Harriet Newell Cummins was the youngest daughter and child of James Hunter & Helen Alexandria Cummins, born February 2, 1883 in Denison.  She was only 7 years old at the time of her father's death in 1890.
At the age of 18, Newell, accompanied by her brother Alex, went to New York City to study piano with composer Edward McDowell.  She was a concert pianist in New York and played a number of concerts in the north as well as in Dallas, Texas. (The Sunday Gazetteer, October 6, 1901).
Upon her return to Denison in 1906, she taught piano classes.  In 1910 Newell moved to Mansfield, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana to become music supervisor of the Mansfield public schools.  In 1913 Newell returned to live in Denison with her mother and sister Ethel; in 1915 she was the music supervisor of the Denison public schools and was Superintendent of Music for the Denison schools.
In 1923 at the age of 40 Newell is a student at and boards at Kidd-Key College in Sherman.  Ethel and Newell continued to live together after their mother's death.

[Source: Denison TX Herald, April 6, 1990]

DENISON — Graveside services for Newell Cummins, 107, who died Wednesday in a local nursing home, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Fairview Cemetery, with the Rev. Calvin Girvin officiating. Johnson-Moore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Cummins was born Feb. 2, 1883, in Denison, daughter of Judge J. H. and Helen Alexandria Morrison Cummins. She was educated in Denison public schools. Miss Cummins, a retired music teacher, studied piano under Edward MacDowell in New York City and studied harmony and composition at Kidd Key College. She taught public school music in Chicago; Mansfield, La.; and Denison. Also, Miss Cummins gave private lessons in her home. She was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church and St. Luke's Altar Guild.
Surviving are several nieces and nephews.

 

 Edward Alexander MacDowell

   

CUMMINS FAMILY


Susan Hawkins
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