Caitlyn Viola Collins was born as the New Year’s baby in Williston, ND on January 1st, 1986 to Joel and Margo Collins. She was number 5 out of 8 children. She went to elementary school in Fairview, MT, middle and high school in Sidney. She graduated from Sidney High School in 2004. Caitlyn was involved in the honors choir, something special, and concert choir in elementary school through high school; she had the voice of an angel. She was active in the competition team for gymnastics through elementary school and middle school. She was a wrestling manager all four years of high school.
She moved to Bismarck where she graduated from Bismarck State College with an associate’s degree in psychology. In 2005, at a college party Caitlyn met a college football player named Travis Rich. They became instant best friends. After graduating from college, they ended up working together at AT&T. She became a store manager, and then onto a retail account executive where she received many awards and recognition’s for sales. She also was a graduate of the Retail Management Development Program. Most recently she became a licensed insurance agent in South Dakota.
Caitlyn was the most stubborn person you have ever met. She could not only swear like a sailor, but she smoked cigars and drank whiskey. Caitlyn also appreciated the finer things in life. She loved to get dressed up, do her hair and makeup, and go to a fancy restaurant. She was also very classy: always having her nails done and wearing high heels. She loved little things: anything that was miniature from perfume bottles to tiny bottles of Tabasco. She noticed the little things that God blesses us with that most people walk right past. She wanted everyone to “just be kind” especially to those whom other people made fun of or teased. When Caitlyn loved you, she loved you with her whole heart.
She was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church and she believed in God and prayed constantly. She loved her nieces and nephews fiercely and loved to play with them, talk with them and paint rocks with them. If someone was negative about something, she would find a way to turn it positive.
On June 22nd of this year, Caitlyn finally married her best friend and love of her life, Travis Rich. Although their marriage was short, it was filled with complete and total love and respect for each other and faith in God. Together they had their dogs, Rocky Victoria who is 10, and their new puppy Mickey Rae. Caitlyn died unexpectedly in her home on November 10th, 2019, also Travis’s birthday.
Caitlyn was preceded in death by grandparents Leo and Dorothy Ness and Viola Collins, uncle Mike Ness, cousins Kelly Fairchild, Amy Ness, and Arianna Martin.
She is survived by her husband Travis Rich (Tea, SD), parents Joel and Margo Collins (Sidney, MT), in laws Bill and Marlene Rich (Napa, ID), siblings Heidi Wieland, Jennifer (Wayne) Reid, Corey (Danyelle) Wieland, Justin (Stacey) Collins, Dan (Lyndsay) Collins, Mac (fiancé Shanta Zietz) Collins, James (Maddy) Collins, sister in-law Selena (Justin) Messinger, nieces and nephews Jada, Jayce, Brianna, Kolton, Wyatt, Morgan, Kinley, Myra, Brady, Aiden, Nevaeh, Jasmine, Brysen, Tyler, Seth, grandpa Ben Collins, fur babies Rocky and Mickey, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, we set up a memorial in Caitlyn’s name to Vision of Hope at the Emmaus House.

Memorial Contribution