Family Helping Your Family

Don was born January 27, 1931 in either Trinidad or Branson, CO, depending on which document you read. He was the eldest of 3 brothers, Leo and James and his parents were James and Mabel Cummins. He grew up in Branson, where his Dad was postmaster and his Mother was homemaker and later a teacher. ey moved to Hoehne, CO in his junior year. He graduated from Hoehne High School while also working as a cowboy on the Box Ranch.

Don started college at Colorado A&M (now CSU) in 1948 as an Agriculture major, specializing in soils and geology. He joined Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity where he helped put himself through school by working in the frat house. It was at Colorado A&M in 1949 that he met his beloved wife, Dorothy Dexter in a chemistry class. ey were married for 23,096 days before she passed away in 2014. Don passed away on July 21, 2023 in Greeley, CO.

After Don and Dorothy married in 1950, Don worked as an oil eld seismologist for 8 years during which time they moved 25 times (CO, ND, MT, WY, NE, SD) before Don went back to school at Colorado State College (now UNC), graduating with a Social Studies degree (minor in Science) in 1959.

eir 26th and nal move was to Fort Lupton in 1959. He interviewed with Mr. Butler, superintendent of the Ft. Lupton Schools and his rst position was as a 7th grade teacher. In his second year he moved into the business services administrator for 20 years, managing the facilities, grounds, buses, food services, and special programs such as summer school for the migrant farmworkers’ children, the BOCES program and collaborated with Greeley’s Aims Community College to provide

Food Bank of the Rockies volunteer situations.

Imani Mafe hands out boxes of food Adams County Sheri ’s Operation Freebird in 2022. Adams County Commissioners announced this week that Food Bank of the Rockies would receive $20,000, part of $800,000 in grants the county announced for regional community groups.

Reach Out and Read is receiving a $15,000 grant to distribute books, perform developmental assessments, and provide caregivers with guidance on teaching literacy to children during well child check-ups at 28 clinics across Adams County. Restoration Outreach Programs is awarded a $20,000 grant to provide resources such as GED and English as a Second Language classes, job training, and workforce readiness to those living in poverty along the East Colfax corridor. e Richard Lambert Memorial Foundation is receiving a $10,000 grant to provide no-cost grief support and low-cost professional counseling to youth and adults living in Adams County. e Stout Street Foundation will receive a grant for $17,057 to assist addicts and alcoholics with GED training and certi cation as they rehabilitate, recover, and return to society as productive and responsible residents. needed courses in the Fort Lupton area.

Revital Colorado is receiving a $25,000 grant to support therapeutic services for re ghters, paramedics, and law enforcement who reside or serve in Adams County.

Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center is receiving a $10,000 grant to support the costs for Adams County residents to participate in a day program for adults with severe neurological disabilities resulting from MS, stroke, and traumatic brain injury.

Save Our Youth will provide oneon-one mentoring and supplemental education programs for teens during out-of-school time with a grant of $10,000.

Special Olympics Colorado is receiving a grant of $25,000 to coordinate athletic activities and perform health screenings for Adams County residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Volunteers of America Colorado Branch is awarded a $7,500 grant to provide exercise programs for frail seniors who need to build strength and increase exibility to reduce their risk of falls.

We Don’t Waste is receiving a grant in the amount of $50,000 to recover unused food from restaurants, caterers, producers, and distributers and redistribute the food to people through food pantry programs.

Westminster Public Schools Foundation is receiving a $30,000 grant to provide nancial support for basic living and health needs to lowincome students and their families experiencing nancial hardships.

Whiz Kids Tutoring is receiving a $15,000 grant to train and support tutors, perform background checks on tutors, create student learning materials, and purchase student incentives for low-income children struggling with literacy skills.

Work Options is receiving a $36,000 grant to pilot an early access option for the Culinary Job Skills Training program to provide hard-to employ individuals with job readiness training, case management, and nancial incentives.

