Obituary (from newspaper of 9 May 1952): CLAYTON---Funeral services for Walter P. Cummings, Sr., 62, 214 Sterling St., whose body was recovered from the Black River in Dexter Thursday, May 1, ten days after he was reported missing, were held
at 9:30 a.m. in the Cummings Funeral Home in Watertown, and at 10 in the Holy Family Church there, with a requiem high mass. The Rev. Albert J. Farrell, pastor, was celebrant. Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery, Clayton.Bearers were Walter E. Kittle, Roscoe Dorr, and Harold Bertrand, of Clayton; Wesley L. Waite, Joseph C. Demo, David Blake, Edward J. Blake, and N. J. Short, a brother-in-law, of Watertown.
Mr. Cummings was born on Grindstone Island March 28, 1890, son of the late Charles W. and Mary McCarthy Cummings. He attended school at Clayton, but completed his schooling at Dexter, where he moved with his parents.
As a young man, he was apprenticed in the undertaking profession, and was in the funeral business for 42 years. In 1919 he entered the funeral business for himself in Clayton, establishing a combined furniture and undertaking business on
Riverside Drive. In 1926, with the late Charles H. Grapotte, he established the firm of Cummings & Grapotte, after purchasing the undertaking business of A. A. Barnhart.Later Mr. Cummings was sole owner of the business and moved it to 320 John St. A son, Walter P. Cummings, Jr., now operates this branch. For a time he was associated with Walter E. Kittle and the firm was know as Cummings & Kittle.
In 1933 he established a business in Watertown at 214 Sterling St., where the family lived after moving from Clayton.
On Jan. 19, 1919, he married Miss Nellie Fitzgerald of Clayton, who took an active part in the business. The first Mrs. Cummings died Aug. 21, 1949, of a skull fracture following a fall down the cellar stairs at the funeral home.
On July 26, 1950, he married Miss Elizabeth C. Short, social studies teacher at Watertown High School, who survives.
Also, he is survived by a daughter and three sons: Miss Mary K. Cummings, junior at Potsdam State Teachers' College; 1st Lieut. Paul F. Cummings, Selfridge Field, Detroit; Walter P. Cummings, Jr., Clayton; and Charles M Cummings, 214
Sterling St., Watertown; and a sister, Mrs. Charles (Jane) Haas, Clayton.Mr. Cummings was a member of the Holy Family Church, Watertown; Watertown Council 259, Knights of Columbus; and the Watertown Lodge of Elks. He also had been a member of the Lincoln League and the Black River Valley Club.
Ellen Rose "Nellie" FITZGERALD
Obituary (from newspaper of 22 Aug. 1949): Mrs. Nellie Fitzgerald Cummings, 61, wife of Walter P. Cummings of the Cummings Funeral Home, 214 Sterling St., died at 9:15 Sunday morning in the Mercy hospital from a skull fracture suffered when
she accidentally plunged down a flight of concrete cellar stairs at the funeral home.Mrs. Cummings, a licensed undertaker and embalmer and former schoolteacher, was injured about 11:15 Friday night. Mr. and Mrs. Cummings had paid a call during that evening at the home of Dr. Hannahs of Owl Pine Manor, South Rutland, whose
wife died there Friday morning.The couple drove to their home shortly after 11 p.m. with Mr. Cummings at the wheel. As Mrs. Cummings stepped out of the car in the rear yard, Mr. Cummings remarked to her he would meet her at the front of the house after parking the
vehicle.Mrs. Cummings then went to the back of the house, presumably to turn on the flood lights to guide her husband in parking the car. The switch controlling the lights is located in the receiving room reached by the back entrance. There are
four doors at the rear of the building and Mrs. Cummings, apparently became confused, stepped to the outside cellar door entrance by mistake. As she opened the door, she stepped off, lost her balance and toppled down the entire length of 16
concrete steps, landing on the concrete floor at the bottom of the flight.Meanwhile, Mr. Cummings, believing his wife had gone into the house, entered his residence after parking the car. Not seeing his wife there, he began a search. He called his son, Charles M. Cummings, 212 Sterling St., and the son found
his mother lying unconscious on the cellar floor. She was immediately removed to the hospital by ambulance where two surgeons were summoned to attend her.Mrs. Cummings suffered a fracture of the right wrist, a possible hip fracture, bruises and other minor injuries besides a fracture of the skull.
