CUMMINGS, Alfred

CUMMINGS, STONE, DUNN, HANKS

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/18/2014 at 22:04:39

Biography ~ Alfred Cummings

"Biographical and Historical Record of
Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa"
(Lewis Publishing Company (1887)), p. 692:

ALFRED CUMMINGS, section 1, New Buda Township, is one of Decatur County’s earliest settlers. He located on section 2, New Buda Township, in the spring of 1856, and improved a farm of 160 acres, living there until the fall of 1865, when he moved to section, 1, and has now 160 acres of good land, it being one of the best stock farms in the county, Grand River crossing his land and thus giving him superior water privileges. He also owns fifty-six acres of land on section 7, Hamilton Township. Mr. CUMMINGS was born in Spottsylvania County, Virginia, November 6, 1823, a son of THOMAS and MARY CUMMINGS. His father was a native of Massachusetts and his mother of Virginia. When he was an infant his parents moved to Crawford County, Indiana, and there made a home in the dense wilderness, rearing their children to lives of usefulness. The father died at the age of seventy-six. ALFRED was the third of their nine children, the only one besides him, Mrs. SARAH CUNNINGHAM, of Crawford County, Indiana, is living. He remained with his mother after his father’s death, until twenty-three years of age, when he left home to seek his own fortunes. He was married July 8, 1849, to Miss BATHSHEBA STONE, a native of Crawford County, Indiana, born February 23, 1827, daughter of JOHN and NANCY STONE. To them have been born nine children, three of whom – ALICE, ROBERT, and an infant son are deceased. Mrs. SARAH DUNN lives in Reno County, Kansas; THOMAS and JENUS, of New Buda township; REUBEN in Reno County, Kansas; JOSEPH in New Buda, and Mrs. MARY HANKS in Rice County, Kansas. In politics Mr. CUMMINGS is a Republican, being one of the three who first voted that ticket in his township. He and his wife have been members of the United Brethren church twenty-five years. They are widely known and are universally respected for their many noble traits of character, and are numbered among the most prominent of the pioneer couples of Decatur County.

Transcribed by Sara LeFleur, Decatur County Historial Society Musuem, January of 2014