The Story of the Collins Family
Not long after we started the "Meet your Neighbor" section of the Colonialtown.org website, I received comments from Joyce Lien who posted a few of her childhood memories of growing up in Colonialtown. One of her childhood recollections was of climbing on the large, concrete entrance columns which flanked both sides of the brick-lined roads on Floral Drive, Palm Drive, & Garden Plaza. I was fascinated to read about these former grand entrances for the "Colonial Gardens" subdivision which was removed when Colonial Drive was widened. Today, like many of the former subdivisions of our neighborhood, Colonial Gardens is now just a small part of the greater, Colonialtown North area. Curious to know more about this former subdivision and any additional Colonialtown history, I interviewed Mrs. Lien, Colonialtown neighbor since 1943.
Joyce Lien is a second generation Colonialtown resident whose parents, Carrie Belle & Nolen Grey Collins, had their home built on Floral Drive in 1940. Joyce was born soon after in 1943. Joyce's mother, Carrie Belle Collins, was very active in the Colonialtown community and comes from a family of civil servants. In fact, her Great Grandfather, Albert Curtis Hall, was the Orange County Supervisor of Elections in 1926. He also started Apopka's first newspaper, "The Apopka Chief," after being asked by Governor Martin to start the publication.
Joyce's mother, Carrie Belle Collins', contributions to the Colonialtown neighborhood spans a lifetime. She was a board member & Vice President of the Colonialtown Women's club during the 1950's. She was a member of Reeves Church for over 30 years and volunteered as secretary & treasurer. She frequently volunteered at Fern Creek Elementary as "Home Room Mother". Mrs. Carrie Belle also taught piano and gave lessons to many of the neighborhood kids. Once a year, she hosted neighborhood recitals in the small living room of her Colonialtown home. The recitals were considered a very special occasion in which the children dressed up in formal dresses and performed for their proud parents.
I asked Joyce to share more of her memories of growing up in Colonialtown. She described the property across the street where the Washington Mutual bank now stands. A lot of activities occurred on this property where Brown's Grocery store was once housed. Joyce and some of the neighborhood kids spent many hours playing on a swing that hung from one of the large oak trees on the lot. My favorite story of the events that occurred on the lot was the much anticipated watching of the night blooming cereus cactus. Joyce stated, " It would only bloom at night. Everyone would be out there with their flashlights at night. It was like a neighborhood thing. It was just gorgeous". Although Joyce moved away a few times to the surrounding Orlando area, she moved back to be close to her childhood home again in 1990 and is here to stay. Joyce stated "It's always been home to me".
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