Mildred (Nussbaumer) McCabe

Mildred McCabe passed into eternal rest on December 3, 2025 at the age of 93. She was born in Portland, OR on October 14, 1932 to Joseph and Ottilia Nussbaumer, and spent her early childhood years on the family dairy on the banks of the Columbia River in Vancouver, WA along with her older brother, Hans, and her younger sister, Dorothy.

Upon her graduation from Providence Academy in Vancouver, Mildred and her friend, Mary Louise Ryser, moved to Seattle, WA to work and attend school. They saved their money, and while still in their teens, they took the maiden voyage of the SS United States to spend the summer in Switzerland visiting their grandparents as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. When Mary Louise married and moved with her new husband to Patterson, CA, Mildred joined them in the late 1950's, and she remained in California for the rest of her life. In April of 1960, she married Jerome "Jerry" McCabe, and made Watsonville her permanent home. Mildred worked for Granite Construction after first coming to the area, took a few years off to raise her children, and then returned to work once they were all in school. She remained at Granite until her retirement in the mid 1990's.

A devout Catholic, Mildred was a member of Our Lady Help of Christians Church where she volunteered much of her time upon retirement cleaning the church and making sure the flowers had water and the candles were stocked. She lived a quiet and practical life, and despite her final years having been spent with memory loss and dementia challenges, she remained the same unassuming, polite, helpful and generous person she had always been.

Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Ottilia Nussbaumer, her brother, Hans Nussbaumer, her husband, Jerry McCabe and daughter, Ruth. Her lifelong friend, Mary Louise Rothlin, passed a few months before Mildred after 93 years of unwavering friendship. Mildred leaves behind her sister, Dorothy Cherington, of Vancouver, WA, her children, John and Kathy McCabe of Watsonville, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to publicly thank Touched By Angels for many years of care given to Mildred in the family home. Much gratitude is also given to De Un Amor assisted living in Corralitos for providing a safe home where Mildred was genuinely loved and treated with dignity and respect. We would also like to thank Magda Mathis of Hospice of Santa Cruz County for her expert care and compassionate guidance in Mildred's final days. Lastly, the family requests donations be made to Camp Saint Francis at 2320 Sumner Avenue, Aptos, CA 95003 in lieu of flowers.

A rosary will be said at Mehl's Colonial Chapel in Watsonville on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 6pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said the following day on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 11am at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church with reception to follow.

Published in The Pajaronian · January 20, 2026