Caroline KK Callaway

September 7th, 1937 Caroline Callaway was born on Beechwood Ave. in Nashville, Tennessee to Frederick William Dickenson and Wilhelmina Margarete Dickenson (nee Steinbeck).
September 26th, 2025, she passed away peacefully at her daughter, Kathleen's home on Oakland Hills Dr. in Georgetown, Texas.

After 88 years, this beautiful, wonderful creature drifted out of all our lives.

I knew my mother for 62 years, 2months, 19 days, 14 hours, and 15 minutes.

She was there when I took my first breath, and I was there, alone in her room, when she let go her last breath.

At 88 years of age, Mama finally decided to go Home.

There are so many, many stories I could tell you of who she was.

So many descriptions of things she'd done, accomplished, places she'd traveled, dogs she loved, and people she knew- just to bring you a snippet of this utterly wonderful being.

But they would be just words filling a page; a page that has turned, now.

The art, the fashion, the music, the sharp wit, wisdom, and grit- all that magic is gone from this world, now...from our world, now.

1937-2025 spanned the years that she danced upon this earth, but it's the dash in between that speaks volumes to a life well lived: a life that held more love and more loss than most people experience in their lifetimes.

KK, as she was known to everyone, was a voracious reader, embraced poetry, and a lover of great art, music and fashion; she was also known for her immense style.

KK was raised by her parents, Kenneth Kirby Barton and Wilhelmina Margarete Barton on Greenway Terrace in Kansas City, Mo. She shared laughter and sisterly antics with 4 sisters: Nancy Maffry, Anne Lyddon (both who proceed KK in death), Lucy Castle, and Karen Cooper. KK's stepbrothers Kenneth and Larry Barton (who both proceeded her in death) were heroes among the girls.

In 1955, KK graduated from Southwest High School. She attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman to study English. This is where she found her lifelong love of football, became a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and was selected to the Homecoming Court.

It's also where KK met Philip Bohart, or Felipe, to all his friends. He met KK when entering the record store where she worked, she was on a ladder hanging displays in the window. My dad always said she had the most beautiful legs he had ever seen. Mama loved that story!

In 1958, they married in Kansas City, MO. in the house on Greenway Terrace and later moved with the oil business to Midland, Texas and started a family.

The years living in Midland, 1958-1982 were her happiest in the role she adored, a mother to 5 children, her 5 Joys: Kevin Callaway, Kelly Bohart, Chris Callaway, Jamie Callaway, and Kathleen Callaway. While the girls would argue the boys were KK's favorites, the truth was her greatest passion was being a mother and loving them all, fiercely. The kids would argue that the 5 of them gave her 5 reasons to drink, KK would say they were the 5 reasons she celebrated this world and would toast to their happiness.

Which is why Prosecco was always kept on hand.

Midland was also where KK blossomed in friendship and community; it was the place she made some of the most treasured friends she would have the rest of her life.

KK was an avid tennis player and golf enthusiast. She even learned to flyfish! She also was an accomplished pianist and yet a mean poker player. As President of the Midland chapter of the Junior League, she was able to accomplish so much within the numerous charitable works she championed.

Living, loving, laughter, and loss brought new chapters and layers to KK's life, and she met them all with Grace.

In 1971, KK married James Callaway, or Jimmy as he was affectionately called. They were a couple to be envied among couples for their steadfastness to each other. They remained married until Jimmy's untimely passing in 1990 at their home in Columbia, MO. on Covered Bridge Road.

In 1991, KK followed her older sons back to Texas and settled in Tarrytown in Austin. There she spent years selling antiques, studying politics, and enjoying her dogs on long walks. She said this time was the most freedom and independence she had ever experienced.

When it was one of the children's birthdays, KK would mark the number of years by always telling them "...on this day, I am so happy you came into my life."

On the day she chose to go Home, we can only Hope (her favorite word) that she flew there on peaceful wings.

In the words of Khalil Gabran, The Prophet, whom KK loved- he wrote on Death:

"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is it cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered? Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."

May our mother be truly dancing, once again!

My mother's last words to my sister were asking if she had been a good mother and had done a good job for the children.

This is a Love Letter- a love letter of Thanksgiving to our Mother.

"Yes, Mommy, you were a wonderful Mother, and we are all better in this life for having your magic grace our lives. Thank you for loving each one of us and doing the very best for each of us.

Words.

There's just one more I won't utter anymore in this lifetime: Mommy. 💔

To my mother, "when the moon is full, I will go look at that moon and surly meet you there, Mommy!"

Caroline 'KK' Callaway (nee Dickenson, Barton)
Born September 7th, 1937.
Passed into Light September 26th, 2025.

In addition to her 5 children, KK was blessed with her wonderful grandchildren, Caroline, Anna, Jack, Quinn, Charlie, and Celia.

KK enjoyed her beautiful daughters-in-law, Dana Callaway, married to Jamie and Patricia Callaway, married to Chris and her near perfect son-in-law Warren Hufford, married to Kathleen.

KK is survived and will be missed by her darling sisters and their husbands, Lucy Castle and her husband Wayne, and Karen Cooper and her husband Chris, as well as her abundance of nieces and nephews.

A private Celebration of Life is being planned by KK's children. In lieu of flowers, please- if you are moved to do so- donate to Mother's favorite cause, VFW or Veteran's of Foreign Wars @ heroes.vfw.org.