Barbara Ann Cummins Cave

Our beloved mother, Barbara Ann Cummins Cave, passed from this earthly life to life eternal Monday evening, December 11. She was preceded in death by her husband, Winston Larue Cave, and their daughter, Carol Diane Cave, the youngest of her four children. She was also preceded in death by her parents, sister and brother-in-law, Norene and Bill Nance, and by her brother, Rev. Al Cummins.

The second of three children, she was born in Uvalde, TX, on May 26, 1927, to Alonzo A. and Estelle Cummins. Her dad was a Penney's store manager, and the family lived several places along the Rio Grande, primarily in Crystal City and San Benito.

Barbara graduated San Benito High School in 1944. She followed her sister, Norene, to Texas A & I College where she enrolled that fall. It was in Kingsville she met a handsome veteran who had served in Europe during World War II. That young man, Winston Larue Cave, became her husband on August 20, 1947. They returned to Kingsville where both were completing their college educations.

Barbara graduated with a degree in English in May, 1948. She graduated Magna cum Laude in her graduating class. They lived in a small trailer behind the Administration Building while Winston finished his degree. Upon graduation, the family moved to Ingleside where he had his first teaching/coaching position.

Before leaving Kingsville, Barbara and Winston welcomed their first two children. Son James Michael was born January, 1949, and daughter Catherine Ann was born May, 1950. In 1952, the family moved to Uvalde where Winston had been offered a teaching/coaching position. It was there their second son, Thomas Winston, was born January, 1955. During their time in Uvalde, Barbara taught school, primarily at Uvalde High School.

The family moved to Austin in 1959 when Winston received an offer to teach chemistry and physics in the Austin ISD. During these early years, Barbara was a stay-at-home mom. She returned to the workforce when she became the executive secretary of the Texas Republican Women. The family spent many hours at the State Republican headquarters working on various campaigns. During this period their fourth child, Carol Diane, was born in July, 1965.

Barbara returned to school in the fall of 1967 as she worked on a certification in library science from The University of Texas. Upon completing that program, she began her career as a librarian, first at St. Edwards University (in Austin), and later at several schools. She retired in 1988 from Johnston High School where husband Winston had been a member of the inaugural faculty.

Upon retirement, she and Winston traveled. They both were involved in church work at University Baptist Church where both were members of the Board of Deacons, at First Baptist Church and Highland Park Baptist Church. The death of daughter Carol, from cancer, in July, 1987, was a blow to the entire family, but was especially hard on Barbara and Winston. Following Carol's death, they endowed a scholarship in the School of Nursing at UT-Austin to honor the nurses who had been so important to the family during Carol's illness. They were also passionate followers of UT athletics, particularly women's basketball, and they endowed a scholarship for a women's basketball player.

Following Winston's death in May, 2005, she moved from their home of 43 years to an apartment. She lived there until March, 2014, when she moved to Emeritus (now Brookdale) at Spicewood Springs. She lived out her remaining years there and celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends this past May.

She is survived by her three children, Mike (Ginger), Cathy (Jack Cartwright), and Tom (Cindy); five grandchildren, Christopher, Drew, Allison, Will and Sam; and five great grandchildren, Drayden, Aiden, Duke, Hudson and Caroline.

Visitation will be Friday, December 15 from 5-7 at Weed-Corley-Fish, 3125 North Lamar Blvd. A Celebration of Barbara's life will be held Saturday, December 16 at Highland Park Baptist Church at 11:00 am.

The family would like that memorials be made to the Carol Diane Cave Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship at The University of Texas School of Nursing (1710 Red River St., Austin, TX. 78701) or the charity of your choice, especially any that benefit children. The family wishes to thank the staff at Brookdale for their loving care and the many longtime friends that she treasured.