STEPHEN CUMMINGS, M.D. Well known
and standing high as a physician in his profession is the
gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was born in
Madison county, N.Y., August 1, 1826. His father, William
Cummings, was a native of the same state and was by
occupation a farmer. He immigrated to Michigan in 1836,
locating in Eaton county, where he was among the very
first settlers. At that time the country was new and
heavily timbered and he had to cut his way through the
dense forests to the place where he settled. He died in
1839.
The paternal grandfather was Stephen Cummings, who
immigrated to the United States from England. He settled
in York State, but beyond this fact little is known. The
mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Mary Boyer.
She was a native of New York and died in 1842. She was the
mother of nine children, six boys and three girls, three
of whom are now living. The maternal grandparents were
natives of Herkimer county, N. Y., and were of German
descent. They owned a large estate and were among the
first to engage in the dairy business in that county,
which has since become famous for the excellence of its
dairy products.Our subject obtained a good common
school education and taught school some before he arrived
at the age of nineteen, at which time he entered Olivet
College, where he diligently pursued his studies for
nearly three years. He began to read medicine with Dr.
John Hall, of Charlotte, Mich., soon after leaving Olivet
College. He remained with Dr. Hall for two years and then
read alone for a couple of years. He took a course of
lectures at the university at Ann Arbor, Mich. Soon after
he located at Somanauk, DeKalb county, Ill., and began the
practice of his chosen profession. He |
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maintained a successful practice there for five years. In 1858
he moved to Hopkinton, Delaware county, IowaJuly 20, 1863, he
enlisted as assistant surgeon of the Fourth Iowa cavalry. He
served two years in the war, during which time he was in several
closely contested engagements. The Fourth Iowa cavalry saw
plenty of lively skirmishing, especially while chasing General
Price through Missouri. At Columbus, Ga., and Guntown, Miss.,
the Fourth saw hard service. Dr. Cummings was mustered out on
the eighth day of August, 1865.
During his two years' service he was never sick, wounded or
captured. He was given full charge of a large hospital at Macon,
Ga., for several months and had from two hundred to four hundred
patients under his own supervision. After the war closed he
returned to Hopkinton and resumed his practice. In September,
1879, he completed a course and graduated from the Rush Medical
College at Chicago, one of the most noted medical institutions
in the country. Dr. Cummings has been twice married. He first
married in 1848, taking for a life companion Miss Jane Potts. To
this union were born seven children, viz.: Maria A.
(deceased); Alice J., Ellen E. (deceased); Louis F., Alma L.
(deceased); and two that died in infancy. His first wife died in
1870, and he contracted a second marriage in 1871 with Mrs.
Harriet Crocker Lee, by whom he had three children: Mary, Jessie
and William C.
Dr. Cummings' son Louis F. is a graduate from the medical
department of the Iowa State University, having taken a full
three years' course in that institution, and enjoys a successful
practice in partnership with his father. He graduated March 5,
1884.
Dr. Cummings has practiced medicine constantly for thirty-seven
years and has had a varied and valuable experience, equaled by
but few men of his profession. He has always been identified
with the republican party and has always taken an active
interest in local and county affairs. He has been a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church since his sixteenth year, and has
always been a liberal contributor to all charitable purposes. He
owns a fine farm of one hundred acres adjoining Sand Springs in
South Fork township, which is equipped with substantial
buildings and otherwise well improved. He is a member of the
board of pension examiners for Delaware county, a position for
which he is well fitted. |
