Bev is survived by her children Kim Mercer and Chip (Cathy) Friend; grandchildren Rachel (Ken) Stokes, Ryan (Whitney) Rigdon, Ty Mercer (Cassidee Bruton), and Zach Friend; great-grandchildren Tristan Stokes, Austin Peet, Lillian Stokes, Brennan Stokes, Kadynce Rigdon, Jordan Rigdon, and Kendall Rigdon. She is predeceased by her husband Don, her parents, sister Bettie Swinscoe and brothers Charles and Johnnie Yager.
Bev’s family moved from Oklahoma to Kansas in 1948, where she lived before moving to California in 1966. After relocating to Colorado, Bev met her husband, Don, and they were married in Loveland on October 2, 1970. Bev and Don settled in Pueblo where they raised their children Kim and Chip. Following Don’s retirement, they moved to Pueblo West and started a small business called B & D’s Breakables.
Bev was a talented artist and began taking art lessons as a teenager. She would buy paint-by-number sets for her young nieces and nephews and paint right along with them. Bev excelled in creating beautiful pieces of Southwestern art in the mediums of ceramics and oil paintings. She earned certification as a Duncan ceramic products teacher in 1982 and continued taking art lessons as an adult to refine her skills. She also gave art lessons and especially loved teaching children.
Bev loved being active and was an avid swimmer as a teenager. She also enjoyed playing tennis, volleyball, and water-skiing with her children. Bev also had a competitive streak – just ask anyone who played against her in canasta, Scrabble, or dominoes. She was devoted to studying the Bible and loved attending activities with her church family.
Bev was a member of Covenant Reformed Presbyterian church and previous member of the Pueblo Art Guild.
Bev loved God, her husband, family, and friends very much. She will be greatly missed by all.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18