Karla Yvonne Cumings, nee Fisher, died peacefully in her sleep on June 19, 2009 at home in Mount Shasta at the age of 91.
Karla was born in Los Angeles, California on August 17, 1917 to Carl Voorhes and Anna Fredricka Fisher. After graduating from Belmont High School she attended UCLA and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, majoring in art.
In 1939 she married Alexander Thornton “Thorn” Cumings in the Church of the Flowers in Glendale. Thorn preceded her in death in 2005 after 66 years of marriage.
In 1959 Thorn was transferred with the Highway Patrol to Mount Shasta where Karla spent her remaining years.
She was active in the community; belonging to PTA including serving as president, a founding member of Starmakers, a community theater group.
As one of the original members of the board of directors of the Siskiyou Opportunity Center she organized many fund-raisers including operating a thrift store for several years and organizing spaghetti dinners for hundreds of people.
She founded and coached a girls drill team at Mount Shasta High School for four years, choreographing the routines. She was also very active in the Association of University Women and Children’s Home Society.
She was a member of Eastern Star in Oroville and was active with Job’s Daughters in Oroville and the Dunsmuir chapter of Rainbow Girls.
Karla lived a long and full life and cherished her family, wonder friends and lasting memories.
She is survived by her daughters, Kathy Abreu of La Canada, California and Karen (Dale) Zeigler of Mount Shasta; her grandchildren, Stephanie Kozarevich, Leslie Mobbs, Alexander Abreu, Ramona Anderson, Todd Zeigler and Mark Zeigler; as well as four great-grandchildren.
A memorial will be held on her birthday in August.
Contributions in her name may be made to the Alexander Thornton Cumings scholarship fund at College of the Siskiyous.