Beverly LaVerne Bartlett Chance

LaVerne, the youngest of three children, was born July 6, 1948, in El Paso, Texas, to Floyd Harold Bartlett and Addie Louise Bartlett. LaVerne, her sister Jeanette, and her brother Norman grew up in El Paso, Texas, and lived for a time in Munich, Germany, where their father was stationed in the U.S. Army. LaVerne graduated from Andress High School, El Paso, Texas, in May of 1966. She is survived by Jimmie Wayne Chance, her husband of 40 days shy of 40 years, her son Mark Louis Chance and his wife Katrina Marie Chance, and her daughter Sarah Chance Wallace and her husband Jeff Wallace. LaVerne was both a blessing to and blessed by four grandchildren: Christopher Immanuel Chance and Adrienne Marie Chance, and Parker Wallace and Cameron Wallace. Her brother Norman Bartlett lives in El Paso, Texas, and her sister Jeanette Reeves lives in Kingsland, Texas.

Jeanette remembers, "I guess because I was eight years older than my baby sister, I really can't recall having that much to do with her until we were grown. Then our relationship blossomed into a closeness we had not known before. When she was four and Norman was six, it was my responsibility to walk or ride my bike about one-half to a mile after I got out of school to pick them up at the day care. When I rode my bike, I pedaled home with Norman on the back fender and LaVerne on the handlebars. I can't believe she actually lived through that. Also, I remember when the 3 of us got to go to the movie to see 'Creature from the Black Lagoon'. It was so scary we all three huddled together in one chair."

Norman remembers his sister joining the Order of Rainbow Girls. She was absolutely crazy about The Beatles, and she would sit on the floor and scream while watching them on television. One day, when LaVerne was about four, Norman would not stop pestering her, so LaVerne grabbed his toy pistol from his holster and whopped him over the head with it.

All of us who knew and loved her remember LaVerne as a woman with fierce courage and determination to love and protect her family. The grace of God communicated through her life has made us all better than we would have been otherwise. No words can ever plumb the depths of our gratitude.

LaVerne's memorial service was held at Tallowood Baptist Church on Thursday, July 28, 2016, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a beautiful reception at the church. After cremation, LaVerne was interred at Houston National Cemetery in a small, private ceremony.