In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1864
From History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa : Illustrated (1910)
EDWARD COLLINS.
In the life of Edward Collins, who was for many years one of the prominent newspaper men of Davenport and is now the auditor of Scott county, we have an exemplification of what is only too infrequently the case, the office seeking the man. A' native of this city, he was born November 15, 1864, a son of Jeremiah and Mary (Tobin) CoUins, both of Irish birth, who as young people came with their parents to this country at the time of the famine in Ireland. Jeremiah Collins located first in Detroit and Chicago, where he worked for years upon the lake steamers as steward. During that time, however, he also learned the trade of an iron holder, and when he came to Davenport, in the early '50s, he followed that calling until he retired from active life. His death occurred in 1907, when he was seventy-seven years of age, his life partner following him to the grave two years later. He and his wife were the parents of five children: one who died in infancy;
As printed in History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa : Illustrated (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1910. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.