Lake County Obituaries

William B. Collier

Submitted by Anita Crabtree

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Unknown paper, Lakeport, California, July 19, 1916

CAPTAIN COLLIER DIES SATURDAY
Lake County Pioneer and Beloved Gentleman Passes At Age Of  71 Years 
Unknown paper, Lakeport, California, July 19, 1916 
Last Saturday morning, after an illness of less than a week, Captain William B. 
Collier died at his home in San Francisco at the age of seventy-one years. The 
funeral services were held Monday afternoon at Trinity Chapel in that city, and 
interment made in San Francisco. He was very highly respected in the city and 
his many friends there attended the obsequies. 
Captain Collier fought in the Civil War and later went to West Point, the 
National military academy in New York State. He was one of the organizers of the 
artillery branch of the National Guard. 
In the early eighties Captain Collier came to California. He used to come to 
Soda Bay resort on his summer vacations for a few years, and became so attached 
to the county that in 1887 he purchased about two hundred acres on the lakeshore 
north of Lakeport. Of this practically all has been sold except ten acres upon 
which the home stands. 
In 1894 he and Mrs. Collier built a beautiful home, in which the wife took much 
pride and devoted considerable time in planning and superintending during 
construction. On March 21, 1896, this home was burned down, and with it the 
youngest son of the Colliers, Jack, aged four years, eleven months and 25 days. 
This so saddened the couple, that in 1899 (the history of the county states 
1901) they erected the beautiful Episcopal Church in Lakeport as a memorial to 
the departed boy. 
Another residence was built shortly after on the home place, but at the death of 
Mrs. Collier, which occurred in 1906, Mr. Collier removed his residence to San 
Francisco, and has been back here but once since, although his daughters have 
occupied the house at intervals during several summers. 
Captain Collier was one of the first launch owners on Clear Lake. He was a 
member of the local Masonic lodge at his death; had been a member for years. He 
was a musician, his favorite instrument being a flute, on which he loved to 
play. For a number of years he was Superintendent of the United States Indian 
Service west of the Mississippi. He was always very active in public welfare, 
and he and Mrs. Collier did considerable entertaining at their home here. 
At one time Cptain Collier ran for the Assembly from this district on the 
Republican ticket, his daughter driving him around during the campaign behind a 
little team of ponies. At one time his sons Page and William were in the boat 
building business here. Page was later burned to death in a gasoline explosion 
on board a launch in San Francisco Bay. 
Five daughters and one son survive him; Maraquita Macondery of Oakland, Margaret 
Macdonald of Menol; Lutie Becket of Goldfield, Nevada; Dorothy and Sarah Collier 
of San Francisco, and Wm. B. Collier, Jr., now naval draftsman in the government 
Navy Yard at Norfolk, North Carolina.