Finous Collings Opened Grocery Stories in Moore County. . .
"Because he liked the people."

A traveling grocery salesman chose Moore County to be his home and took his life savings and brought one-half of a grocery store in Dumas, and another in Sunray "because he liked the people."
Finous Collings was 36 years old when he, his wife Hattie, and their two daughters came to Dumas in 1943. He had been planning this move for years.
Born in Chalk County, Texas, he was the youngest of six boys and three girls. He left the family farm and began working for a wholesale grocery chain in Sweetwater, Texas, as a shipping clerk when he was 18 years old. He stayed with that company for 18 years working his way to warehouse manager and then salesman. As a traveling salesman, he had the opportunity to visit towns and get to know people who lived in them.
He was transferred from Sweetwater to Ballinger where he met Hattie Russell. They were married May 39, 1929. Later , he was transferred to Plainview and then to Amarillo where he made the decision to invest in his own grocery business. He chose Dumas to make his home. He "never regretted that decision."
They both worked in the store for the first year, then Hattie stayed home to take care of their daughters.
Customers at Cut Rate Grocery learned quickly to trust Finous. Late one Saturday night, thieves broke into the store in Dumas. They could not break into the safe, so they loaded it on a truck and carried it to an old lake bed where they blew it open. They took all the cash, but left the checks which were soon scattered by the wind. According to the story in Moore Sunrises . . . Sunsets, "for days afterward, customers would approach Finous and ask if their check had been recovered. Those that had not were promptly replaced by the customers who had learned to trust and respect Finous and Hattie."
Finous Collings was 36 years old when he, his wife Hattie, and their two daughters came to Dumas in 1943. He had been planning this move for years.
Born in Chalk County, Texas, he was the youngest of six boys and three girls. He left the family farm and began working for a wholesale grocery chain in Sweetwater, Texas, as a shipping clerk when he was 18 years old. He stayed with that company for 18 years working his way to warehouse manager and then salesman. As a traveling salesman, he had the opportunity to visit towns and get to know people who lived in them.
He was transferred from Sweetwater to Ballinger where he met Hattie Russell. They were married May 39, 1929. Later , he was transferred to Plainview and then to Amarillo where he made the decision to invest in his own grocery business. He chose Dumas to make his home. He "never regretted that decision."
They both worked in the store for the first year, then Hattie stayed home to take care of their daughters.
Customers at Cut Rate Grocery learned quickly to trust Finous. Late one Saturday night, thieves broke into the store in Dumas. They could not break into the safe, so they loaded it on a truck and carried it to an old lake bed where they blew it open. They took all the cash, but left the checks which were soon scattered by the wind. According to the story in Moore Sunrises . . . Sunsets, "for days afterward, customers would approach Finous and ask if their check had been recovered. Those that had not were promptly replaced by the customers who had learned to trust and respect Finous and Hattie."
They grocery store grew and in 1949, became the first air-conditioned grocery store and had the first self-service meat market north of the Canadian River. Two more stores were added to the chain of grocery stores the Collings owned -- the Cut Rate Grocery in Spearman and Piggly Wiggly in Dumas. In 1968, Finous sold his interest in the store to Marion Messer, but the Collings stayed in Dumas until 1980 when they moved to Amarillo to be nearer their daughter, Nedra.
Finous was one of the founders and board member of the Associated Grocers in Amarillo, a group of independent grocers who pooled their buying power to bring better prices to customers and served as its president in 1949 and 1950. He was also instrumental in building the Tri-State Bakery for the Associated Grocers in Amarillo.
He was president of the Dumas Lions Club in 1957 - 1958 and was president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1959. He was selected as a Ding-Dong Daddy, and was a member of the Ambassador Club. In 1958, he was elected Man of the Year by the Lions Club. In 1980, he was honored as Citizen of the Year for his contributions to the community.
Hattie was an excellent seamstress and made all the girls' clothes. The family was active in the Methodist Church where Hattie taught Sunday School and was Superintendent of the Intermediate Department. She was president of the United Methodist Women. She was one of the charter members of the Dumas Garden Club and served as its president and was also a member of the Cotton Club.
Finous served on the Board of Trustees and on the Board of Stewards at the church.
Finous was one of the founders and board member of the Associated Grocers in Amarillo, a group of independent grocers who pooled their buying power to bring better prices to customers and served as its president in 1949 and 1950. He was also instrumental in building the Tri-State Bakery for the Associated Grocers in Amarillo.
He was president of the Dumas Lions Club in 1957 - 1958 and was president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1959. He was selected as a Ding-Dong Daddy, and was a member of the Ambassador Club. In 1958, he was elected Man of the Year by the Lions Club. In 1980, he was honored as Citizen of the Year for his contributions to the community.
Hattie was an excellent seamstress and made all the girls' clothes. The family was active in the Methodist Church where Hattie taught Sunday School and was Superintendent of the Intermediate Department. She was president of the United Methodist Women. She was one of the charter members of the Dumas Garden Club and served as its president and was also a member of the Cotton Club.
Finous served on the Board of Trustees and on the Board of Stewards at the church.