Grace Whetstone Cummins Schnereger's Obituary
GRACE WHETSTONE CUMMINS SCHNEREGER
10/26/1923 – 5/11/2025
Grace was born in the little town of Branchville, South Carolina to Olin and Marion Whetstone on October 26, 1923. She was the middle child between older brother Olin and younger brother John. Both brothers preceded her in death.
Grace joined the Navy in 1943 and served as a storekeeper at the Oakland Naval Supply Depot in California until the end of World War II. She was very proud of her service as it was an important and special time in her life. She spoke of it often and loved to connect with other veterans.
After the war, Grace returned to Georgia where she met Hale Cummins. They married on December 18, 1946. Grace and Hale spent the first year of married life in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Hale worked as a Civil Engineer. They returned to the US and settled in the Bay Area. The story goes that “Grace married a Yankee and moved to California.” She would spend the rest of her life living on the SF Peninsula, the majority of her years in San Carlos. Hale passed away in 1985.
Grace and Hale raised four children: Margaret Ana (children Michele, Emily, Stephanie), Elaine Haak (children Paul, Jenny), Eddie Cummins (deceased 2013, children Eli, Kaelin), and Gale Olsen (children Greg, Kristi). Grace has 9 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.
Grace married the second love of her life, Ben Schnereger, in 2004. Ben was an eligible widower who she met at church. They were both 80 years old and spent ten lovely years together enjoying life with friends and family and traveling until Ben passed in 2014.
Grace worked throughout her life in various clerical positions, including Wright Steel and H&R Block. She was a fast typist and had a sharp mind. Grace was an active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Redwood City for many years. She was part of the Ladies Guild and secretary for AAL. Grace played the piano and accompanied the church seniors' group at their luncheons. She loved the old traditional hymns, especially “Amazing Grace.” She was a loving mother and involved in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives; supportive and interested in their hobbies, education, and activities. Grace loved playing games, especially cards and Scrabble. She usually won Scrabble! She always did the daily crossword puzzle and the Jumble. Grace was quite a seamstress. She made her daughters’ clothes when they were young and later branched out into making quilts. She passed on her love of sewing to her daughters and taught them all to sew. Grace always hosted the family for Christmas, doing most of the cooking and prep work, including baking cookies with the grandchildren in the days before. Grace made the best fried chicken and potato salad. Her little butter rolls were the favorite at every family gathering.
Grace had a huge sweet tooth – chocolate and ice cream were staples in her daily diet. Perhaps her secret to longevity!
What’s your fondest memory of Grace?
What’s a lesson you learned from Grace?
Share a story where Grace's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Grace you’ll never forget.
How did Grace make you smile?
