COUSINS, Ardis Mary

The Record-Courier 6 Sept 2012 Ardis Mary Cousins, long-time resident of Paso Robles, passed away peacefully in Pleasant Hill, Calif., on Aug. 29, 2012, two weeks shy of her 95th birthday. Ardis was born in North Dakota in 1917, the fifth of nine children of Charles Brinton and Elizabeth Mueller. The Brinton family moved west several times, eventually settling in Baker County, Ore. Ardis attended grammar school in Haines and graduated from Baker High School, class of 1935. After high school, Ardis took business courses and worked for the family business C.M. Brinton & Sons which published The Record-Courier newspaper. The newspaper is still family- owned today and published by Ardis’ nephew, Greg Brinton. In 1940, Ardis passed a civil service exam and was offered a job with the Veterans Administration in Washington, DC. She had seven days to accept the job and report for work. Luckily, an uncle lived in Washington, DC, so she had a place to stay. She worked for one year in a building near the White House but transferred to a new position as a medical secretary at the Veterans Hospital in Portland, Ore., to be closer to home. Ardis began to take flying lessons, obtained her pilot’s license and logged hundreds of hours with the hope of joining the war effort as a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). But with five of her six brothers in military service, she was called home to Baker to help her father in the family business. In the summer of 1945, Ardis and a girlfriend flew into Pasco, Wash., to meet some “sailors” stationed there. A romance developed with a Navy man from California. Upon his discharge from the Navy, Ardis married Robert “Bob” Cousins in January 1946 at St. Francis Cathedral in Baker City, Ore.. They returned to Bob’s hometown of Paso Robles, Calif., where he joined his father in the insurance and grain business. Ardis continued to fly but eventually gave it up with the birth of her first daughter in 1947. Ardis became active in community activities – PTA, 4-H, Paso Robles Band Boosters, American Field Service and many more. In the 1960’s, Ardis worked for the Gallop Organization, polling the opinions of Paso Robles residents. When Cuesta College started to offer evening classes in Paso Robles, Ardis took as many classes as possible. Eventually, she transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a full-time student where she received a BA in History and a Masters of Education, fulfilling a life-long dream of a college education. Ardis worked as a substitute teacher and then a tour guide at Hearst Castle until she retired at age 70. A life-long skier, Ardis continued skiing until age 80, including a ski trip with several siblings to Colorado. She enjoyed her family, gardening, travel and her books. She instilled a love of knowledge, music, art and so much more in her daughters. Every summer included a trip – camping in Yosemite, World Fairs in Seattle, New York, Montreal and Spokane, the Cousins Beach House in Cayucos or visits to her family in Oregon. Everywhere along the way, there were stops at museums, state capitols and national parks. For Ardis, life was an adventure with something new to learn every day. Ardis is survived by four daughters: Terri Cousins, Martinez, Calif.; Diana Cavagnaro (George Bates), San Diego, Calif.; Elena Albaugh (Stephen), McArthur, Calif.; Lisa Marshall (Reese), Eureka, Nev.; six grandchildren: Cpt. Clinton R. Albaugh, USAF (Margaret), Altus, Okla.; Trina Albaugh Jacobs (Ethan), Helena, Mont.; Hilary Castles, Lafayette, La.; Will Marshall, Stillwater, Okla., Ethan Marshall and Mary Kate Marshall, Eureka, Nev.; one great-grandson – Harold Albaugh; sister Elizabeth DeShetler, Eugene, Ore., and brother Donald M. Brinton MD, Veneta, Ore., as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Bob Cousins; sister-in-law Betty Cousins; siblings Gordon Brinton, Byron Brinton, James E. Brinton PhD, Adria Ingram, Timmy F. Brinton MD, Thomas Brinton; and grandson Christopher Cavagnaro. A memorial service and celebration of Ardis’ life will be held on Nov. 24, 2012, in Paso Robles, Calif., with burial at Paso Robles District Cemetery. Donations in Ardis’ name can be sent to Brinton 1704 House, 21 Oakland Road, West Chester, PA 19382 or Mission San Miguel Building Fund, P.O. Box 69, San Miguel, CA 93451-0069.