Shirley Vern Cummins

Shirley Vern Cummins

I was born on August 6, 1925 at Hollis, Oklahoma. I was the fourth child in a family of twelve children born of Maggie and Ira Cummins. My parents were farmers and I grew up on a farm, and worked for various farmers as soon as I was old enough. Before I joined the Navy, I worked at various jobs near Canyon and Dumas, Texas.

I enlisted in the Navy on February 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and went to Boot Camp in San Diego, California. After boot camp I had a short leave, and then went to San Francisco, and then on to Whidbey Island, Washington before! went aboard the U.S.S. Nassau around October 1943.

One event that stands out in my mind was one day, while on board, I was called out and thought I must be in trouble of some kind. But, after I went out, to my surprise there on the Nassau stood my Dad, Ira Cummins, who was also in the Navy. My Dad's ship had docked in the same place and he received permission to come aboard to see me. What a wonderful surprise!

I continued my service on the Nassau until June 14, 1945 when we docked in San Francisco. I then left the Nassau for the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, with a 30 day leave reroute. I went to Lubbock, Texas where Ina Jean Teague was working at the Army-Air Base. We had been writing lots of letters, and she joined me on the trip to my home in Hollis, Oklahoma where we were married on June 25, 1945. We spent some time at my home and then near the end of my leave we went to visit Ina's folks in Denver City, Texas. Ina returned to Lubbock and I left for Kingsville. Ina transferred from her job in Civil Service at Lubbock Army-Air Field to join me in August of that year. I was discharged in November 1945 and we went back home.

We have been living in Dumas, Texas since 1950. I retired from Shamrock Oil and Gas Corporation in 1989 after 35 years. We have three children, and have four granddaughters: Travis Cummins, Ninekah, Oklahoma; Shirley Cummins and Caitlin, Wichita Falls, Texas; Ronald and Bobbi Cummins, Carisa, Jacinda and Shaina, Mustang, Oklahoma.