Someday I'll stand before Him
And I'll see Jesus face to face
I'll worship and adore Him
For a life forever changed—from Rhett Walker's, Man on the Middle Cross

I was born in Maysville, Kentucky, however I was raised in Flemingsburg. In 1980, my parents, James and Anna Margaret Faris Cummings, purchased a home in Elizaville and I lived there until my marriage to Cindy J. Jackson—who is also from Fleming County.

I have always had a desire to know more about my family, but did not really know how to begin. Fortunately, when I was pursuing my degree in history from Morehead, I had a professor (Dr. John C. Kleber, editor of The Kentucky Encyclopedia) introduced me and my classmates to genealogy.

From that point on I was hooked.

After my career in law enforcement, I decided to take another look at my family history, especially with the amount of information now found on the internet. My investigative skills have been helpful, but my greatest pool of information has been from the collection of obituaries and other newspaper clippings of my late grandmother, Emma Mae Moore Cummings (her memorial can be found at 103758024).

Since 2016 I've embarked on a mission to try and place as many of her newspaper clippings into Findagrave (for years I was concerned about their preservation, but Findagrave has provided a safe storehouse for them and I would encourage you to so the same).   These clippings include obituaries, wedding announcements, crime stories, and other stories of interest. 

For the most part her clippings span the period from the mid-1930s to the late 1950s of Fleming County, Kentucky.  Taken as a whole, they provide a valuable snapshot of what life was like there along with some of the participants.

Therefore, if you see a faded newspaper clipping posted to your relative's memorial from me, it likely originated from one of my grandmother's four scrapbooks.  And in an effort to accurately assign the clipping to the correct memorial, I have often placed other documents there.  Typically, these include marriage licenses (which include the names of parents and the place of birth of the participants), draft registration cards (which can provide the date of birth, nativity, and physical description), and death certificates.

I stand in agreement with other Findagrave volunteers who believe that it is important not only to be correct, but to accurately document the lives of others as they lived and died. I also feel that it is important to connect the departed to other members of their family.  Thus, if I can link them to another, including a former spouse, I will do so.

And finally, if I have created a memorial that involves a loved one of yours, then feel free to write to me about transferring their management to you. 

Blessings,

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.