George G. Cummins

George G. Cummins, 82, of Charles City, passed away Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City.

A Celebration of Life will be March 17, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. with visitation from 9 a.m. until the start of the service at Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City. Pastor Don Preston will officiate. The service will be live streamed on the Hauser Weishaar Funeral Home Facebook page.

George Gibson Cummins was born Jan. 25, 1943, to Fred and Lucile (Lepley) Cummins in Union, Iowa. He grew up on a farm in the Quaker community of New Providence where he learned his love of the Lord, family, education, music, baseball, trains, the land and ice cream. He graduated in a class of 13 from New Providence and went on to earn a BA and MA from Iowa State University.

He joined the Peace Corp and spent 33 months in Tanzania teaching Vocational Agriculture at a high school and spent 3 months working on a Game Reservation. While on the continent, he and some colleagues climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Getting drafted on his return, he joined Officers Training and was sent to Korea where he served as a Combat Engineering Company Commander building roads. Returning to the States, he served as Defense Council for Court Martial cases at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.

On a return to civilian life, he took the Vocational Agriculture position at Vinton High School. New Year’s Eve 1970, friends felt sorry for him when he did not have a date, so they gave him a list of single teachers. Using the list, he met his future wife, Vonda Mortimore, on a blind date. They married Dec. 28, 1971, and made their home in Vinton where they bought an 88 acre farm and welcomed two sons. In 1973 he accepted the job as Crop Instructor with Hawkeye Tech in Waterloo. Commuting by carpool, he learned all the latest country western songs and much from his companions. In 1979 his love of Africa lured him back and he accepted a job in Eswatini (Swaziland) as an Agricultural Extension teacher at the University. The family of four went for an amazing adventure which included making friends from all over the world and seeing Kruger National Park in South Africa. In 1981 the family returned to the States and he took the job as the Floyd County Extension director in Charles City. George loved extension work and the people he worked with. In 1986 two beautiful girls from Korea joined the family, making it complete.

In 1992 he took the job as an Iowa State Crop Specialist. He enjoyed teaching the crop clinics and meeting all the farmers. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents. He belonged to several Ag organizations which meant good fellowship and great meals. He retired in 2010. George was a great admirer of Dr. Norman Borlaug and was instrumental in establishing the Norman Borlaug Learning Center at the NE Iowa Research Farm in Nashua. He was fortunate to have met with Borlaug several times. His love of Africa took him back for several teaching assignments. He was in Kenya twice, Malawi and South Africa. He remained in contact with several of the people he met during these assignments. He also had a trip to Brazil with a group from Iowa State.

George loved music and played trumpet in the high school band. He was involved in several choirs and sang for weddings and funerals. In the Service he sang in a trio called “The Dear Johns”. He loved singing in his church choir, especially going caroling at Christmas. He enjoyed kayaking, biking, and playing ball with his grandkids who were the joys of his life. One of his passions was mission work. He was active in Self-Help, the World Food Prize, Outreach Africa, and numerous church projects. He served as Mission Chair for several years bringing in speakers and going on youth mission trips with his girls.

The last three years of his life were spent fighting Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 pipeline. He viewed it as detrimental to the land and extremely dangerous to the communities it would travel close to. He was opposed to a private for-profit company using eminent domain to take farmland. He worked tirelessly to stop it and was active in the landowner groups opposing it.

George loved people and was known for his ability to talk to anyone about anything. He was known for being the last to leave a meeting or church because he was talking to someone. He loved to tell stories and jokes, some of which his kids thought were getting old. So, for Christmas he got a Dad Joke book to add to his repertoire. He was well read and always had a book or two to recommend.

A high school friend told George once that your life is like a train ride, made up of all the people who get on and off on the journey. George was fortunate to have wonderful and interesting people on his journey.

George is survived by his wife of 53 years, Vonda, and children: David (Stephanie) Cummins, Granger, Aaron Cummins, Woodstock, Illinois, Rachel (Brandon Nguyen), Phoenix, Arizona, and Molly (Andy Hutchison), Glendale, Arizona; three grandchildren: Nicholaus Cummins, Madalyn Hutchison, and Emerson Cummins; sister, Jean (Brian Garrington, Dick Granger) Granger; brother-in-law, Steve (Nancy) Mortimore; sister-in-law, Joyce (Dennis) Rand; lots of nieces and nephews; and Pullan and Rutledge families in Canada.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Lucile Cummins; a brother, Frank; maternal and paternal grandparents; two brothers-in-law: Brian Garrington and Dick Granger; and father and mother-in-law, Roy and Virginia Mortimore.

Memorials can be made to Self-Help, Outreach Africa, World Food Prize, Our Brother’s Keeper (Trinity Methodist) or any Mission project of your choice.

Hauser Weishaar Funeral Home, (641) 228-2323, 1205 South Main Street, Charles City, Iowa 50616 is in charge of local arrangements. Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall for the family at www.hauserfh.com.