Vera Cummings Morrow


April 8, 1920
Norman Station, Indiana
June 20, 2012
Edmonds, Washington

Vera Cummings Morrow passed away quietly Wednesday evening, June 20th, 2012. Vera was born on April 8th, 1920 in the small farming community of Norman, Indiana. Her parents were E.E. Cummings, a successful business owner, and Lena Sherrill Cummings, the community midwife and herbalist. The youngest of five children, Vera was the first in her family to receive a college degree. In the early 1940’s she received a Master’s degree in Business Education from Indiana University, Bloomington campus. After graduation she taught high school, became an Administrative Assistant and eventually taught college classes at the Indiana University extension campus in Jeffersonville, Indiana near Louisville. It was here that she met her husband, Ralph Morrow. They married in 1949 and had 51 happy years of marriage. Vera loved her career and travel. Prior to her marriage she would spend each “school break” summer living and working in a different city with her good friends. Her children loved her tales of life in Chicago, Boston and even Cuba (before Castro). She and her husband Ralph eventually settled in St. Louis, MO where Ralph was offered a position as an Assistant Professor of History at Washington University. They both loved the city and the University. Before retiring, Ralph was named Provost. Vera continued to teach, then moved into real estate where she was a very successful Agent and Broker at Branch Realty, St. Louis Mo. Always energetic, Vera was also very involved with the Washington University Women’s Club, Trinity Presbyterian Church, various Bridge groups, entertaining, and her family. She eventually moved to Seattle in order to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Ralph; sons Dr. Jason (Lisa) Morrow, a Division Chief at Vanderbilt University Medical School; and Kevin Christopher Morrow. She is survived by her daughter, Leslie (Leigh) Morrow Shalloway; her grandchildren Jeremy and Stephanie Morrow, and Bryan Shalloway; her step-grandchildren Michael, Aliza and Steven Shalloway; her niece Gloria Harbaugh and family; and her nephew Arthur Nelson and family.

Services Information

Services will be held at Bopp Chapel, St. Louis, Missouri.