In the early afternoon of Monday, February 19, 2024, our sweet Mom, Beverly June Parker Rankin, passed away peacefully at her home in Bryan, Texas, while surrounded by her loving family. Mom hoped to make her 91st birthday, but in late November 2023, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Mom was born on Friday, June 16, 1933, to Elgerine Markowsky and Eunis Lee Parker in the front bedroom of her maternal grandmother’s home in Harlingen, Texas. Her Aunt Claire named her and she grew up with various nicknames, “BJ,” “Cottontop,” and “Beaver.” As a child, she attended Grace Lutheran Church. Since her Mom was often sick, a friend, Ms. Altus, took her and her brothers to church. Her Mom always tied money into a white handkerchief so she wouldn’t lose it before church. She lived on Orange Heights Road until she was 12 years old, then moved from town life to the dramatic change of country life in Rangerville, Texas. Mom graduated from San Benito High School in May 1951.

Mom married the love of her life, Joe F. Rankin on October 4, 1951, and had four children: Karen (Kerry) Dean, Scott Rankin (ex-wife JoAnn), Patti (Al) Pierce, and Paula (Bill) Wise; eight grandchildren: Laura (Brett) Walker, Colby (Linsey) Wise, Jason (Caitlyn) Jacobus, Zachary (Katie) Wise, Shane (Jeannie) Rankin, Mallory (Thomas) Flippin, Victoria Rankin, and Bailey Joseph Rankin; and 14 great-grandchildren.

In 1953, Mom and Dad moved to Texas City where Dad got a job at Texas City Refinery (TCR).  Then in 1955 they moved to La Marque (LM) and became members of the First Baptist Church (40 years).  Mom was a stay-at-home mother until the twins were nine years old. Most of her career was spent as an assistant credit manager at W. A. Kelso Building Materials in Galveston, Texas. When the kids were young, Mom was part of a local “welcome wagon,” for the LM community. As most of her friends know, she loved meeting new people, and made friends easily. Over the years, she was a Juniors Girl Scout leader, team softball mom, secretary for the LM Girls Softball Association, secretary of the LM Garden Club, member of the LM Clean City Commission, secretary of LM Crime Stoppers (20 years), and secretary of the TC / LM Chamber of Commerce – Golden Division.

After moving to League City in 1995, Mom and Dad became members of Bay Area (First Baptist) Church, where she was secretary for their “Jolly 60s” Sunday school group. She was also on the board of the Landing Subdivision HOA. In 2018, Mom moved to Bryan, living next door to Karen and Kerry. She quickly became an involved member at Central (Baptist) Church in College Station. Mom lived in Bryan until the time of her death. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, her parents, and brothers, Kenneth and Bill Parker.

The family would like to thank the precious hospice workers of Amedisys Hospice for their loving care of our mom during the various stages of her end-of-life care.   Their care for our mom was such a blessing.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, March 3, 2024, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at the Crowder Funeral Home, located at 851 FM517 Road West, in Dickinson, Texas.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 4, 2024, at Bay Area Church located at 4800 West Main Street in League City, Texas. A short time to visit with family will be held prior to the memorial, from 9:15 – 9:55 AM. The memorial will be held from 10:00 – 11:15 AM. Pastor Tim Skaggs from Central Church in College Station, Texas, will preside over the ceremony. The pallbearers will be Kerry Dean, Bill Wise, Colby Wise, Jason Jacobus, Zachary Wise, Shane Rankin, and Bailey Joseph Rankin. Honorary pallbearers will be Pete Rygaard, Al Pierce, Mike Pichon, and Jay Reddell.

An intimate graveside ceremony will be held after the memorial for the family only.

Condolences can be sent to the family through the Crowder Funeral Home website (www.crowderfuneralhome.com/category/obituaries), or you can mail cards to “The Rankin Family” in c/o Paula Wise, 3515-B Longmire Drive, Box 233, College Station, TX 77845.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made “in memorial to Beverly June Parker Rankin” to the following:
– Tunnel to Towers, 2316 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306; www.T2T.org/donate
– Texas Lions Camp, P.O. Box 290247, Kerrville, TX 78029

In closing, Mom would like to leave you with her favorite Bible verse:

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV)