The Cummard Family

John Cummard

John Cummard
John Cummard
photo from John Cummard History
Birth: 16 May 1882, at Birchfield street, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Father: John Cummard

Mother: Mary Ellen (Crutch) Cummard

Married (1st): Eva Anna Thompson on 16 August 1905, in Little Melton, Norfolk, England

Children:
Married (2nd): Cleota Hedde on 27 August 1946

Occupation: Insurance Salesman (1914); Real Estate Salesman (1916, 1918, 1923)

Notes:
John wrote a fairly extensive autobiographical manuscript which contains many details and memories of his life.
John and Eva joined the Mormon Church in 1907. John was ordained a deacon on 10 August 1907, and early in 1908 he emigrated with his family, then consisting of his wife and two children (John and Zena), to Utah, crossing the Atlantic in the steamship Canada, which sailed from Liverpool on 29 February 1908. On their arrival in Utah the family located temporarily in Heber City, Wasatch county, where John was employed with a lumber company and assisted with the Wasatch Stake amusement hall and the Timpanogas Canal. John then went to Provo, Utah, where he became associated with the Barton and Blake Furniture Company. He was ordained an Elder on 9 October 1908, and later ordained a Seventy.

John wrote about the experience of his first year as a Mormon, in The Latter Day Saints Memorial Star no.4 vol LXX pp 49-51 on 23 January 1908.

TWELVE MONTHS OF “MORMONISM.”

