On Wednesday, March 1, 2017 7:16 PM, Dean A Leverenz <deanalev@yahoo.com> wrote:
HELLO THERE:
MY NAME IS ROSE ANN CUMMINGS (1892 Colorado-1949), THE DAUGHTER OF PETER LOUIS & CORA LEE (BURNHEIMER) CUMMINGS. MY BIRTHDAY IS AUG 10th,1892, AND THIS PORTRAIT IS A LIFESIZE PICTURE AT AGE 4, DONE IN 1896. THE FRAME IS MADE OF GOLD LEAF FROM THE FIRST CARLOAD OF GOLD ORE FROM DAD’S MINE & HUNG IN OUR HOME LIBRARY IN A TOWN THAT WAS KNOWN IN THOSE EARLY DAYS AS “NO MAN’S LAND, COLO. -THE REASON- IT WAS EXACTLY HALF WAY BETWEEN DENVER AND BRECKENRIDGE, & OVER THE YEARS, UNTIL 1975, THERE WERE NUMEROUS COURT BATTLES TO DETERMINE WHO WOULD CALL THIS AREA THEIR OWN. FINALLY, IN 1975, THE COURT CHOSE DENVER.
MY FATHER WAS BORN IN 1852 IN COUNTY CORK, IRELAND,. & MY MOTHER WAS BORN IN 1872 IN EAST SPARTA, OHIO & RAISED IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
IN DAD’S FAMILY IN IRELAND, THERE WERE 12 CHILDREN, HE WASTHE ELEVENTH & HIS SISTER MARGARET THE 12th AND THE BABY. IN IRELAND, IT WAS THE CUSTOM THAT THE LARGER FAMILES AFTER CHURCH ON SUNDAYS WOULD HAVE A PICNIC LUNCH AT THE RIVER SHANNON. WHEN TEENAGERS- DAD & HIS SISTER WERE DISCUSSING THEIR FUTURE PLANS, DAD SAID HE WAS GOING TO AMERICA AFTER TRAVELING A WHILE & SHE POINTED TO THE NUNNERY & SAID THAT IN TWO YEARS SHE WAS ENTERING SCHOOL AT THE NUNNERY TO BECOME A ”SISTER OF MERCY”- WHICH IS A MEDICAL NURSE IN AMERICA. DAD LAUGHED & SAID IN 2 YEARS SHE WOULD HAVE CHANGED HER MIND, BUT SHE DIDN’T. SHE NOT ONLY FINISHED THE ADVANCED NURSING COURSE – BUT WITH TWO OTHER NURSES – MOVED TO AMERICA. THEY STAYED WITH MOM AND DAD UNTIL THE FIRST HOSPITAL IN SAN DIEGO BECAME A REALITY. SHE WAS THE DRIVING FORCE, WORKING WITH THE BISHOP & OTHERS THAT WERE IN A POSITION TO HELP, THAT STARTED THE ST JOSEPH HOSPITALS IN “THE STATES.” THERE WERE PLAQUES THAT WERE PRESENTED TO HER WHEN THE FIRST LARGER HOSPITAL WAS BUILT. (THE ORIGINAL ONE WAS QUITE SMALL). THEY ARE NOW IN THE SLIGHTLY LARGER ONE THAT NOW COVERS OVER 3 CITY BLOCKS & ARE PLACED ON THE FIRST 3 FLOORS BY THE ELEVATORS, I’VE BEEN TOLD. THE FAMILY IS SO PLEASED & HONORED THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN HER LIFETIME THAT HELPS SO MANY PEOPLE.
DAD AND HIS BROTHER BOB LEFT IRELAND TO SERVE IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, TRAVELED, & THEN DECIDED TO HELP SETTLE & BUILD DENVER. THEY STARTED THE FIRST DENVER HOTEL. AFTER A WHILE, DAD DECIDED THAT HE NEEDED TO BE “OUTSIDE” MORE, SO TOGETHER THEY DECIDED THAT SINCE THAT SINCE HE ENJOYED HIS TIME AT HIS GOLD MINE, THEY WOULD START HELPING “FELLOW MINERS” WITH PROMISING CLAIMS WITH THEIRS. THERE WAS AN UNCLE NAMED WALTER THAT PRECEEDED THEM, COMING IN THE VERY EARLY DAYS OF AMERICA’S BIRTH & BUILDING. (SPEAKING OF THIS, I WAS TOLD THAT DAD WAS DENVER’S FIRST MAYOR).
