Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Cummings, Clarice E. 2014
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Marilyn Ransom mransom311@gmail.com June 17, 2015, 10:10 pm

The Ionia Sentinel-Standard, Tuesday, May 6, 2014


Clarice E. Cummings, 78, of Ionia, Michigan, passed away on Saturday, April 26, 
2014.  She was born on July 16, 1935 in Belding, Michigan.  

Soon after graduating from Michigan State University Clarice was employed by 
the Ionia County Intermediate School District to teach at the Friendbrook 
School for special children. After two years the enrollment outgrew the one 
room schoolhouse.   Clarice, along with the Special Children, were moved to a 
three-room schoolhouse on Hwy M91 and another teacher and aide were added. 

This was the first Forest Grove.  After four years Ionia and Montcalm counties 
merged and built a new, larger Forest Grove on Hwy M66.  Here the children had 
ample accommodations and four additional teachers.  Clarice functioned as the 
administrator.  Under her guidance the program flourished but within five years 
Ionia County built its own school on Harwood Rd.  This school was named Freedom 
Acres.  Once again Clarice, her students and several more teachers moved back 
to Ionia County.  

In this new building Clarice was able to return to her first love as a 
teacher.  At age 45 Clarice was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and she 
continued to teach another 10 years, until her lack of physical strength caused 
her to retire. 

She was a member of Business and Professional Women, and Delta Kappa Gamma, a 
teacher's group. 

Preceding her in death were her husband, Bill Cummings; sister, JoAnn Wheeler; 
daughter, Cathie (Harry) Stuart; son, Roger Spaans; nephew, Jeff Wheeler; 
parents, Gladys and Clarence Fay.  

Surviving are her daughters, Joy (Lester) Shepard and Jackie (Jim) Baron; son, 
Rick (Cindy) Spaans; 9 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren; a niece and 
nephew. 

A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the First 
Christian Church, Ionia, Michigan.  Arrangements are entrusted to Lehman 
Funeral Homes, Ionia.



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