[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10306]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING NELDA BARTON-COLLINGS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it is with great grief and a heavy 
heart that I report to my fellow Senators the passing of Mrs. Nelda 
Barton-Collings. A native of my home State, the Commonwealth of 
Kentucky, Nelda was an accomplished businesswoman, a dedicated public 
servant, and a joy to all of those who have had the pleasure of knowing 
her. She died in her home last Friday at the age of 85.
  Nelda was born and raised in Providence, KY, and she graduated from 
college just a few counties over at Western Kentucky University. After 
graduation she began what was to be a successful career in business. 
Among her many achievements, she expanded her family's nursing home 
business by opening new homes across the State and founded several 
community banks that were eventually consolidated into the Lexington-
based Forcht Bank.
  Nelda's pursuits were not limited to business ventures, however. She 
exhibited a passion for public service and was heavily involved in the 
Republican Party throughout her life. She was the first woman to chair 
the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and she served for 28 years as 
Kentucky's Republican National Committeewoman. She worked tirelessly to 
better the lives of her fellow Kentuckians--a quality that elevated her 
to the national stage. In 1980, she spoke at the Republican National 
Convention, and in 1996, she called to order that year's convention.
  Word of Nelda's dedication to public service reached all the way to 
the Oval Office, and she was appointed to the Federal Council on Aging 
and the Council for International Affairs during President Ronald 
Reagan's administration, as well as President George H.W. Bush's 
Council on Rural America.
  At this time, I ask that my U.S. Senate colleagues join me in paying 
tribute to the wonderful life of Nelda Barton-Collings. She will be 
deeply missed.
  The Lexington Herald-Leader recently published an obituary for Mrs. 
Barton-Collings. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

           [From the Lexington Herald-Leader, June 14, 2014]

Nelda Barton-Collings, Leader in Business and Republican Politics, Dies 
                            in Corbin at 85

                           (By Jack Brammer)

       Nelda Barton-Collings, who served 28 years as Republican 
     National Committeewoman for Kentucky and was the first woman 
     to be chair of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, died Friday 
     at her home in Corbin. She was 85.
       Her death elicited comments from several of Kentucky's top 
     Republican officials.
       U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Louisville said, ``As a 
     pioneer in business and politics in Kentucky, Nelda was a 
     fantastic force for good and gave the state she loved a 
     lifetime of service. Her determination to improve our 
     Commonwealth and nation was outmatched only by her charm and 
     benevolent optimism.''
       U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers of Somerset said Barton-Collings ``was 
     a woman ahead of her time, pioneering new avenues in the 
     business world and proclaiming her dedication to conservative 
     principles.''
       ``She captivated crowds with her dynamic personality and 
     Southern charm, yet took the time to guide and mentor 
     individuals of all ages and social status.''
       State Senate President Robert Stivers of Manchester called 
     Barton-Collings ``a true stateswoman who, until the end, 
     battled for the betterment of Kentucky'' and said her legacy 
     will be her ``passion for public service and her 
     determination to improve the Commonwealth.''
       State House Majority Leader Jeff Hoover of Jamestown said 
     Barton-Collings' ``compassion and dedication to improving the 
     lives of all Kentuckians through her public service is an 
     example that more of us should strive to follow.''
       A native of Providence in Webster County, Barton-Collings 
     was a successful businesswoman in banking, nursing homes, 
     newspapers and other small-business ventures in partnership 
     with Terry Forcht.
       Besides her involvement with the Republican National 
     Committee, she was a delegate to several Republican national 
     conventions.
       Barton-Collings also was a member of President Reagan's 
     Federal Council on Aging and Council for International 
     Affairs and President George H.W. Bush's Council on Rural 
     America.
       Her portrait hangs in the Kentucky Capitol for a Kentucky 
     Women Remembered Award by the Kentucky Commission on Human 
     Rights.
       Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the 
     O'Neil Lawson Funeral Home in Corbin.
       Services will be at Grace on the Hill United Methodist 
     Church in Corbin at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
       Donations may be made in her honor to Hospice of the 
     Bluegrass.

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