A brain specialist in Syracuse was also consulted. Mrs. Cummings never regained consciousness.
A son, Lieut. Paul F. Cummings, on duty in Wiesbaden, Germany, was notified and he is en route by airplane to the United States. He is expected to arrive in this country sometime today.
Friends may call at the home Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Surviving Mrs. Cummings are, her husband, Walter P. Cummings; three sons, Lieut. Paul F. Cummings, Walter P. Cummings, jr., of Clayton and Charles M. Cummings, 212 Sterling St.; a daughter, Miss Mary K. Cummings, at home; a sister, Miss E.
Ruth FitzGerald, 215 TenEyck St.; three brothers, Dr. James P. FitzGerald, Chicago, Ill.; Harry P. and Gerald T. FitzGerald, Marietta O.Mrs. Nellie FitzGerald Cummings was born in Clayton, Feb. 13, 1888, a daughter of the late Maurice J. and Katherine McCann FitzGerald. Her father, a former schoolteacher and farmer of the town of Clayton, died at the Cummings home here
Feb. 18, 1939, at the age of 87 years. Her mother died at Clayton in 1910.Mrs. Cummings spent her early life in Clayton, being graduated from schools there. She was graduated from Potsdam State Normal and then went to Patchogue, L.I., as a teacher in the grade schools. Upon the death of her mother, she
returned to Clayton and in 1912 became a grade school teacher in New Rochelle.She retired from teaching upon her marriage to Walter P. Cummings in Clayton on Jan. 19, 1919. In July, 1935, Mrs. Cummings passed the undertakers' and embalmers' examination and had been active in the business of the Cummings Funeral
Home here for years.
Obituary (from newspaper of 9 May 1952): CLAYTON---Funeral services for Walter P. Cummings, Sr., 62, 214 Sterling St., whose body was recovered from the Black River in Dexter Thursday, May 1, ten days after he was reported missing, were held
at 9:30 a.m. in the Cummings Funeral Home in Watertown, and at 10 in the Holy Family Church there, with a requiem high mass. The Rev. Albert J. Farrell, pastor, was celebrant. Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery, Clayton.Bearers were Walter E. Kittle, Roscoe Dorr, and Harold Bertrand, of Clayton; Wesley L. Waite, Joseph C. Demo, David Blake, Edward J. Blake, and N. J. Short, a brother-in-law, of Watertown.
Mr. Cummings was born on Grindstone Island March 28, 1890, son of the late Charles W. and Mary McCarthy Cummings. He attended school at Clayton, but completed his schooling at Dexter, where he moved with his parents.
As a young man, he was apprenticed in the undertaking profession, and was in the funeral business for 42 years. In 1919 he entered the funeral business for himself in Clayton, establishing a combined furniture and undertaking business on
Riverside Drive. In 1926, with the late Charles H. Grapotte, he established the firm of Cummings & Grapotte, after purchasing the undertaking business of A. A. Barnhart.Later Mr. Cummings was sole owner of the business and moved it to 320 John St. A son, Walter P. Cummings, Jr., now operates this branch. For a time he was associated with Walter E. Kittle and the firm was know as Cummings & Kittle.
In 1933 he established a business in Watertown at 214 Sterling St., where the family lived after moving from Clayton.
On Jan. 19, 1919, he married Miss Nellie Fitzgerald of Clayton, who took an active part in the business. The first Mrs. Cummings died Aug. 21, 1949, of a skull fracture following a fall down the cellar stairs at the funeral home.
On July 26, 1950, he married Miss Elizabeth C. Short, social studies teacher at Watertown High School, who survives.
Also, he is survived by a daughter and three sons: Miss Mary K. Cummings, junior at Potsdam State Teachers' College; 1st Lieut. Paul F. Cummings, Selfridge Field, Detroit; Walter P. Cummings, Jr., Clayton; and Charles M Cummings, 214
Sterling St., Watertown; and a sister, Mrs. Charles (Jane) Haas, Clayton.Mr. Cummings was a member of the Holy Family Church, Watertown; Watertown Council 259, Knights of Columbus; and the Watertown Lodge of Elks. He also had been a member of the Lincoln League and the Black River Valley Club.
