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Cemetery Location Map to Gravesite |
Birth Date: 10/14/1932
Death Date: 6/9/1975
Calvary Cemetery
Sacred Heart, Section 20, Row 20, Lot 29
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Beverly Ann was the second of three children born to Gene and Kathryn Blanford on October 14, 1932. She attended St. Roch's and St. Joan of Arc grade schools and St. Agnes High School in Indianapolis. She told us many stories of the escapades of her dog, Bo, who had some seemingly human qualities. During high school, she worked at times at Beveridge Paper Company, on the present site of White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis, where her father was employed as a purchasing agent.
She met Don, her husband to be, on a blind date! After several months, they were engaged. Don was a racecar driver and she would go with him on weekends to his racing events. Three weeks before they were to be married Don's car got upside down on the front stretch during a race and three cars proceeded to hit him. Track personnel were saying things like, "keep her away from the car", and "he's a mess" and "no one could live through that." However, he just sustained a concussion, some arm and rib injuries and was out of the hospital in a few days. In his hospital, room Bev gave him an option, "Racing or me." In a letter to a friend after they were married, she stated, "Thank God he chose me!"
On September 20, 1952, they were married at St. Joan of Arc church and honeymooned in Daytona Beach, Florida. Don II was born the following June and Tim in January 1956. While raising her sons, she worked at Paul Harris Stores and eventually moved on to Marian College in the student services office in the mid 60's. She worked at Marian up to the time of her death in 1975. She was an avid follower of her son's sports, especially basketball. Bev loved interior decorating and took classes to help her in decorating the home. She antiqued several pieces of furniture herself and always wanted everything looking just right.
She loved animals; especially our dog "Candy" that her father brought home from the mascot's litter at Beveridge Paper Co. "Gretchen" followed afterwards when some students at Marian picked her up on the road after witnessing her being dumped out of a car. That love transferred to the rest of the family as we took in a stray cat and then cared for her kittens and then the grand-kittens. Injured birds could always find help at our house!
May all that she loved surround her in Heaven. |
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Beverly and Don on their wedding day, September 20, 1952 at St. Joan of Arc and
Bev and Don on their 20th Anniversary, September 20, 1972.
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Beverly holding Timmy age 5 months on
Donnie's 3rd birthday, June 1956.
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Beverly and Don going to the Mardi Gras Party at
St. Michael's Church, March 1, 1960.
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Bev and Don with friends The Ormsby's,
Candlelite Dance, Indiana Roof, November 4, 1960
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Easter 1967, Donnie, Timmy, Bev,
Bev's mother Kathryn, Don (behind Kathryn), Bev's father, Gene.
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Beverly, Don, Bev's sister Jeannine and her husband John, Summer 1970.
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60th Anniversary celebration for Michael and Margaret Bauer.
seated next to Beverly, their granddaughter.
standing, great-grandsons Don II (left), Tim (right), Don Sr. (middle)
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(top) Bev in her new footie pajamas at Christmas.
(bottom) Tim's 18th birthday, Jan. 20, 1974. Last good picture of Bev before getting ill again. (L to R) Don II, Bev, Tim, Don Sr.
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Beverly on right at about age 9, brother Bob, age 10 and sister Jeannine, age 6.
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Bev on her honeymoon at Daytona Beach, Florida.
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