John Cumming

1915 - 2010

John Cumming
Sept. 24, 1915 - Nov. 10, 2010
John Cumming, age 95, of Mt. Pleasant died Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at Tendercare of Mt. Pleasant.
Memorial services for Mr. Cumming will be held at a later date at the Rowley Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant. Mr. Cumming's remains have been cremated.
John Cumming was born on September 24, 1915 in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, the son of George Hosmer and Isabel Mable MacGillivary Cumming. He attended public schools in Worcester, Massachusetts and continued his education at Michigan State Normal College at Ypsilanti and the University of Michigan.
He started his teaching career at Hazel Park High School, where he worked for two years, continuing his teaching in the Detroit Public Schools, where he also served as a guidance counselor. In 1961, he was engaged as director of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University, a position he filled for 22 years. During his tenure, the Clarke Historical Library increased substantially in size and won national recognition for its rare books and manuscript collections.
Mr. Cumming was a member of a number of professional organizations and in his retirement, he continued his membership in the Historical Society of Michigan and the Oregon-California Trails Association. He was also a member of the E-Club, an organization of varsity athlete alumni of Eastern Michigan University.
Throughout his life, Mr. Cumming had an interest in printing. In his basement printing shop, he printed a number of books, usually original diaries and collections of letters of historical interest. These books, printed from hand-set type, may be found in the rare book collections of many colleges and universities. He also wrote several books which were published elsewhere and he was the author of many journal articles. He was also an incurable collector whose interests carried him in many different directions. He had many interests and was seldom bored.
John was united in marriage with Audrey Marie Severence on October 7, 1939. They had two sons, Robert, retired from the staff of Rice University and John (Marilyn), retired from the faculty of Miami University of Ohio. Mr. Cumming is also survived by four grandchildren, Molly of Austin, Texas, Jennifer of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Laura of Portland, Oregon, and John Benjamin (Lisa) of Atlanta, Georgia; great grandsons, Bryce and Kyle Cumming of Atlanta, Georgia; a sister, Dorothy Argento of Falmouth, Massachusetts. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, George, who was killed in WWII and Robert; and three sisters, Isabel, Alice, and Janet.
Mr. and Mrs. Cumming traveled through many different countries and to all but two of the fifty states. They shared many interests and experiences during their marriage of more than seventy years. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Humane Animal Treatment Society or the William T. Bulger lecture fund at Central Michigan University. Envelopes are available at Rowley Funeral Home.
Please share your thoughts and memories with the family through www.rowleyfuneralhome.com. 'Honoring Traditions, Respecting Change'