Lauretta Joyce Cummins-Knopf

Lauretta Joyce Cummins-Knopf was born to Olin and Dora Wendlandt James on June 3, 1927 in Spokane, Washington and passed away on May 11, 2020 at the age of 92.

Mom lived near Davenport Washington on a wheat farm with her parents, her twin sister Lorraine and younger sister Lois until she graduated from Davenport High School in 1945. While attending school in Davenport she was a majorette, played violin, and was in 4H. Teachers and friends could often not tell mom and her twin sister apart so they both had fun at times pretending to be each other. Shortly after graduation she went to telegraph school in Spokane and got a job with the Northern Pacific Railroad in Montana before moving to Grandview, Wa. Mom met dad (James H. Cummins Jr.) while working for the railroad in Grandview. They were married February 2, 1947 at the Methodist Church in Davenport. They lived in Kellogg, Idaho and Connell for a short time then lived in the small railroad town of Ayer Junction, Wa for about 10 years while dad worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. Her sons, Jim, Bob and John were born while mom and dad lived in Ayer. There was a 2 room school, a post office,and small store in Ayer, population about 150. We moved to St. John in 1955 then to Wallula (1956-1970).

While living in Wallula mom enjoyed raising her family, gardening, church activities at First Baptist Church in Burbank, attending sports and other events at Columbia High School. She attended many basketball games at our school. She was a Sunday school teacher for 30 years, a Deaconess, Assistant Treasurer, and President of the Missionary Group in Burbank and latter at Faithline Baptist Church, Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Mom's often complained about the smell produced by the paper mill while we lived in Wallula. She worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as a clerk in Wallula for a short time. She enjoyed photography, taking many pictures during our travels to places like Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Banff National Parks, Mount Adams area, the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts, and many fishing trips here in Eastern Washington. She put up with our many fishing and hunting trips and rarely complained about all of the fish and game that we brought home. One of her son's (Jim) sometimes brought home so many fish that he caught in the Columbia River that she sometimes suggested that we had enough fish. Mom made sure that we visited grandparents, other relatives, participated in family reunions and enjoyed vacations for a few weeks every summer.

Mom and dad bought a house in Walla Walla in 1972. After moving to Walla Walla she spent a number of years studying the genealogy and writing a history (over 300 typed pages) about her mother's side of the family (Wendlandt's). She completed that work 1988. In that publication she wrote, "The Lord has been good." Mom enjoyed flowers, learned to make flower arrangements, and worked part time as a florist at several flower shops After dad retired in 1984 they bought a travel trailer and spent many months traveling. Mom particularly enjoyed spending time in Arizona to get away from the cold weather in Walla Walla during the winter. She also enjoyed trips to Minnesota to visit grand-kids and particularly enjoyed a trip to Washington D.C. While traveling she enjoyed taking photos, visiting cemetery, researching and recording information about her Wendlandt side of the family. Dad (Her husband Jim) passed away March 26, 1997 when they were returning from Arizona. That was a difficult time for her but after about a year she met the man that would be her second husband.

Mom married Glen Knopf on August 1, 1999. Her and Glen lived in Walla Walla in the same house that she lived before dad passed away and traveled to Arizona every winter until Glen passed away September 11, 2015. Mom and Glen also made a trip to Hawaii.

Due to failing health in recent years she resided in several long term care facilities. More recently she was cared for by Sunset Adult Family Care Center. We are gratetful for the caregivers for the dedicated care of our mother.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Jim, her husband Glenn, her twin sister, Lorraine, and a grandson. Survived by son's Jim, John, Bob, and sister Lois, 12 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Viewing and Visitation will be held at the Herring-Groseclose Funeral Home on  Thursday, May 21, 2020, from 12 pm to 6 pm. Private family graveside services will be held at the  Blue Mountain Memorial Gardens cemetery of College Place, Washington.