Writing about one’s mother feels like writing an entire book. I realized that on Friday afternoon as I read over my words. Each memory became its own chapter in the story of Delsie Marie Cumming, who passed away Thursday evening.
Mom was a quiet, respectful, and caring woman who devoted herself to her marriage, her children, her siblings, her friends, the newspaper, and her community. She lived her life encouraging others —whether it was her children, nieces and nephews, community leaders, her friends, her church, or the library. That spirit of cheering people on was simply part of who she was.
In her later years, she found warmth and kindness at Rainycrest, where she often remarked on the wonderful people who surrounded and supported her.
A lifelong reader, she was a founding member of Friends of the Library and constantly urged her children and grandchildren to “read, read, read.” I can still picture her squeezing into a corner of the kitchen, back turned to us kids, trying to finish one more chapter while raising three children.
At the Times, every customer was welcomed by her cheerful smile, and she expected the front staff to do the same. She never forgot the importance of service — even when supper at home was interrupted by a phone call from a subscriber missing their paper. My dad, Don, or I would head out to deliver it, because keeping readers happy mattered deeply to her.
Mom was also a strong believer in supporting local businesses. She urged us to shop in town, backing those who, in turn, supported the newspaper. She could never resist buying a raffle ticket from any group raising money in the district. “They need the support for the work they do,” she would say. With her close friends—affectionately known as the Golden Girls—she never missed a community tea, church supper, or legion dinner. It was social, yes, but also her quiet way of giving back.
Though she never played the starring role at the newspaper—that she left to Dad, the editors, and her children—Mom was its heart. Just as she championed her own family, she became a mother figure to every employee. She knew their children’s names, where they went to school, welcomed new babies with gifts, and made birthdays feel special.
That was Mom: a gentle, caring woman who nurtured everyone she met.
