Son of Alburn Joseph and Tennie Elizabeth Barnes Collier. Brother to Robert Hillary, Opal Christene, Jon "Bud" Emery, Raymon Fredrick, and Roy Odel. Alton, as he was referred to by the family, was born with leakage of the heart. Due to this illness, he was not able to work in the fields as the other children did.
Alton graduated from Pyron High School, in 1940. He was the only child of this family to do so. He was drafted into the Army, after graduation . His Army life was short lived only lasting approximately six months. While in the Army, he was sent to Trenton, New Jersey where he attended the North American Radio Institute. Upon completing this Program, he was discharged for medical reasons. Since Alton was unable to make a living farming, his Dad sent him to Port Arthur, Texas to college for radio broadcasting. In 1941, he became the station manager for a radio station in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He returns home becoming an announcer for the radio station KXOX, Sweetwater.
Alton loved music. He played the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. In the later part of 1941, he, his brother Raymon and friend Herman Richburg formed a singing group called the Scurry County Ramblers. They would sing on KXOX radio every Saturday afternoon.
On September 20, 1942, he moved from Sweetwater to Midland, where he was the radio announcer for KCRS. In 1943, he met and married Betty Henley. This is when he received his calling to be a Pentecostal minister. In the early years of their marriage, they would travel together and hold tent revivals. In the early part of 1944, he built a building for his church that still stands today. It is located at 415 Alta Avenue and was the Four Square Gospel Church. In the late 1950's he realized that his true calling was to be a full gospel evangelist. Betty did not want to leave Midland, so in 1960, they were divorced.
He continued to evangelize over the United States and Canada. He had a small band that traveled with him at times. On June 5, 1963, Alton married Judith Dellinger in St. Louis, Missouri. They had known each other for one week, but despite this, their marriage lasted until his death. In 1967, he became the pastor of the Faith Tabernacle Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They stayed there for approximately four years, until he received the call to travel and evangelize again. They resumed traveling uto; the later part of 1977.
Alton began to have blackout spells. He knew that his health was failing. He return to live in Odessa where he established a tax business. Despite the new venture, his heart was still stuck on evangelizing. He made one final trip to perhaps his favorite place to go, that being Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ten days after he returned, he died from congestive heart failure.
Alton graduated from Pyron High School, in 1940. He was the only child of this family to do so. He was drafted into the Army, after graduation . His Army life was short lived only lasting approximately six months. While in the Army, he was sent to Trenton, New Jersey where he attended the North American Radio Institute. Upon completing this Program, he was discharged for medical reasons. Since Alton was unable to make a living farming, his Dad sent him to Port Arthur, Texas to college for radio broadcasting. In 1941, he became the station manager for a radio station in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He returns home becoming an announcer for the radio station KXOX, Sweetwater.
Alton loved music. He played the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. In the later part of 1941, he, his brother Raymon and friend Herman Richburg formed a singing group called the Scurry County Ramblers. They would sing on KXOX radio every Saturday afternoon.
On September 20, 1942, he moved from Sweetwater to Midland, where he was the radio announcer for KCRS. In 1943, he met and married Betty Henley. This is when he received his calling to be a Pentecostal minister. In the early years of their marriage, they would travel together and hold tent revivals. In the early part of 1944, he built a building for his church that still stands today. It is located at 415 Alta Avenue and was the Four Square Gospel Church. In the late 1950's he realized that his true calling was to be a full gospel evangelist. Betty did not want to leave Midland, so in 1960, they were divorced.
He continued to evangelize over the United States and Canada. He had a small band that traveled with him at times. On June 5, 1963, Alton married Judith Dellinger in St. Louis, Missouri. They had known each other for one week, but despite this, their marriage lasted until his death. In 1967, he became the pastor of the Faith Tabernacle Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They stayed there for approximately four years, until he received the call to travel and evangelize again. They resumed traveling uto; the later part of 1977.
Alton began to have blackout spells. He knew that his health was failing. He return to live in Odessa where he established a tax business. Despite the new venture, his heart was still stuck on evangelizing. He made one final trip to perhaps his favorite place to go, that being Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ten days after he returned, he died from congestive heart failure.
