Obit: Cummings, Larry (? - 1958)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Cummings, Janke, Frei 
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) January 16, 1958 
 

Cummings, Larry (? - 7 January 1958) 
 

Larry Cummings, 18-year-old Alma Center High School senior, was killed last Tuesday evening by the same tractor that caused the death of his father last June.  Larry was using the tractor to pull a load of manure to a field. 
 

According to Jackson County authorities, his clothes became caught in the power take-off, pulling him against it and crushing his chest and stomach. 
 

About 9:30 p.m. a sister and brother-in-law, who are visiting in the home became worried about his absence.  The brother-in-law went outside to look for him and saw the light of the tractor moving about in the field.  He investigated and found Larry dead. Time of his death was estimated to have been about 8:30 p.m. 
 

Larry’s father, Wilbur Cummings, a well-known grassland farmer and Jackson County contour plowing champion, was killed last June while cranking this same tractor.  He was pinned against a post when the tractor lurched forward and crashed through the wall of the shed. 
 

Since the death of his father Larry has been doing the farm work for his mother, and during the school year; has been looking after the farm work evenings and mornings, sometimes working late into the evening.  He was to have graduated in May and planned to take over the management of the 160 acre farm. 
 

Surviving besides his mother are two sisters who are married, an 11-year old sister and a brother, aged 10.  Mrs. Cummings, is a sister of August Janke of Neillsville, who learned of the tragedy from his daughter, Mrs. Don Frei, of Black River Falls. 
 

Funeral services were held Saturday at the Lutheran Church in Alma Center and burial was made in the Upper Pigeon Cemetery, six miles from Alma Center.  Mr. Janke attended the services.