CUMMING, Dorothy

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona, Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Dorothy Cumming, a longtime resident of Prescott, Arizona, passed away on Jan. 11, 2015, at age 89 in Pleasanton, California. She died in her sleep after a brief battle with pneumonia. Dorothy and her husband Kendall moved to Prescott in 1980, after he retired. Both taught at Yavapai College. Kendall was a Sheriff in the Westerners. Dorothy was a member of both Smoki and Docents. Dorothy was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1926. She moved to Tucson in 1944 to attend the University of Arizona, where she majored in anthropology. While in Arizona, she met her husband, Kendall Cumming, returning World War II veteran of the 101st Airborne. He was a fellow anthropology major, and a third-generation Arizonan from a ranching family in Nogales. After they graduated, Kendall took a position with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. During his career, they lived on the Navajo, Hopi and Jicarilla Apache reservations. In 1965, they moved to Chandler, near the Gila River Indian reservation, where he was the superintendent until he retired. In 2008, Dorothy moved from Prescott to Livermore, California, to be near family. Dorothy wrote several books about her experiences living among the Navajo. She also enjoyed reading, painting and studying Indian arts and crafts. Dorothy was preceded in death by Kendall in 2002. Dorothy is survived by her two sons, Earl Cumming of Mandeville, Louisiana, his wife Sally, and their three daughters, Christine, Sarah and Rebecca; and Bruce Cumming of Livermore, California, his wife Kristen and their son Andrew. For those who wish to, donations can be made to the American Indian College Fund in Memory of Dorothy Cumming - at www.collegefund.org or 800-776-3863. Information provided by survivors.