DAD & MOM HAD NINE CHILDREN, 6 BOYS & 3 GIRLS HEART TROUBLE NOT ONLY RAN- IT GALLOPED IN OUR FAMILY LOSING THE ELDEST CHILD-MARGARET-(NAMED AFTER BOTH HER GRANDMOTHERS)- AT AGE 2 & THEN LOSING 5 BROTHERS BEFORE THEY WERE 3 YEARS OF AGE. BOB, DORTHY & I ARE THE ONLY ONES TO “MAKE IT” TO ADULTHOOD.
TIMES WERE HARD- THEY MADE IT THRU 2 EPIDEMICS- DIPTHERIA & SCARLET FEVER- WHICH IN LATER YEARS THE HEALTH ISSUES THAT DAD HAD NEVER LEFT HIM ENTIRELY & HE FINALLY SUCCUMBED TO THEM IN 1924 AT AGE 72. MOM WAS VERY ACTIVE IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. SHE WAS AN AUXILLARY VOLUNTEER AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT ONE BUILT. SHE WAS ON DUTY WHEN DAD BROUGHT ONE OF HIS MINERS TO THE HOSPITAL SUFFERING FROM RABIES AFTER BEING BITTEN BY A RABID WOLF, THINKING IT WAS HIS GERMAN SHEPARD “KING”. HE WAS SO THIRSTY HE BIT A MOUTH SIZED BITE OUT OF THE CHINA CUP WHICH SHE HAD GIVEN HIM WATER IN.
ONE TIME AFTER COMING FROM THE DRESSMAKER, SHE STARTED UP THE STREET LINED WITH ASSAYER’S BUILDINGS. SHE WALKED BEWEEN TWO OF THEM ON THE WAY TO THE HOTEL TO SEE DAD. THERE WERE SEVERAL MEN TALKING THERE. SHE SAID SHE DIDN’T RECOGNIZE THEM AS “LOCALS” SO SHE WELCOMED THEM AND WENT INTO THE HOTEL, SAW DAD AND LEFT A SHORT TIME LATER. THESE SAME MEN THEN ROBBED THE HOTEL.
WHEN I WAS EIGHTEEN & GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL. MY FAMILY GAVE ME A WONDERFUL PARTY WITH ALL MY CLASSMATES IN ATTENDANCE. OUR COOK HAD BAKED SEVERAL CHERRY PIES AND PLACED THEM ON AN OUTSIDE COOLING TABLE. BARNEY- FORMELY DAD’S RACING & CARRIAGE HORSE & FINALLY BACKYARD PET, DECIDED TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE AND PROMTLY ATE EVERY PIE AND NEATLY PILED THE SEEDS OF EACH PIE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF EACH PAN. SO FUNNY NOW, NOT THEN. AFTER BORROWING FROM HER FRIENDS, WE FINALLY HAD ENOUGH TO “SAVE THE DAY”.
MOM WAS HELPING A FRIEND ARRANGE HER NEW HOME. WHEN SHE LEFT HER HOME THAT MORNING THE WEATHER WAS GOOD, BUT BY THE TIME SHE STARTED TO LEAVE, IT BEGAN TO SNOW HEAVILY-& SINCE SHE HADN’T BROUGHT HER CARRRIAGE & DECIDED TO HAVE A NICE, HEALTHY WALK INSTEAD,.-SHE HAD TO WALK BACK. BY THE TIME SHE HAD ARRIVED HOME, DAD & HIS FRIENDS WERE THERE VISITING.S HE TOLD THEM THAT AFTER SHE HAD TRAVELED ABOUT HALFWAY, SHE COULD SEE THIS BIG DOG FOLLOWING HER, GETTING CLOSER ALL THE TIME,. EVEN THO SHE HURRIED. THE MEN ALL RUSHED OUT TO SEE IF HE WAS ANY PLACE AROUND. ABOUT A SHORT BLOCK AWAY – HE WAS STILL THERE! THEY SHOT & KILLED A TIMBER WOLF THAT MEASURED 14 FEET FROM THE TIP OF HIS NOSE TO THE END OF HIS TAIL.
