Caroline Rose (Borne) Cummings

Caroline Cummings of Wichita died on October 14, 2026 at the age of 98.           .

Caroline was born on September 18, 1928, to Frank and Pearl Borne in Higginsville, MO.  She lived her early life in Higginsville with her parents, identical twin sister Catherine (Borne) Hall and sister Dorothy (Borne) Simpson.  She moved to Kansas City, MO to attend college at St. Teresa’s College with her sister Catherine. She graduated with a degree in Art in May of 1949.

She married John Cummings on August 6. 1949 at Immaculate Conception Church in Higginsville, MO.  John passed on November 24, 2010.  Caroline and John enjoyed 61 years of marriage.

Prior to starting her family, Caroline worked as a correspondent at Sears, Roebuck and Company answering questions from customers about items in the catalog…specifically girdles!  She eventually went back to St. Teresa’s (Avila College at that time), to earn a teaching degree.  She taught at St. Agnes Elementary School in Westwood, Kansas  for many years before moving to Roswell, New Mexico.

While in New Mexico, her and John owned 2 Dairy Queen restaurants.  Caroline was very involved with the Roswell business community and was voted Business Woman of the Year. The couple retired in Lawrence, KS where Caroline was very involved with the church, Corpus Christi Catholic Church.

Caroline is survived by her children, Gary Cummings of Lakewood, CO, Jean Fields of Omaha, Nebraska, Janet Hampel of Wichita, Kansas, Marilyn Schrepel of Colorado Springs, CO and Peggy Weber of Long Beach, CA as well as their spouses, Anita Cummings, Danny Fields, William Hampel and John Weber.  In addition, she is survived by 13 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Caroline would want you to know that she attributes her long, happy life to her deep faith in God and family.  She wrote that one of her favorite quotes was “Before you go to bed, give your troubles to God, he will be up all night anyway”.  Her family would want you to know that they remember a favorite saying as “Que sera, sera”.  What will be, will be.  They would also like you to know that while they will miss her dearly, they are comforted by the knowledge that she is with God.  They believe their greatest challenge in life is to simply be more like her.

A private family service will be held.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 645 North 119^th Street West, Wichita, Kansas 67235.

Services in care of Downing & Lahey West Mortuary.