Obituary (from newspaper of 22 Jan. 1973): Mrs. Elizabeth Short Cummings, 73, of 264 S. Massey St., widow of Walter P. Cummings, Sr., former president of the Cummings Funeral Service, 214 Sterling St., was pronounced dead on arrival at Mercy
Hospital at 12:45 p.m. Sunday.Mrs. Cummings was stricken as she entered her apartment after having attended Sunday morning Mass. A neighbor in a nearby apartment heard her fall and upon investigating summoned an ambulance.
The funeral will be Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. at the Cummings Funeral Home and at 9 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church. Burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home Tuesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m.
She is survived by three step-sons, Paul F. Cummings, Los Altos, Calif.; Walter P. Cummings, Jr., president of the Cummings Funeral Service; and Charles M .Cummings, 156 Winthrop St., manager of PPG Industries; a step-daughter, Mrs.
Richard (Mary) Shootman, Salt Lake City, Utah; a brother, Reginold J. Short, Massena; a niece, Mrs. Roger (Caroline) Hess, Ogdensburg; a nephew, Robert Short, Westchester, and cousins. A brother, Newman J. (Buster) Short, died Oct. 6, 1957, at
the age of 55.Born at Waddington, Oct. 9, 1899, the daughter of Charles R. and Anna Rose Creighton Short, she was educated in Canton public schools and was graduated from St. Lawrence University, Canton, in 1921.
She taught school at Fort Covington two years before joining the Watertown public school system as a teacher of history and social studies. In 1942, she received a master's degree from St. Lawrence University. She retired from teaching
June 4, 1963, after a 42-year career in education.On July 26, 1950, she was married to Walter P. Cummings, Sr., at Holy Family Church. Mr. Cummings' first wife, Mrs. Nellie Fitzgerald Cummings, died in August 1949 of injuries suffered in a fall. Mr. Cummings died in April 1952.
1 CMNT Crossed The Atlantic In Ship "Black Star", In 1853
Obituary: Maurice J. FitzGerald, 87, widely knowwn former school teacher and farmer of the town of Clayton, died at 2 this morning at the home of his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Walter P. Cummings, 214 Sterling St., with whom he had
resided since December, 1933. Death was attributed to a heart condition and followed an illness of only one week.Despite his advanced age, Mr, FitzGerald enjoyed excellent health until his fatal illness. On the occasion of his 85th birthday two years ago he declared he felt so well that he could "beat any boy running around the block."
Mr. FitzGerald was born Nov. 1, 1851, on the shores of Ardmore Bay at Armore, County Waterford, Ireland, and was a son of the late Patrick and Ellen Collins FitzGerald. He came to this country with his parents in 1853.
The trip across the Atlantic, he once said, was made on the old sailing ship, "Black Star," and lasted twelve weeks. During the trip an epidemic of "black fever" broke out among the 675 passengers on board, causing the death of 60 adults
and 19 babies. Mr. FitzGerald said that he was the only infant surviving the epidemic and that he owed his life to the fact that his mother sat out on the deck in the open air with him in her arms.The FitzGerald family first settled in New York, residing there until 1863. The parochial school which Mr. FitzGerald attended until he was twelve years old stood on the site now occupied by St. Patrick's Cathredral. He attended the
ceremony of the laying out of the cornerstone of the cathredral. After leaving the parochial school he attended a New York public school.The family moved with him to the town of Clayton March 17, 1863, where he attended district school. For six years he worked on a farm and at the age of 18 he passed the examination qualifying him for a teacher's certificate.
Then he learned languages and algebra at a select school at Clayton and a school at LaFargeville. Mr. FitzGerald then began teaching school and he taught for 25 terms, nearly all winter terms, in the town of Clayton. For six terms he was
a teacher at the Grindstone Island school.After retiring from his teaching career, Mr. FitzGerald followed the occupation of a farmer in the town of Clayton. Seventeen years ago he retired and since then he had resided with Mr. and Mrs. Cummings.
