Oletta Joy Wald Cummings was born on May 19, 1930, to Ferdinand Oliver Wald and Velma Howe Wald. She died on March 3, 2025, while at Rocky Mountain Care Center in Clearfield, Utah, after finally deciding she had had enough of the food there.

Oletta was one of the original members of Garden Park Ward when it was created in 1936, and lived in the ward most of her life. She graduated from East High School in 1947 and the University of Utah in 1952. From the influence of her mother and children, Oletta later became a stalwart BYU fan.

She married Clyde Kay Cummings on July 1, 1954, and they later divorced in 1995. She raised seven children who became champion foodies. Everyone worked in the family business, C. Kay Cummings Candies, with Oletta handling much of the management and scut work necessary to keep the doors open and production running.

Oletta had great love, appreciation, and talent for art. She created beautiful paintings and exquisite needlepoint handiwork and made beautiful music by playing her violin in many orchestras and string groups. She instilled the love of art, music, flowers, and Shakespeare in her children.

Oletta had a lifelong love of service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, particularly in the temple and as a docent at the Church History Museum, and we know that she is having a joyous reunion on the other side of the veil with her parents, brothers (Fred and Gordon), sister (Lorna), son (Ian Wald Cummings) and great grand daughter Eleanor Marie Cummings. .

She is survived by her brother Leonard (Donna); six of her children: Gordon (Julie), Lori Judd (Rob), Aaron (Cristine), Doug (Kathy), Nathan (Donna); and Christopher; 18 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, 3 step grandchildren, and 1 step great grandchild.

Now she can play her violin and garden without pain, she won’t have to cook for all those boys, and nobody is going to make her learn to like garlic.