CUBA CITY—Cuba City natives Marita and Marie (Heim) Cummins have followed a similar path all their lives. As twins, they share similar interests, which led them to being cooks at schools, marrying brothers and now volunteering at local meal sites.
Marie is a lifetime resident of Cuba City and Marita moved to Platteville after she married. Fifty-five years later, she returned to Cuba City.
The sisters volunteer at the Cuba City Meal Site and Epione Pavilion. They facilitate the dominos and bingo games played at each location.
“We knew someone who was doing it and they asked us if we wanted to volunteer,” Marie said.
“It gives us something to do after we retired,” Marita said.
Marita has also volunteered at the Platteville Senior Center for the past 28 years, since her retirement from UW-Platteville where she was a cook for 27 years. She said she cooked for approximately 750 people when she started at the university, and it was up to approximately 1,500 when she retired. Marie was a cook at the Cuba City Elementary School for 24 years.
They can be found volunteering every-other Tuesday at Epione Pavilion as well as bingo every Friday, at the Platteville Senior Center on Wednesdays and the Cuba City Meal Site on Thursdays. Each day they set aside approximately three hours to play games with other seniors.
“It’s something to do,” Marie said.
“I think we’re about ready to quit now that we’re 92,” Marita said.
Over the years they were both involved in helping the Girl Scouts organization. Marie also belonged to the V.F.W. Women’s Auxiliary.
Marita and her husband Keith, who passed away 13 years ago, have five children. Marie and her husband, Francis, who passed away 18 years ago, have six children.
When asked about their thoughts on the future for Cuba City, Marie said she thought things were going well for a small town.
Editor's Note: This column will be a special addition to the Tri-County Press on a monthly basis. Look for each installment near the end of the month. All volunteers are recomended for the article by Mayor Tom Gile. If you have ideas for future volunteers in the community to be recognized, contact Gile at 608-744-3203.