Mr FitzGerald returned to teaching temporarily after he had reached the age of 70 years. He taught for two-and-a-half years at Grenadier Island and one term on Grindstone Island, that being just 50 years after first teaching school in the
same school district.Since his retirement Mr. FitzGerald had resided in the village of Clayton and in this city. He came to this city when the Cummings family moved here in December, 1933.
He married Catherine McCann, formerly of Lewis County, on Jan. 10, 1884, at Clayton. She died in 1910 in Clayton. They had seven children, five of whom are living.
The children are as follows: Dr. Paul Brice FitzGerald, New Rochelle, who died in 1928; Mrs. Walter P. (Nellie F.) Cummings, this city; Dr. James P. FitzGerald of Highland Park, Ill.; Miss E. Ruth FitzGerald of this city; Harry T.
FitzGerald of Marietta, O.; Catherine G. FitzGerald, who died at Clayton in 1924; and M. Gerald FitzGerald of Las Vegas, Nev.Funeral services will be held from the Cummings Funeral Home at 9:30 Tuesday morning and solemn requiem mass will be said at 10 a.m. at Holy Family Church. Burial will be made at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Clayton.
Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of Monday, 11 June 1962): Miss E. Ruth FitzGerald, 67, of 156 Winthrop St., retired registered nurse and a one-time office nurse for the late Dr. Walter Fox Smith and the late Dr. John M. Rice, died
Saturday night at 11:50 in the House of the Good Samaritan after a long illness. Death was attributed to a heart condition.The funeral will be Wednesday morning at 8:30 from the Cummings Funeral Home and at 9 in Holy Family Church. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Albert J. Farrell, pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery of Clayton.
Surviving Miss FitzGerald are a brother, M. Gerald FitzGerald, Las Vegas, Nev., formerly of Clayton and Watertown, and nieces and nephews, including Charles M. Cummings, 156 Winthrop St., and Walter P. Cummings, jr., 214 Sterling St., head
of the Cummings Funeral Service, Inc., of Watertown and Clayton.A sister, Mrs. Walter P. Cummings, sr., 214 Sterling St, the former Ellen Rose (Nellie) FitzGerald of Clayton, died Aug. 21, 1949, in the Mercy Hospital at the age of 61 following a fall down a flight of stairs at home.
Another sister, Miss Katherine G. FitzGerald, died at Clayton in 1924. Three other brothers are also dead. They were: Dr. Paul B. FitzGerald of New Rochelle, a physician and surgeon; Dr. James P. FitzGerald, Chicago, an eye specialist,
and Harry P. FitzGerald, Marietta, O.Miss FitzGerald, who had been in poor health for more than 20 years, had been a patient in the hospital since June 4.
She was born at Clayton Nov. 1, 1894, one of seven children of the late Maurice J. and Katherine McCann FitzGerald. Her father, a one-time schoolteacher and farmer of the town of Clayton, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Cummings,
in this city Feb. 18, 1939, at the age of 87 years. Her mother died in 1910 in Clayton.Miss FitzGerald was graduated from Clayton High School and also attended the Clayton Teachers' Training Class, after which she taught school for a short time in the Clayton area.
She then entered the House of the Good Samaritan School of Nursing and was graduated from the school in the class of 1921. For a number of years she practiced her profession as a private duty nurse in the offices of the late Drs. Walter
Fox Smith and John M. Rice at 185 Stone St. She retired from the employ of Dr. Smith and Dr. Rice years ago because of ill health.For a number of years Miss FitzGerald resided at 215 TenEyck St. with Miss Muriel A. Hathway until the latter's death, Feb. 28, 1953. Miss Hathway was also a graduate of the House of the Good Samaritan School of Nursing.
Shortly after Miss Hathway's death, Miss FitzGerald moved to 141 Sterling St. She remained there until October, 1960, when she went to Pleasant Hills, Calif., to reside there with a niece, Mrs. Richard W. (Mary K. Cummings) Shootman. On
April 28 she returned here from Pleasant Hills and had since lived here.In recent years Miss FitzGerald had been active as a volunteer worker for the American Red Cross. She was also a member of the House of the Good Samaritan Alumnae Association.
Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of 3 Oct. 1979): Walter P. Cummings Jr., 59, of 214 Sterling St., president of the Cummings Funeral Home, Inc., died at 5:05 this morning at his home.
He had been in failing health the past two and a half years and had been a patient at Mercy Hospital until returning home three weeks ago.
The funeral will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Cummings Funeral Home here and 10 a.m. at Holy Family Church. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Clayton.
Calling hours will be 7 to 9 this evening and 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Donations may be made in his name to the Sisters of St. Joseph.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Margaret Cummings; two daughters, Sister Ellen Rose, SSJ, Motherhouse, Washington St., and Miss Sara Rene Cummings, Boston, Mass.; a son, Walter P., a mortuary science student at Canton ATC; two
brothers, Paul T., California, and Charles M., Winthrop St.; a sister, Mrs. Richard (Mary) Shootman, Salt Lake City, Utah, nieces and nephews.A son, Walter P. Cummings, 3rd, died in July 1950 at the age of three months.
Born in Clayton June 16, 1920, a son of Walter P. and Ellen Rose (Nellie) FitzGerald Cummings, he was graduated from Watertown High School and the Simmons School of Embalming, Syracuse.
A veteran of World War II, he served from March 1942 until August 1945 with duty in the European theater of operations. He was a sergeant with Company G, 41st Armored Infantry.
He married Mrs. Mary Margaret Murphy Coughlin Jan. 17, 1948, in St. Patrick's Church with Rt. Rev. Msgr. John L. Plunkett officiating.
Mr. Cummings became associated with his father in operation of the funeral home in 1936 and had been associated with the firm continuously, with the exception of his military service.
He purchased his brother Charles' interest in the business in May 1953, assuming complete control of the firm.
Mr. Cummings' father, Walter P. Cummings Sr., began operation of his own funeral home in Clayton in 1919. The funeral home was relocated from Riverside Drive to 320 John St., in 1929. He established the Watertown funeral home in 1933
when he purchased the home of Mrs. Oneta Hoffman Carter 212-214 Sterling St. The family moved to Watertown from Clayton at that time but continued to operate the Clayton funeral home as a branch of the business.The business was incorporated in 1949.
Walter Cummings Sr. died in April 1952 at the age of 62.
His mother, a former teacher and licensed funeral director, died Aug. 21, 1949, at the age of 61, after an accidental fall at the funeral home.
He was a member of Clayton American Legion Post 821, Watertown Lions Club, Watertown Knights of Columbus, the Watertown Lodge of Elks, 496, Barben-Jones Post 1400 V.F.W., the National Funeral Directors Association and the New York State
Funeral Directors Association and was a communicant of Holy Family Church.
Obituary (from newspaper of Monday, 8 July 1991): Violet M. Hughes, 84, Midtown Towers, died at 12:10 a.m. Sunday at the Samaritan-Keep Home, where she had been a resident since May 20.
A prayer service will be held at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Cummings Funeral Home, followed by a Mass at 9 a.m. in Holy Family Church, with Monsignor Robert J. McCarthy, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in North Watertown Cemetery.
Calling hours will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Donations may be made to the Samaritan-Keep Home.
Surviving are a son, Patrick G., Watertown; four granddaughters, five great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Two brothers, William and Thomas Cummings, and four sisters, Ursula LaClair, Nora Jennings, Lillian Jenkins, and Vera DePerio, died before her.
Born July 5, 1907, on Grindstone Island, daughter of Thomas and Margaret Fitzgerald Cummings, she was educated on Grindstone Island and was later graduated from Alexandria Central High School.
She married William D. Hughes July 2, 1931, in the rectory of St. Patrick's Church. She and her husband operated Hughes Superette in Watertown. Mr. Hughes died Sept. 21, 1972.
Mrs. Hughes was a machine operator at the Shaughnessy Knitting Mill, later working at Model Homes of Watertown.
She was a communicant of Holy Family Church, a member of the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary, and a member of the Midtown Towers Tenants Association.