About Clyde

CMC bio

Author [obm?] & editor [looks like crc’s handwriting] unknown

Clyde Manson Cummins was born in Independence, Pennsylvania Aug. 25, 1890.

When he was five years old his father died and his mother moved with her eight children near her childhood home at Freeport, Ohio.

Clyde finished High School in 1908, being graduated from the Freeport High School. He taught in the country school known as No. 1, in the {place} where he had attended.

He recalls memories of school lunches in those days, a far cry from the paper wrapped ones of today. One especially distasteful part was the berry pie his lunch often contained, which would be quite smashed after being swung along the road in his dinner pail..

After two years of teaching he decided to get more learning so entered Valparaiso, in September 1910. Poor health caused him to leave school mid year but the fall of 1911 he re-entered the University and continued until he received his B.S. degree in 13 and his A.B. degree in 1914. He went to Ramsey, Illinois as Superintendent of Schools in 1914, but in 1915 decided to return come to the University of Chicago.

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He enlisted in the first World War in April, 1917, but was given his Master’s in Education in absentia in the following June.

In 1912 at Valparaiso he met Olive McEndree who was taking similar work as he. Many an English paper was made more interesting by studying the reference work together. In blow-pipe analysis Clyde seemed to know just what to do to find the missing elements, while Olive could take notes. Tacitus became more meaningful when studied together under a shade tree (men were not allowed in dormitories [plus a few more words I can’t make out—msc].

Time passed but in November 1917, Clyde left his Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio training and in Columbus, Ohio marriage vows were taken and after two happy days Clyde returned to Camp Sherman and the new Mrs. Cummins to her teaching in New Waverly, Indiana.

This may be omitted [follow by four arrows pointing down].

At Christmastime we were able to spend four days with his mother and friends at Freeport Ohio.

Need for more American troops in France was pressing, so Clyde’s division expected any day to be alerted for travel, but the change was not ordered until June, 1918.

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Submarines was threatening our shores, but the convoys out carefully and closely guarded and the happy day came when the card was returned “Arrived Safely.” His regiment the 324^th Heavy Field Artillery was moved across England and then taken to France, and used as replacements for the 83^rd Division, around Verdun.

(I don’t know just how to say it) but the Army recognized Clyde’s ability for organization so put him in charge of the mail for his regiment and he did this work—while entering Germany and during the time with the Army of Occupation.

While in Germany in the winter of 1918-’19 he was quartered in a private home, where to heavy feathered ticks were used. When he slept between two heavy feathered ticks.

In March of 1919 Uncle Sam permitted the soldiers to go to European universities Clyde chose King College, the University of London and was there four months before returning to the U.S.

He traveled over England on leaves, visiting Stoke’s Rogis church, the scene of Grays Elegy in a Country Church Yard, Stratford on Avon and […]

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Thru the efforts of the folk back home, when Clyde reached Ohio in August of 1919, a position as principal of the High School of Norway Michigan was waiting for him, and immediately he began packing for the Northern Peninsula.

I might say here that while in Camp in New Jersey a crafty one posing as a fellow soldier relieved Clyde of his bonus money, and his final pay which was to be used for transportation to Norway, was packed with his uniform and shipped by freight. Other resources were drawn upon to pay car fare and two months later the money showed up in the freight box in Norway.

Winters are long and the snow falls frequently becomes quite deep, but life among the Swedes, Belgians, Italian and English people of this mining town was wholesome. School officials (of that time) were regarded almost as royalty.

On December 30^th 1920, a sweet faced baby girl (Olive Louise) came to bring us much joy, and a few months later a baby boy (Clyde Robert) joined the happy group.

Five years later another another baby boy Donald Loyd blessed our home.

In 1925 Mr. Cummins transferred to a larger High School in Negaunee, Michigan where he remained for three years.

Then the city school beckoned and friends including A.L. Frantz urged him to come on in so February 1928 he began teaching High School at Harrison Technical High School (Chicago), all the while he had his eye on becoming a principal and in 1930 (having passed the Prins Exam) he was appointed to the Lake school on West Side.

Some months later he was given the principalship [at] the A.O. Sexton school, and remained there until he transferred to the Mann school.

Miss Mille Buker [sp?] or Lillian Petterson of Long Beach, Michigan City can tell of his work at Sexton.

To keep the wolf from the door Mr Cummins taught night school, worked in Marshall Fields as floorman Saturdays and holidays, graded papers for a correspondence School, taught summer school two summers and in 1948 was Principal of an Evening High School.

One incident may be on interest. While studying for the Principals examination he attended a Sunday class down town. Parking is permitted in the loop on Sunday so he found it convenient to drive down. One Sunday afternoon during this period, after dinner he proposed the family go for a drive. Faces were shined up and all made ready, when Clyde went to get the car no car was found so he recalled he had driven down town in the morning and come home on the “L.” the car was subsequently located and the ride although curtailed was taken.

Another time, one Sunday afternoon the Cummins family en mass went for a walk to Jackson Park on our return the children wanted ice cream, so we decided to stop at “Queen Mary’s” for a sumptuous soda.

We walked in as dignified as is our wont removed our wraps & children’s, too sat down at a table, water was served. Meanwhile father was searching frantically in his pockets for his purse, then remembered he had changed his trousers and left his purse at home. He said “Mother have you your purse,” “No” no purse, so with tears falling and tempers ruffled we arose and put on our wraps to walk out. The astonished waitress came and asked if something was wrong—no—nothing wrong just no funds.

Ever mindful of his family and of the children’s future in 1928, Mr C. bought a two flat building with a nice back yard, where the children might choose their own playmates. We remained there until the two older children were grown and the two oldest thru college, then we moved to our present South Shore home, where he would be near school.

During all his years of school work, he had never missed a day of school until his illness in 1953.