Audrey Carnes

Audrey Carnes, 93, beloved aunt and friend, crossed over to the other side of the big river, March 30, 2018 peacefully at her home. Services will be 1:00 p.m., Friday, April 6, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124 Robinson Drive, Waco, with Rev. Andrew Kilpatrick officiating. Interment will follow at Chilton Cemetery. Born in Chilton and graduated from Chilton High School at the age of 18, Audrey joined the Cadet Nursing Corp training program at Hillcrest Hospital in Waco. After WWII began the Bolton Act enabled young women to enlist in the Cadet Nurses Corps, receive three continuous years of free training, and get their RN diplomas in exchange for pledging to go into the military as nurses. The war ended as their training was ending and they did not receive their commissions as 2nd lieutenant, but did get their degrees. Audrey moved to Houston for several years and was a private duty nurse. She then had a 28 year career at the Marlin VA Hospital where she rose to the position of head nurse.Long after retirement she was giving allergy shots to her squeamish friends. She loved to travel, go fishing, bake Christmas cookies for her friends and support her church and school. She was very sweet, extremely bossy and dearly loved her family, friends, and many pets. Audrey was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Elizabeth Walker Carnes and Dudley Dow Carnes. She also outlived all her siblings, Albert Roscoe Carnes, Secrell Dudley Carnes, Edith May Mortimer, Willie Ethel Herrington, Nellie Lee Mortimer, Floyd Earle Carnes, and Jewell Carnes Smithers. She is survived by many nieces and nephews and their children. Pallbearers will be: Joel Chandler, Micah Chandler, Kyle Chandler, Ashton Chandler, Debra Camero, and Ben Kilpatrick. Memorial gifts can be made to First Baptist Church Chilton, P.O. Box 506, Chilton, TX, 76632.