For twelve months I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; for twelve months I have known that the gospel taught by this Church is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet, raised up by the Almighty, and through whom the gospel was restored to the earth in this age.  For twelve months I have tried to live the life a Latter-day Saint should live, and have experienced twelve months of exquisite joy and happiness.
  Just twelve months ago the first of this month two “Mormon” elders came to my home and proceeded to explain to Mrs. Cummard and myself the first principles of Latter-day Saint Theology.  We expected to hear some very strange doctrine, and were not a little surprised when the missionaries began to teach us the self-same gospel that was taught by Christ and His Apostles, namely, faith in God, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost; repentance; baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost—all New Testament doctrine.
  I may say that at the time I met these men I was leaning toward agnosticism.  The religion which I had been taught from my childhood did not appeal to me; it did not satisfy my soul; there was something wanting.  The preaching of the ministers did not carry with it the power and conviction which, as I had read in the Bible, accompanied the preaching of the Lord's early disciples, the humble fishermen of Galilee.  It was apparent to me that ninety per cent of the church-goers with whom I was acquainted went to church on Sunday as a matter of form.  No reference was made during the week to the service of the previous Sabbath; it was a Sunday religion, donned the first day of the week and put off the other six.  The people were more interested in the topics of the day than in religious matters.  And this is not to be wondered at, for we had been taught that all we had to do in order to be saved was simply to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
  For a number of years I attended meetings of different sects— Church of England, Wesleyans, Methodists, Pleasant Sunday Afternoons, etc.—but failed to be impressed with them.  In consequence of this, I felt justified in withdrawing myself from them.  I continued, however, to attend Pleasant Sunday Afternoons occasionally, but I did so principally to please my wife, who thought, and wisely, too, that any religious service is better than none.  I am very glad now that I did patronize these afternoon services from time to time, for it was at one of them that I first saw the man (a “Mormon” missionary) from whom I afterwards heard the glad tidings of the restored gospel.
  It came about in this way: Pleasant Sunday Afternoon services were being held in connection with Saint Cyprian's Episcopal Church, Edge Lane, Liverpool.  The meetings, while for men only, were not confined to members of that church; the public were invited.  Announcements were sent out that on a certain Sunday the subject would be discussed, “Why do working men not attend church.”  This attracted a large gathering.  Several short addresses were made and some plain and pointed reasons assigned why working men do not attend church services.  Then a stranger, evidently an American, arose and explained his views in a very impressive manner.  They were in accord with the views of the entire assembly, and when he sat down he was accorded a warm round of applause.  I was so impressed with what the gentleman said that when I returned home I related it all to my wife, who seemed pleased with the interest that I was manifesting in sacred things.
  Some two or three weeks later, while transacting a matter of business at 295 Edge Lane, Liverpool, the headquarters of the Latter-day Saints, European Mission, I met the gentleman whose remarks at the church service a few weeks before had made such an impression upon me. I told him of this, and after conversing for a few minutes he invited me into a room, where he explained the first principles of the gospel and gave a brief account of its restoration to the Prophet Joseph Smith.  When parting, I invited him to call at my home the following Monday evening and explain more fully the doctrines of his Church.
  My wife was not at first inclined to give the elder a hearing, but when I told her that he had explained many principles which I had often thought about, and she saw that I was getting interested in matters pertaining to religion, she became reconciled, and she decided to remain at home the evening the missionary was to visit us and hear what he had to say.
  Monday evening came and promptly at seven o'clock, according to appointment, the “Mormon” missionary (Elder William A. Morton), accompanied by Elder J. Robert Price, made their appearance.  In a few minutes we were discussing a subject which proved very interesting to my wife and myself—the Godhead. When our attention was called to the absurd doctrine taught by the sectarian churches with respect to the Holy Trinity, we marveled.  We were so interested in what the missionaries told us that we gave them an invitation to visit us the following week.  This they did, and then weekly visits followed.
  I attended the meetings of the saints, and felt the Spirit of God manifested in them.  The Lord enlightened our minds so that we were able to comprehend the truth and planted in our hearts testimonies concerning the divinity of the mission of His servant Joseph Smith.  We were baptized and confirmed members of the Church, and have rejoiced from that time up to the present.
  I have endeavored, in my humble way, to explain the principles of the gospel to my relatives and friends.  I have shown them many of the prophecies of the prophets concerning the great work which the Lord would establish in the earth in the last days, and how these prophecies have been fulfilled; I have pointed out to them the prophecy of John the Revelator, concerning the restoration of the gospel in the last days by an angel, and told them of the fulfillment of that inspired prediction, but they have shown but little interest in these sacred things.
  I cannot understand why people do not believe and accept “Mormonism,” its principles are so plain, so scriptural and so reasonable.  But instead of accepting it they fight it like a deadly enemy.  This strengthens my testimony, for Jesus said that His disciples would be hated of all men for His name's sake.  I rejoice that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; I know that it is the true Church of Christ; the Lord has abundantly blessed me and my family since we became members of His Church; He has opened up our way so that we are able to gather with His saints in the land of Zion; and our parting testimony to all is that we know that “Mormonism,” so-called, is the work of God; that Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and that Joseph Smith was an inspired Prophet of the Most High.
  29 Needham Road. Liverpool.                                                                      JOHN CUMMARD.

Death: 25 February 1959, in Mesa, Arizona, United States

Buried: 28 February 1959, in Mesa, Arizona, United States

Sources:

John Cummard

Jack Cummard
Jack Cummard
photo from Eva (Thompson) Cummard History
known as "Jack Cummard"

Birth: 14 January 1906, in Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Father: John Cummard

Mother: Eva Anna (Thompson) Cummard

Married: Maude Elizabeth Standage on 20 July 1928, in Los Angeles, California, United States. Maude (known as "Macky") was born on 20 May 1908 in Mesa, Arizona, the daughter of William Noah Standage and Rose Lee Holladay. Maude died on 31 January 1996, in Meadow Vista, Placer county, California.

Death: 16 November 1990 in Mesa, Maricopa county, Arizona, United States

Sources:

Zena (Cummard) Sasser

Zena Cummard
Zena Cummard
photo from Eva (Thompson) Cummard History
Birth: 17 October 1907, in Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Father: John Cummard

Mother: Eva Anna (Thompson) Cummard

Education: Zena graduated from Arizona State University with a 2 Year degree in 1927, and a B.A.E. in 1949.

Married: Ernest Kelly Sasser on 30 May 1937, in Mesa, Maricopa county, United States

Death: 27 October 2005 in Phoenix, Maricopa county, Arizona, United States

Sources:
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