90’s until managing normal life’s demands became too much and he relocated to a nearby assisted living facility in 2024.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents Cecil and Mae Collison and brothers Melvin and Marvin. Also by wives Midge and Evelyn and son Randy and daughter Becky.

He is survived by sister Susie Schoen of Toledo WA and son Kenny Collison of Fallon NV and Troy Collison of Anchor Point AK and daughter in laws Carrie Collison of Battle Ground and Christine Collison of Anchor Point as well as six grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren.