Saundra Lee Cummins

Saundra Lee Cummins, 78 passed away October 26, 2022 after a long battle with Lung Cancer. Her family and friends surrounded her throughout the day and her husband and sister were by her side as she peacefully left. Saundra was born September 9th, 1944 to Robert & Laverne Thompson. She was raised in Murtaugh, Idaho and graduated from High School there. Saundra was the oldest of all her siblings. As her parents remarried and other kids were born she became the glue that made them all feel like they were a complete family. She loved them all so much. She had 3 sisters that came after her from her Mom, Sharon, Marilyn and Denise. She had one brother and sister from her Dad, Brent and Brenda. Saundra married Jack Wageman right out of High School and together they had one daughter, Patsi. Saundra found that the Navy life and being gone from her family wasn’t the life she wanted so when Patsi turned 2 she went back home. Shortly after coming home she met her life long partner Ted Dean. They married on January 15, 1968 and moved to Hazelton to raise Patsi. They didn’t want to raise Patsi alone so they adopted their son Jack when he was just a baby. When Ted died in 2016 she spent some time alone and by chance ran across an old friend from High School. They reconnected and each was what the other was looking for. She married Allen Cummins on April 20, 2018 and they made their home in Twin Falls until her passing. I know she thought fondly of Allen’s kids and grandkids and they completed her family. Allen was remembering when him and Saundra got married. He said she was always taking care of animals. On our honeymoon night she took two squirrels that she was bottle feeding along with us. We even had to kind a sneak the squirrels into the room. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Memories from Saundra’s siblings. When I think of Saundra I think of joy, sunshine and unconditional love. I think how incredibly blessed I was to have her as a sister. I often referred to her as Saint Saundra and joked how hard it was to compete with a sister who was a saint. As we grew older, we formed an unbreakable bond. We walked our life paths together, side by side, supporting and loving each other along the way. I’m sure she will continue to be by my side. Unbelievably, she told me more than once I was the best part of her. The truth be told, she was the best part of me. See you on the flip side Saint Saundra! Sharon I have lots of memories of Saundra but mostly when I think of her, I think of home. The feeling of being loved and safe wherever we were. If I was with her, I felt like I was home. I'm sure many will feel the same way, but growing up, she was the person who always made me feel safe and loved. it is such a huge hole in our lives to not have her with us, Denice. I will always remember that she could talk to a person for five minutes and be friends for life, one time visiting here in Hazelton we were eating dinner and there was a hay fire she jumped up from the table started grabbing food and I said where are we going? To help them you never know they might lose everything. That was my sister she would help everyone she never had an enemy she was the most important person next to my dad. I went through a lot of personal issues and she was always there for me, thank you sis ❤ I love you. Brenda Saundra was the highlight of the Lake years. Murtaugh Lake was always the place to be and Saundra was the pancake queen. Every weekend would find Saundra and Ted at the Lake and they spent so many years with good friends and family. If you weren’t a friend when you showed up, you were when you left. Morning breakfasts were always a huge ordeal and Saundra always had her huge bowl of pancake batter ready to go. You never left hungry and there were always pancakes left over because she made so many. Sandra had such a bright spirit and everyone who knew her loved her. When Patsi started school she decided to join the work force and became a school librarian for the Valley School District. She was so loved by all her students and staff. I know she made so many lifelong friends during her years there. It was a sad day for everyone when she retired, but she kept in touch with many of them after she left. Several of her students continued to visit her home even after she was gone from school. She always had so many critters she was raising and the kids loved to visit. Her Critters were the highlight of her life. Her and Ted had what some would consider a Zoo. Donkey’s, Horses, Lamas, Geese, Goats, Dogs, Cats along with all the baby animals she raised. She loved living in Hazelton and being involved in the Community. Even after she moved to Twin her heart was still there. Everyone loved Mrs. Dean. She was everyone’s best friend! Saundra and her Partner in Crime Sheri Price raised baby squirrels, baby racoons, baby deer, baby kittens and baby puppies. She would get calls from rescues about babies they needed help with. She would bottle feed them and raise them until they were old enough to