Former MLB player from Grinnell dies

Former Major League Baseball all star and Grinnell resident Jack Collum, 82, died on Aug. 29 at the Mayflower Health Care Center.

John Dean “Jackie” Collum was born on June 21, 1927, in Victor to John Edward and Sophia Louise Lohman Collum. He was raised in Newburg and graduated from Newburg High School. During his high school career he played in the Iowa State Baseball Tournament.

During World War II he served with the United States Army in the Pacific Theatre and was stationed in the Philippines. Following the war he returned home and was married to Betty Belles on Feb. 28, 1948.

From 1948 to 1963 he played major league baseball as a left-handed pitcher with the Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Indians and the Twins. He was invited to the 1954 All Star game and was later inducted into the Iowa Baseball Hall of Fame. His best years in baseball were with the Cincinnati Reds. With the Reds in 1955, he logged 134 innings pitched and posted a 3.63 Earned Run Average. He accumulated a career ERA of 4.15 during his 9-year career, according to baseball-reference.com.

Following his baseball career he worked in the automotive business in Grinnell and was owner of Pioneer Oil in Grinnell prior to his death.

Jack was a member of the Major League Baseball Alumni Association and the Grinnell Eagles Lodge.

A Celebration of Life service will be at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 3, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Grinnell with Rev. Nick Adam, pastor of the church, officiating.  Music will be provided by Marilyn Kriegel, organist and St. Mary’s Choir.  Casket Bearers will be Tom Collum, Bill Collum, Chris Collum, Caleb Brown, Joey Gallagher and Nathan Brown.  Interment will be at the Rock Creek Cemetery near Grinnell.

Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell beginning at noon on Wednesday and the Collum family will be present at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Survivors include his wife, Betty Collum of Grinnell; three sons, Tom Collum and Bill Collum, both of Grinnell, and Chris Collum of Cedar Rapids; three daughters, Kathy Locey and Terry Brown, both of Grinnell, and Debbie Gallagher of Lake Mary, Fla.; 11 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Ambrose Collum of Grinnell and Larry Collum of Newton; one sister, Patricia Kester of Grinnell; and his special friends at the Mayflower Health Center, Vickie and Holly.