Ardis Bea McCumber

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Ardis Bea McCumber on December 3, 2023 in Corpus Christi, Texas.  “Aunt Bea” as she was known is survived by numerous nephews, nieces, grand nephews, and grandnieces.  Bea’s special family/friends Don and Kay Schuette, Kathy Hatfield, and Paulette Lewis were a very important part of her life. She was a member of the Lagarto Community Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents Simeon Lewis and Louise McCumber, her brother Bruce McCumber, and her sister Geneve McCumber Montgomery.

She was born in March of ’28 in an oilfield tent camp in the middle of a rare ice storm outside of the small town of Refugio, Texas. Her father followed the South Texas oil boom and in those days the wives followed their men even if pregnant.

Bea was their first child, and it was a hard birth during a hard time. Life would be a challenge for her mentally and physically.  The Lord gave us Bea to teach us to be humble, to have unconditional love for infants and children, and to learn to just move on to the next day.

She spent the majority of her life on the banks of the Nueces River near Dinero, Texas.  It was a world with her sister and brother, surrounded by her many cousins.  Despite her disabilities, she attended the one-room schoolhouse with her sister and brother until they moved on to higher education and she stayed home.  She had learned to read and write in her school years and she enjoyed many hobbies.  She sewed, crocheted, and knitted many “gifts” for her family and friends.

She loved any gathering of family, a good cold beer, a little whiskey, and a glass of tea while she watched you mow the grass in the middle of the 100-degree summers.

Rest well, Bea, the highway is now open for all your desired travels, and the sound of the redbirds along the river can now be heard…

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 06, at Gussettville Cemetery with Don Schuette officiating.