Ruth Carolyn Winfrey

On June 3, 2023 Ruth Carolyn Winfrey passed away peacefully in Bastrop County, Texas. She is survived by her two daughters, Jennifer Winfrey Leisure, Laura Winfrey Gould (husband Jim Gould) and four grandchildren; John Gould, Patrick Gould, Molly Leisure and Benjamin Leisure (wife Jacqueline Burleson). She is preceded in death by her husband Dorman Winfrey (1924-2009) and her mother Nita Byrd (1911-2001).

Ruth Carolyn was born in El Dorado, Arkansas on March 16, 1931. When Ruth Carolyn was young, the family moved to Henderson, Texas. She was a proud graduate of Henderson High School in 1949 and involved in the Junior Historians of Texas. After high school, Ruth Carolyn attended Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music and was president of Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity. After college, Ruth Carolyn married Dorman Winfrey of Henderson, Texas. Dorman and Ruth Carolyn moved to Austin, Texas where they would spend the remainder of their lives.

In her career, Ruth Carolyn was a music teacher at Zilker Elementary School and other Austin Public Schools. She also followed her passion to become an antique dealer in the Austin area. She held a permanent booth called Carolyn’s Antiques in Elgin, Texas for over 20 years and would frequently travel to shows across Central Texas. Throughout her life, Ruth Carolyn focused time and energy across organizations such as University Christian Church, Austin Woman’s Club and the Round Top Festival Institute in Round Top, Texas. At Festival Hill Institute, Ruth Carolyn donated her permanent collection of Texas Centennial artifacts.

Ruth Carolyn was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Her tenacity, grit, and love were inspiring and she will be missed by the many lives she touched. Ruth Carolyn will have a private burial at Welch Cemetery in Rusk County, Texas. A Celebration of Life will be held at Bastrop Christian Church on Saturday, June 10 at 3pm for family and friends with a reception afterwards. If you would like to make a donation in her memory, the family would request contributions to Round Top Festival Institute, University Christian Church, or Bastrop Christian Church.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com for the Winfrey family.