go into homes. Her and Sheri released so many deer and racoons when they were old enough. It was her passion and kept her busier than most people would want to be. Lots of people said she was out of her mind, but she loved every minute of it and really missed it when she couldn’t do it anymore. Saundra’s daughter Patsi was the highlight of her life. She loved kids and always wanted a houseful. When Patsi turned 10 Saundra decided she wanted to start taking Foster kids. One of the first babies they got was Jack. He was just a baby and they decided to adopt him. He came with many challenges, but she helped him to achieve many successes that many others would not have. Over the years they continued to have many foster kids and some of them reached out as they got older and let her know how much of an impact she had on them. Even though she chose to have so many kids in and out her relationship with Patsi never waivered. Saundra and Patsi were best friends and even after Patsi moved to Boise, they continued to have their daily talks and got together often, even if it was just to meet for lunch part way. They enjoyed their thrift shop shopping trips and were always finding treasures to take home. When Patsi was growing up, they would usually take one or two trips to Lake Tahoe every year to see Saundra’s Dad. It was always such a fun trip and they enjoyed looking forward to it every year. Saundra’s relationship with Jack was a unique one. She made sure he had every opportunity to reach his full potential. She involved both kids in 4-H and Jack became very involved with so many people through that avenue. She loved Jack so much and always wanted the best for him. She became in involved in the Special Olympics with Jack and of course her relationship in that was just as full as with anything she touched. She helped with Helping Hands every year and even got her Grandsons to join in for a few years. Saundra’s Grandsons were her whole life. As much as she loved her kids, her Grandkids were even more special. Her boys as she always called them were one of her Greatest gifts. They always wanted to spend their spring break with her at School. She would put them to work in the library and sometimes send them off to someone’s class. They loved going to visit her and always looked forward to Grandma Dean coming to visit us in Boise. I know she would have loved to be closer in distance so she could see them more, but they had a great relationship. When the boys got married she welcomed their wives (Nicki and Cristan) and treated them as her own granddaughters. When her great grandkids McKenna and Wyatt were born she loved them even more. They were so precious to her, and they loved her so much. They had so much fun in the camping trips we all had together. Saundra would take them for rides on her scooter and give them whip cream in her Motorhome. She loved to spoil them. They will all miss her so much. Saundra always wanted to travel more and she finally got more of an opportunity to do that when she met and Married Allen. He took her on trips to Lava Hot Springs, Salt Lake, Las Vegas and one of her last trips was back to Mount Rushmore. I know she would have liked to be able to travel more, but when she got sick it just wasn’t in the cards anymore. Allen was a Godsend to Saundra. He was her Best Friend and Partner and he cared for her so deeply. She told me many times, how grateful she was for him. He was her rock and took very good care of her. Allen blended into our family and the past few years being able to meet them a few times a year to go camping was fun. She told me she wished they could have spent more time together traveling as they got older. She was so sad they didn’t have more time together. Saundra loved Allen’s family like they were her own. His kids and grandkids were just as special to her and I know she looked forward to seeing them when they could. Saundra leaves behind her husband Allen Cummins of Twin Falls, Daughter and Son In Law Patsi (Eric) Williams of Boise, Son Jack Dean of Hazelton, Grandson Landen (Nicki) Greenhalgh and Great Granddaughter McKenna Greenhalgh, Great Grandson Wyatt Greenhalgh of Meridian, Grandson Mitchell (Cristan) Greenhalgh of Kuna, Brother Brent (Jill) Thompson of Sparks, Nevada, Sisters Sharon (Ken) Marchetti of Boise, Denice (Steve) Greene of Camano Island, Washington and Brenda Thompson of Reno, Nevada. Numerous In-Laws, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, Friends and Extended Family. Step-kids, Step-grandkids and great grandkids. (Mark) and Jill Johnson, (Jake) & Emma Weber, Fallon, Bryson, (Leki) & Ellen Fuapau, Leddi, Aleki, Heilala, Isaac & Janie, Wyatt & Samantha, Eric & Suzy Cummins, Brandt & Joesph, (Dylan) Sloan Pucket, Dean, Reece, Myles, Jackson, Dillon & Kaytlyann Cummins, Kamden (Tyson) and Christy Hansen, Connor, Shade, Jolie, Robby and (Mary) Cummins, Issabelle, Valette, Jenny. TO LIVESTREAM THE FUNERAL SERVICES GO TO: https://zoom.us/j/7426157564?pwd=Q2N1NEFmMXNrTjdvMlpwUWhhL0J4UT09 Meeting ID: 742 615 7564 Passcode: 749243