Son of Alburn Joseph and Tennie Elizabeth Barnes Collier. Brother to Robert Hillary, Opal Christene, Jon "Bud" Emery, Raymon Fredrick, and Roy Odel. Alton, as he was referred to by the family, was born with leakage of the heart. Due to this illness, he was not able to work in the fields as the other children did.
Alton graduated from Pyron High School, in 1940. He was the only child of this family to do so. He was drafted into the Army, after graduation . His Army life was short lived only lasting approximately six months. While in the Army, he was sent to Trenton, New Jersey where he attended the North American Radio Institute. Upon completing this Program, he was discharged for medical reasons. Since Alton was unable to make a living farming, his Dad sent him to Port Arthur, Texas to college for radio broadcasting. In 1941, he became the station manager for a radio station in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He returns home becoming an announcer for the radio station KXOX, Sweetwater.
Alton loved music. He played the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. In the later part of 1941, he, his brother Raymon and friend Herman Richburg formed a singing group called the Scurry County Ramblers. They would sing on KXOX radio every Saturday afternoon.
On September 20, 1942, he moved from Sweetwater to Midland, where he was the radio announcer for KCRS. In 1943, he met and married Betty Henley. This is when he received his calling to be a Pentecostal minister. In the early years of their marriage, they would travel together and hold tent revivals. In the early part of 1944, he built a building for his church that still stands today. It is located at 415 Alta Avenue and was the Four Square Gospel Church. In the late 1950's he realized that his true calling was to be a full gospel evangelist. Betty did not want to leave Midland, so in 1960, they were divorced.
He continued to evangelize over the United States and Canada. He had a small band that traveled with him at times. On June 5, 1963, Alton married Judith Dellinger in St. Louis, Missouri. They had known each other for one week, but despite this, their marriage lasted until his death. In 1967, he became the pastor of the Faith Tabernacle Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They stayed there for approximately four years, until he received the call to travel and evangelize again. They resumed traveling uto; the later part of 1977.
Alton began to have blackout spells. He knew that his health was failing. He return to live in Odessa where he established a tax business. Despite the new venture, his heart was still stuck on evangelizing. He made one final trip to perhaps his favorite place to go, that being Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ten days after he returned, he died from congestive heart failure.
Alton graduated from Pyron High School, in 1940. He was the only child of this family to do so. He was drafted into the Army, after graduation . His Army life was short lived only lasting approximately six months. While in the Army, he was sent to Trenton, New Jersey where he attended the North American Radio Institute. Upon completing this Program, he was discharged for medical reasons. Since Alton was unable to make a living farming, his Dad sent him to Port Arthur, Texas to college for radio broadcasting. In 1941, he became the station manager for a radio station in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He returns home becoming an announcer for the radio station KXOX, Sweetwater.
Alton loved music. He played the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. In the later part of 1941, he, his brother Raymon and friend Herman Richburg formed a singing group called the Scurry County Ramblers. They would sing on KXOX radio every Saturday afternoon.
On September 20, 1942, he moved from Sweetwater to Midland, where he was the radio announcer for KCRS. In 1943, he met and married Betty Henley. This is when he received his calling to be a Pentecostal minister. In the early years of their marriage, they would travel together and hold tent revivals. In the early part of 1944, he built a building for his church that still stands today. It is located at 415 Alta Avenue and was the Four Square Gospel Church. In the late 1950's he realized that his true calling was to be a full gospel evangelist. Betty did not want to leave Midland, so in 1960, they were divorced.
He continued to evangelize over the United States and Canada. He had a small band that traveled with him at times. On June 5, 1963, Alton married Judith Dellinger in St. Louis, Missouri. They had known each other for one week, but despite this, their marriage lasted until his death. In 1967, he became the pastor of the Faith Tabernacle Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They stayed there for approximately four years, until he received the call to travel and evangelize again. They resumed traveling uto; the later part of 1977.
Alton began to have blackout spells. He knew that his health was failing. He return to live in Odessa where he established a tax business. Despite the new venture, his heart was still stuck on evangelizing. He made one final trip to perhaps his favorite place to go, that being Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ten days after he returned, he died from congestive heart failure.
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