Aurelia “Mary” (Mahn) Collins, 93, of St. Louis died Nov. 22, 2025. Mrs. Collins was a 1946 St. Rose of Lima School graduate and a 1950 De Soto High School graduate. After her father’s death, she started working as a young teen before and after school for the family businesses, Mahn Hardware & Undertaking and Mahn Funeral Home in De Soto, which was run out of the family home at the time. She gave up a scholarship to study at Arcadia Academy to stay and help her mother manage two businesses and help with a large household of family members. She and her husband owned De Soto & Collins Theatres and Sky-Vue Drive-In until it was sold to the Wehrenberg family in the mid-1960s. She worked at various other jobs throughout her life in accounting, which was her main hobby. She started her own accounting business in 1983, Collins Accounting and Tax Service, which she ran out of her home in south St. Louis. She continued working until her 90th year and enjoyed visiting her clients. She was a member of St. Mark's Catholic Church. She was known for her “steel trap” mind. She loved attending horse races and taking care of others. Born Oct. 14, 1932, at the Mahn family home in De Soto, she was the daughter of the late Aurelia C. (Prendergast) Mahn and Daniel John Mahn I.
She was preceded in death by her husband: William A. Collins, whom she married on Sept. 22, 1959.
She is survived by a sibling: Patricia Mahn (Ralph) Noack of De Soto; two sisters-in-law: Doris “Bobby” (Hopson) Mahn and Shirley (Pierce) Mahn; 17 nieces and nephews; many great and great-great-nieces and nephews; and numerous other family members and friends.
She was also preceded in death by nine siblings: Daniel "DJ" Mahn, William (Irmalee) Mahn, Edward (Doris) Mahn, Marcia Mahn, Robert Mahn, Gerald "Jerry" Mahn, Ellen Mahn, Margaret (Mahn) Parmeley and Vincent Mahn; five nephews; two nieces; and her grandparents: Ella (Ball) and William Prendergast and Elizabeth (Schneider) and Philip William Mahn I.
Visitation is scheduled from 9 a.m. until a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 4220 Ripa Ave., in St. Louis, officiated by Father Brian Hecktor. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in De Soto. Memorials may be made to the Families of Calvary Cemetery, P.O. Box 222, De Soto, 63020. Arrangements are under the direction of Kutis Funeral Home.