OF COURSE, THE ELECTRICAL STORM WAS TRULY “OUT OF THIS WORLD!” “BACK IN THE DAY” HOMES HAD A LOT OF METAL TYPE FURNISHINGS-BEDS, BASINS, MOST APPLIANCES & DECORATIVE PIECES FOR ADORNAMENT. WHEN THE STORM BEGAN- A FEW THINGS “LIT UP” GRADUALLY BUILDING UP TO ALL METAL THINGS IN THE HOME STRIKING FROM WALL TO WALL. DOROTHY WAS SO FRIGHTENED & UPSET, & DICK THE FAMILY DOG (A BLACK COCKER SPANIEL) WAS HOWLING SO LOUDLY THAT MOM TOOK A QUILT-WRAPPED THEM UP& PUT THEM IN A CLOSET UNTIL ALL WAS SAFE & SOUND. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, OUR BROTHER BOB & A NEIGHBORING FRIEND HAD A HOME-MADE INTERCOM BETWEEN BOTH HOMES THAT ONLY ADDED “MORE FUEL TO THE FIRE”-& NOW TO THE “GRAND FINALE”! SINCE DAD HAD THE FIRST & ONLY CAR IN DENVER, HE HAD TO HAVE HIS OWN GASOLINE SUPPLY, SO HE HAD A SMALL SHED BUILT TO HOUSE HIS GAS. JUST AS THE STORM WAS SUBSIDING EVERY OTHER PLACE, A FINAL BOLT OF LIGHTNING STRUCK THE SHED. YOU GUESSED IT- WELCOME TO “THE 4TH OF JULY” AT WINTER TIME! OF COURSE, -ONE THING TO BE THANKFUL FOR -DAD USUALLY PARKED THE CAR NEXT TO THE SHED SO THAT HE COULD GAS THE CAR FOR THE NEXT DAY. BUT, BECAUSE OF THE STORM, HE DECIDED TO PARK IT IN THE DRIVEWAY & HURRY INTO THE HOUSE FOR SAFETY-HA HA HA. SO MUCH FOR A FEW OF OUR “HAIR RAISING” TALES
IN LATER YEARS, AFTER I “PASSED THE BAR” I JUST COULDN’T GET ENOUGH MONEY AHEAD TO START MY OWN PRACTISE, AS BY THAT TIME, DAD HAD PASSED AWAY & THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BEING “HEAD OF THE FAMILY” WERE THERE FOR ME. I’M NOT COMPLAINING, JUST EXPLAINING WHY I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO JOIN A LAW FIRM, INSTEAD OF WHAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY PLANNED. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND A LAWYER THAT WOULD TAKE A CHANCE & HIRE ME. HIS NAME WAS JACK LANEY. I GUESS HE WAS PLEASED WITH ME, BECAUSE IN TIME THE LAW FIRM BECAME LANEY & SONS OF WHICH THERE WERE THREE. I WORKED FOR & WITH THEM UNTIL I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TERMINAL CANCER IN 1936.
(SHE PASSED AWAY ON PALM SUNDAY IN 1946. A BETTER AND SWEETER PERSON NEVER LIVED. SHE COMPLETELY DONATED HER ENTIRE LIFE TO HER FAMILY. SHE HAD SUCH A CAPTIVATING PERSONALITY THAT IF YOU KNEW HER, YOU KNEW RIGHT AWAY SHE WAS TRULY SPECIAL)
WRITTEN BY HER NIECE AND NAMESAKE, ROSALIE C LEVERENZ