Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthApril 14, 1886
Place of BirthMerrickville, Ontario
CountryCanada
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinFather: Walter Cummings, Prescott P.O., Ontario
Trade / CallingTailor
ReligionMethodist
Service Details
Regimental Number2381701
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion76th Battery
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Field Artillery
Enlisted / ConscriptedConscripted
Address at EnlistmentKeewatin, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentApril 6, 1918
Age at Enlistment32
Theatre of ServiceGreat Britain
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathJuly 28, 1986
Age at Death100
Buried AtLake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario
Plot5E-39-2

Cummings, Robert Edward

Robert was the 5th  child of 6 born to Walter Cummings and Mary Reid in Merrickville, Ontario.   His siblings were Alfretta, Ernest, Florence, Gertrude and Charles.   His parents were married in  Kempville, Ontario in 1876.   While his father was born in Ontario, Canada he is listed as Dutch heritage and his mother was born in Ireland.   In 1891 the family can be found  living in the town of Prescott, Ontario.   His father’s occupation is listed as a cooper. By the 1901 census father Walter is listed as a widow and Robert is still just a boy  living at home  along with  3 of his siblings.  Robert moved to Keewatin (Kenora area) sometime between  1911 and when  he had his medical exam for the war service in the fall of  1917 as listed on his attestation papers.

Robert was called  for service in Winnipeg, April 6 1918, and placed in the 1st Depot Battalion of Manitoba. He was later a Gunner with the 76th Battery of the Canadian Artillery.

He served in Canada and England.   Robert Edward Cummings was discharged from service  on October 19, 1919 in  Toronto, Ontario.   He  returned to Keewatin to live, marrying  Amy Jane Armstrong at the United Church in Keewatin on August 15, 1923. As they married later in life, he was 40 and Amy was 44, they didn’t have any children.    Robert was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #13 in his home town of Keewatin.

Bob  Cumming’s Tailor Shop was located in the  adjoining building  to the Allan Block on Wharf Street in Keewatin.    In 1957 the  Allen block, which was an adjoining building to  Bob’s Tailor Shop, had the 2nd fire in the town that was deemed as a ‘suspicious fire’; Keewatin history-Five fires in 37 days.   It caused 1 women to be taken to the local hospital.   At this time Robert  shared this adjoining building with Tony’s Shoe Repair Shop and  2 occupied suites on the top floor.   The fire spread to their building.  No one ended up being  seriously injured in either building.   Robert ran a successful business as a tailor, known for his fine work, and in later years still working out of his home.   Quite a few of the local children referred to  him as ‘Uncle Bob’.

Amy  passed away at 73 years of age in 1952 and Robert  lived to be 100 years old and  passed away  July 28, 1986.   Both Robert and his wife, Amy, are buried in the local  Lake of the Woods Cemetery, History Haven Block, Kenora, Ontario.

By Linda Pelletier

Beaton-Cyril-96 Cummings-Robert-Edward-1


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