Beverly Ann Draper

After a day spent doing what she loved most, Beverly Ann Draper passed away peacefully on April 17, 2026 in Midland, Texas at the age of 80. Beverly was born Ann Baldridge on May 25, 1945 to Elbert Vernon (E.V.) and Fredna Merle Sibley Baldridge in Greenville, Texas. She spent much of her teenage years in Tyler, Texas where she graduated from Robert E. Lee High School (now Tyler Legacy), learned to make the best southern cornbread dressing (in a cast iron skillet, of course) from her stepmother, Peggy Stanley Baldridge, and got her first job as a church pianist.

From an early age, Beverly was passionate about music. Some of her earliest memories were of sitting on a piano bench next to her grandmother, Mama Hunt. Beverly was a naturally gifted musician and could turn the simple notes of her favorite hymns into beautiful, full-keyboard melodies. Throughout her life, she shared her love of music as a piano teacher, soloist, choir member, church pianist, and occasional pop-up performer at Manor Park where she spent her last years.

After high school, Beverly went on to complete two years of college at East Texas Baptist University where she met the love of her life, George Draper. George and Beverly married in 1962 and spent more than a decade in Baptist ministry together. Beverly loved the Lord, and some of her happiest times were spent playing piano and singing with her husband on Sunday mornings.

George and Beverly had many feathered and furry children before adopting their daughters, Rebecca and Elizabeth. Beverly was her girls’ biggest cheerleader and never missed a moment to express how proud she was of them. She gave Rebecca and Elizabeth the greatest gift a mother can offer—unconditional love and support.

Beverly raised her family in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and, after George’s passing, she worked as a jewelry inspector and served in the prayer ministry at Premier Designs. When she retired, she moved to Midland, Texas to be near Elizabeth’s family and to live at Manor Park.

Beverly loved to create beauty. She liked to recall George saying, “Honey, you’d decorate a cardboard box.” She enjoyed gardening and adding unique decorative touches to her home, often incorporating daisies, her favorite flower, because they reminded her of George. But most of all, she loved bringing beauty and light into the lives of those around her.

Beverly will be remembered for her infectious smile, playful teasing, affectionate nicknames, and big hugs. On her last day, she regained some of the twinkle in her eye. She visited with family, shared memories of George, and filled the halls of Manor Park with piano music, something her illness had prevented her from doing for some time. We are sure that Beverly is, at last, joyfully reunited with George and “playing up a storm” in Heaven.

"And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known." 1

A loving wife, daughter, and mother, Beverly was preceded in death by her husband, George, in 1989 and her father, E.V., in 1995. She is survived by her daughters, Rebecca Randall (Scott) and Elizabeth Jobe (Shane); four cherished grandchildren—Grant, Ashlyn, Alexandra, and Nathaniel; her brother, Edwin Baldridge (Rhonda); her sister, Lori Hutson; and her brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 13th at 10:00 a.m. in Bluebonnet Hall at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park: 5725 Colleyville Road, Colleyville, Texas 76034.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Manor Park in Beverly’s memory: 5212 Sinclair Avenue, Attn: Amanda Ellis, Midland, Texas 79707.

1. Miles, C. Austin. “In the Garden.” The Baptist Hymnal No. 187, 1991.