Young Americans Center for Financial Education is receiving a $20,000 grant to provide nancial literacy programs for youth attending Adams County middle schools.

In 1980 Don joined the sta of Aims Community College and helped establish their South Campus in Ft. Lupton, overseeing the building of the campus facilities east of town. He was Dean of the Fort Lupton campus from 1981 until he retired in 1992.

When Don and his family settled in Fort Lupton, he became more and more engaged in the great community they called home. A man of many hats, literally and guratively. Literally as Don made numerous humorous presentations to organizations and, to the delight of his grandkids, at school classes telling stories and wearing the hats he collected over the years. Figuratively as Don (or “Mr. C” as he was known throughout the area) was an active participant in community and civic organizations.

Don and Dorothy were members of the First United Methodist Church of Ft. Lupton and served many roles in the church. Don was part of a group that created a summertime recreation program for the city, initially bringing opportunities for swimming, rollerskating, baseball, arts & crafts and trips to the movies for community youths, running it until the city took over in 1991. He worked with the Ft. Lupton Housing Authority for 28 years and was chairman for 24 of those years. He served on the Ft Lupton Community Education Council, the Ft. Lupton Chamber of Commerce working with the Ft. Lupton City Council and Ft. Lupton Development Corporation to bring in more jobs to the city. He was also Mayor of Ft. Lupton from

1983-1987, working with the city government to improve city services and the lives of its citizens. In 2017 he was awarded the Quiet Disciple Award by the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church in recognition of his service to Ft. Lupton and the Ft. Lupton Methodist Church.

Don served on the Ft Lupton Planning Commission that developed the rst Comprehensive Plan as well as assisting in community improvements such as the Coyote Creek golf course, two re stations and raised money for the Jane DeDecker bronze statue at Ft. Lupton Public & School Library. He served on the Fort Lupton boards of the Japanese American Citizens League, e American GI Forum, the Fire Protection District (he was a radioman for the re department for 8 years) and the Arts Council as well as a member of the Rotary, Optimist, Kiwanis, and Lions Clubs. He was a long-time regular at the Friday morning Men’s Prayer Breakfast.

Don helped with the “One Fund” (now the United Way of Weld County) and led the establishment of Centennial Developmental Services, Inc (now Envision). He served on the Weld Crime Stoppers and Victims Assistance group, the Weld Energy Impact Team and Weld Private Industry Council. He was on the board of directors for United Power for 10 years and the board of directors for the Greeley Hospital (now Banner North Colorado)

Above all, rst and foremost, Don was a family man whose greatest joy was his wife, kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids as well as his extended family as Uncle Don. His hobbies included reading, watching TV sports (his favorite was women’s college basketball), attending the sports and activities of his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, playing family card games and pulling weeds in his ower garden. Don was also known for his outstanding collection of socks. e Cummins family thanks the Fairacres Manor of Greeley, CO, Accent Home Care and Hospice Care and Dr. Martin McDermott and sta for their professional care and treatment of our Dad, Grandpa and GreatGrandpa over the last few years”.

Don is survived by his 5 children and spouses, 11 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren - Cheryl (Cummins) and Jerry Peden, Sarah, Crystal; Jim and Christie Cummins, Justin and Hilary Cummins (Walden, Arthur), Tyler Cummins and Adam Yates; Mark and Chris Cummins, Amber and Jody Irsik (Nevaeh, Olsen), Nathan and Jennifer Cummins, Devin Cummins, Spencer and Jen Cummins (Ellie); Jill (Cummins) and Joe Bailey, JoJo and Kris Grano (Owen, Nora), Jana and Mike Baguskis (Dexter, Andee), Jacki Bailey; Polly Cummins.

Celebration Of Life

Saturday

August 12, 2023

11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Fort Lupton High School 530 Reynolds St. Ft. Lupton, CO 80621

In lieu of owers or gifts, please consider donating to the Cummins Care Scholarship fund, administered through the Weld Community Foundation (website, www.weldcommunityfoundation.org)