Barbara Earlene Cimental

Barbara Earlene Cimental, known as “Nana” to most, a resident of Gonzales, TX, passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at the age of 86. She was born in Bennett, Texas, on August 3, 1939, to Gladys Eiland and Tex Homer Allen. She was the 6th of 6 children until her father and mother remarried, giving her 10 more siblings. She met and married Lowell Moore in Seminole, Texas in 1953. Earlene owned and ran a café which she enjoyed thoroughly as she never met a stranger and as you can imagine a café is quite a place to learn and discuss the town news and gossip. She later went to work in a sewing factory. To this day, some of her family members still have house robes made from the materials that she got to bring home from her job. One of her lifelong hobbies was quilting. She made quilts for her friends and family for weddings, and various life milestones, including many new babies. When her daughter Becky went into labor with her granddaughter Shana, they were actually working on a quilt, which is on one of the beds in her daughter's home to this day. She often took the time to pass on these life skills like sewing, even to her grandson Bryan, which he considers a special memory. Her husband worked in the oil business and Earlene often took in the young rough necks that were going to work with her husband. She would send food to work with her husband to take care of them.

In 1980, Earlene and her husband relocated to Gonzales, TX, during the oil boom. Part of her agreeing to move away from her many friends, family, and their children was that Lowell agreed to buy her the historic home she had dreamt of and that they stay only three years. They shopped around and found “the one” the old Reese home built in 1906, sits on top of a hill on College Street. This wasn’t the historic home it once was or that it is now. When Becky came to visit for the first time, the condition of the home she saw at the address she was given, made her drive past it several times, just knowing that her daddy would never move her mom, cross state, for what laid before her eyes. The chipped paint, broken windows, overgrown shrubs and original 1906 wallpaper falling off the walls. Earlene embarked on a remodel job that was rewarding but challenging on its best days. On the worst, it might have made her speak words, if spoken by others, could get you banned from her home for life! They made this house and Gonzales a home. Soon after her children followed; with three kids and four grandkids those three years, she said she would stay, turned into a lifetime. In 1986, Earlene lost her husband to a long battle with cancer and as often in life, she picked herself up and forged ahead. She loved to be with people, so she went to work for GISD in the school cafeteria, a girl’s home, and later H&R Block.

Something that was always part of her home was music her kids and her grandkids recall vinyl records always turning. Her granddaughter Shana recalls learning to dance in the kitchen by standing on her Nana‘s feet when she was just a child. Earlene loved to dance, mostly country western, which wasn’t easy without a partner, so she joined line dancing classes. She would take her grandchildren along but often describing in a one liner (she had many of these) “Girls don’t get too comfy with line-dancing, it’s for lonely women”. Earlene continued her western dancing, which is where she met Frank Cimental. It was love at first sight. They started a courtship which at Christmas of 2002 they informed their family in a surprise announcement that they had married at City Hall. Earlene and Frank shared many happy memories. They enjoyed camping and fishing and spending time with their children and their grandchildren. They shared a love of gambling, be it trips to Lake Charles, LA, or the local tucked in game rooms to play the slot machines! They traveled to see Franks family in California but mostly enjoyed their time at home with family. When Frank passed in 2022, Earlene once again picked herself up and kept moving, surrounding herself with her family and special friends. She loved her cats and sitting on the porch with them, often taking in the strays that turned up. She would start calling her girlfriends around 10 AM and by noon they would be off to play the slots in Kingsbury, TX. She loved it when she could get people to go along with her as she loved to sing and chat on these drives. When her grandchildren could meet her, it was an extra special day. Each morning, she and her daughter Becky would share coffee and stories of what was going on in town and with their family. She looked forward to her son-in-law Valde’s company on Saturday mornings when he would bring her menudo. She spent more time than her family thought healthy watching CNN, as he who’s name we will not mention here, gave her “a pain she could not locate”.

She will be remembered for her strength, her unwavering devotion, loyalty, and the love she shared through her actions and the many laughs and smiles she gave us. She will be missed greatly but will live on in the many things we learned from her and in the stories, we tell of her. Nana was truly one of kind.

Earlene was preceded in death by first husband Lowell Moore; second husband Francisco Cimental; mother Gladys Williams; father Texas Homer Allen; daughter Evelyn Barrera; sons Allen Moore and Leland Moore; Earlene is survived by loving daughter Becky Kidd; grandchildren, Katrina Courtney (Ben) of Brock, TX, Shana Kidd of Austin, TX, Casey Ruhl (Charlie) of South Fork, CO, Leland Bryan Kidd (Beth) of Seguin, TX and Brandon Hicks (Stacey) of Seminole, TX; 12 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; son-in-Law Valde Barrera of Gonzales, TX; brother-in-Law Joe Moore of Midkiff, TX, Four step-children Lina Serna (Eddie) of Pleasanton, TX, Theresa Guillen (Jesse) of Seguin, TX, Tracie Quiroz of San Marcos, TX, Mary Cimental (Tim) of Davenport, IA; 14 step-grand-children, and 24 step-great-grand-kids.

Earlene had several special friends the family would like to acknowledge; Dora and Metilde Rodela, Beverly and Joe Bond; Luisa Martinez, Lola and Wade Wilson, Susie Jones, and Wilma Holst. In addition, we would like to thank David Meredith, D.O., for taking care of her. The family welcomes friends Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 2 pm for a celebration of life following services at 1220 North College, to continue honoring memories of Earlene "Nana".

The family will receive friends from 5 pm to 7 pm on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Seydler-Hill Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10 am Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Seydler-Hill Funeral Home with Jonathan Cimental and Leland Bryan Kidd officiating. Interment will follow in Gonzales Memorial Park. Pallbearers: Damyan Kidd, Xavier Kidd, Gunner Ruhl, Joe Ruhl, Robert Limones, and Jonathan Cimental. Honorary pallbearers, Mason Ruhl, Cody Kidd, and Takoda Courtney. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter, at 505 St. Francis St., Gonzales, TX. Friends may leave their condolences to the family by visiting www.seydlerhillfuneralhome.com. Services are under the care and direction of Seydler- Hill Funeral Home.