Carol R. (Jones) Gimler

A Celebration of the Life and Love of Carol Ruth Gimler, RN

3/13/1946 – 4/24/2026

On April 24, 2026, our beloved Carol walked into the arms of Jesus, whole, and completely known by the Savior she trusted and served.

She was born on March 13, 1946 to Robert E. Jones Jr and Emma Louise Sowell Jones. At a very young age, Carol was thrust into motherhood, as her own mother passed away early, caring for her younger brother, Rusty.

She met the love of her life Tom Gimler, famously known as Lovie, in early 1976. Marrying on July 15, 1976, blending their two families, four year old Heather, Carol’s daughter and Tom’s two children, Cricket and John Gimler. Emily came along completing the Yours, Mine and Ours story told so often. Carol passed three months shy of their fiftieth anniversary.

Having been blessed with a caring, compassionate and nurturing spirit, she was called to nursing, graduating with her RN in 1984. She started her career with a full time family of four children at the Women’s Hospital in downtown Houston. She then moved on to the education field and spent twenty-two years as the school nurse at Episcopal High School in Houston, Texas. There, she quickly became the heart of EHS, inspiring many students, who loved her spirit and joined their own call to become nurses themselves. Other students were “adopted” by Carol, as she cared for and guided them and their families through difficult times along the way. Her youngest daughter, Emily was a student at EHS during this time and felt blessed to be a witness to the love that Carol poured into the lives of those she served, setting a wonderful example of servant leadership. Additionally, she served as a TLC teacher and counselor to many teens during her time with EHS, always going above and beyond with a special project called The Senior Love Letters, for which she was known for through most of her career.

Carol and her husband Tom retired in 2008, bought some land in Centerville, Texas and built a new home for themselves. They quickly became involved in this little town, first with the Master Gardeners of Leon County, where Carol served many terms as the program president. She was intricately involved with the organization’s Scarecrow projects. She not only organized the event, but she lived, once again, as a servant leader, getting donated clothes, dressing them in creative and fun ways and painting the faces on the scarecrows. These scarecrows were a favorite hit and you could see her inspiration, leadership and handy work all over town and all the proceeds went to fund scholarships for the local 4-H students. She also worked alongside her husband with the Good News Clubs, sharing the gospel of salvation to elementary students in Leon County.

Carol was an excellent cook and loved being in the kitchen, cooking up goodies and meals for her family and friends, even winning pie contests, with her famous pecan pie. She wrote three cookbooks, two of which were for churches and one for her Master Gardeners group. Carol was a true creative and was additionally gifted with the sewing arts. She was known for blessing expectant moms with blankets and quilts.

Carol was always true to her family, whom she greatly loved and cherished. Her children were her best creation and the joy and pride of her life, for whom she would give her life for. She devoted countless time driving to Dallas to support her first-born daughter Heather who was a single mother for ten years, never regretting a moment of that time. She cherished those times as she poured her love and compassion out to her daughter and grandson, Griffin.

Carol will be greatly missed by the love of her life, Tom and their children: Heather Capps (David), Emily Gimler (Ben Deutsch), John Gimler (Tori) and Mary “Cricket” Cross (James), grandchildren: Colton Gimler (Elyshia), Clayton Gimler, Caleb Gimler, Griffin Farr, Aiden Cross, Autumn Cross, April Gimler, as well as everyone who knew her.

Visitation will be held at Cowboy Church of Leon County in Centerville, Texas at 10 A.M., Monday April 27, 2026, followed by the funeral service at 11 A.M.  Pastors Tuffy Loftin and Dean Ferguson will officiate the service.  Carol will be laid to rest in Centerville Cemetery.

Pallbearers:  Griffin Farr, Colton Gimler, Clayton Gimler, Caleb Gimler, Daniel Jones, Michael Jones

Honorary Pallbearers:  April Gimler, Aidan Cross, Autumn Cross

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Leon County Master Gardeners, ℅ Lisa Rhoden, P.O. Box 188, Centerville, Texas 75833.

Arrangements are under the direction of Walters Funeral Home, Centerville, Texas -- A Walters Family Funeral Home.