Mary Collins was born in California to Irish immigrants Edward and Margaret Collins.

In the 1880 Census, recorded in June of that year, Mary's age is given as 10. It should have been 9 but as you you'll read in the following narrative there were issues with many of the ages reported in that 1880 census.

Mary is recorded there as living at Gridley Station, Hamilton Township, Butte Co., with her father Edward, age 45, "works on farm", and her mother Margaret, age 41, "keeps house".

In that census Edward and Margaret had a total of 3 sons and 4 daughters:
- Edward, 15
- William, 13
- Thomas, 11
- Mary, 10
- Helen, 7
- Maggie, 5
- Kattie, 3

1890 census records were burned in a 1920s fire in Washington, D.C., so no information about the family is available until the 1900 census. This is all the more unfortunate since it would have been the only other census able to give more details about Mary's short life. It also would have been another data point to confirm her father Edward's age and support or refute that he died in 1892.

In that 1900 census Margaret was living in Gridley, status as "widowed", born Mar 1836, still living with son Edward, born Nov 1864, and daughter "Catherina Daley", born July 1878.
Note that, unlike the 1880 census, birth month and year were reported in 1900 and not just age in years. These birth dates mean that Margaret should have been 44 in the 1880 census, not 41. "Kattie", presumably Catherina, should have been listed as age 2 and not 3. Edward is the only one we have information for who had their age recorded correctly in 1880.
Though Edward Sr is recorded in the 1880 census as able to read and write, Margaret can do neither. Perhaps Margaret was the only one at home to talk to the census taker? It's not hard to imagine that anyone, much less an illiterate person, might be off by a year (or three, in her own case) when pressed to rattle off the ages of 7 kids, their spouse, and their own self.

From the 1910 census Margaret, age 74, is still living in Gridley with son Edward, age 45.

There is an 1892 death certificate for an Edward Collins, age at death 62 years (or perhaps 63 as ink was smeared), born Ireland, married, occupation "laborer", died in Gridley. Note that the recorded age at death would make birth year 1830 or 1829, so not perfect match to the 1880 census age info for Edward but otherwise jibes with census details and Margaret's 1900 status as widowed. Additional lines on the certificate were given for months and days of life but were lined out, so perhaps the years alive was just an estimate by the coroner?
Mary's husband Emil and his family were all farmers in the Gridley area so perhaps Edward Collins worked for them?

Mary died 10 days after the birth of her 3rd child.

Emil died 10 years after Mary, nearly to the day. Although not listed on the marker, cemetery records indicate he is buried here as well.