Katherine Collins Fordham

Katherine Collins Fordham of Harbeson, Delaware, departed this life on Monday, April 28, 2025, at her home in Harbeson, Delaware. Katherine was the daughter of the late Perry John Collins and Cora Allen Collins.
Katherine's education was at the William C. Jason Comprehensive High School, a segregated public school for African-Americans in Georgetown, Delaware. She is one of the Alum of the school's rich legacy that educated Sussex County's African-American students from the years of 1950 through 1967.
She was a single mother of 5 children until she married Henry Joseph Fordham. From this union, Elisa Fordham was born.
Katherine was employed for 50 years at Townsend's Poultry Plant now known as Mountaire Farms, Inc., until retirement.
Katherine was a lifetime member of the First Millsboro Seventh-day Adventist Church of Millsboro, Delaware. She was an Usher, Pathfinder Counselor for the Millsboro Hi-Thrones, a Deaconess, Community Services Ministry Member, and the best salad maker for the Kitchen Ministry until her illness.
Her salads were famous for freshness of the vegetables that she carefully prepared each Sabbath for the fellowship meal. You would find her smiling and humming to herself as she took pride in her masterpiece.
Upon her illness, she still continued to be faithful in her study of her Sabbath School lessons. Her Bible and Lesson were always by her bedside.
Katherine's home recuperation of eight years was due to the unwavering dedication and love of her granddaughter, Tonicka Ocean. She cared for grandmother from the day that she came home from the rehabilitation center till she passed on Monday, April 28, 2025.
Katherine was preceded in death by her parents, Perry John Collins and Cora Allen Collins, her two sisters, Cora Collins and Claire Collins, and two daughters, Vera Gill and Katie Hicks.
She leaves the precious memories of her love, to her brother Joseph Collins (Linda) of New York, three daughters, Lillie Eley, of Dover, Delaware, Verna Harmon of Virginia, and Lisa Chandler, of Seaford, Delaware, one son, Eddie Collins of Tennessee, 21 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren, 14 great, great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.