04/01/2026
Beverly Ann Baker, 82, was born January 23,1944, in Boise City, Oklahoma, to Betty and Troy Barnes. She entered into eternal rest on April 1st, 2026, at the Cimarron Memorial Hospital in Boise City, Oklahoma.
At three years of age, her father passed away. Her mother Betty, later married Parker Maness, with whom she had three sons, Kenneth, Gary, and Parker Lee.
Beverly was in charge of her younger brothers while her mom and stepdad were working in the field. She was small enough that she would stand on a stool in order to wash dishes. During Beverly’s elementary days, she attended school in a one room school house at Wheeless. In order to go to high school, she moved to town and lived with Dwight and Leona Phillips for a short period of time. During the summer and after school she worked at Looney Drug. (This is where she would later purchase the wedding ring she would give to Ray.) She also babysat in the evenings when she got off work. It was at that time that she and Ray became friends and hung out together. When they would go to the movies, Leona would warn Ray to be sure and have her back home no later than ten o'clock. Ray said that Leona scared him enough that he made sure Beverly was never late.
She then moved in with her Grandma Mattie Barnes. Most of Ray and Beverly's date nights consisted of playing Canasta with Grandma Barnes, which was fine with all of them because they all enjoyed each other's company. They dated for around two years. About a month before Ray was to graduate, they decided they wanted to get married. So, mid morning on May 21st, 1960, they loaded up with their witnesses, Donald and Snooky Brakhage, and headed to Clayton, NM, to be married at the Baptist parsonage. Once they got there, they were told they needed to go to the court house and get a marriage license before they could get married. At the court house they were informed that Beverly, who at the time was only 16, would need a guardian to "sign off" on their pending marriage. So, back to Wheeless they went to get her mother. Upon arriving back in Clayton with Betty in tow, they were then informed that Ray, even though he was 19, would also need authorization from a guardian as well. So, they loaded back up and headed to Boise City this time to fetch Ray's parents, Debs and Viola. By the time they returned to the courthouse, barely before 5 pm, with all the necessary guardians and signatures in place, they received their marriage license. They proceeded back to the parsonage and finally got married that evening. Ray told Beverly that if it was as hard to get divorced as it was to get married, they were never getting a divorce. It seems all the trouble was worth it. They would have celebrated 66 years this May.
Beverly was still in high school when she became pregnant. When she started to show, she dropped out of high school. Eleven months after they were married, came their oldest daughter, Theresa Elaine. Then two years later, their son Troy Debs came along. When the two kids started school, Beverly pursued and received her GED, testing out with 98%. She enrolled in college classes at OPSU, and proceeded to drive back and forth to Goodwell to get her degree in elementary education. In 1974, she graduated from OPSU with her degree and the same year the baby of the family, Traci Rae came along.
She received word that a 4th grade position opened up at Boise City. She ended up retiring from the Boise City Public School System in 2003, after 30 years of service. She is still loved and respected by the teachers she worked with and students she taught many years ago. People mentioned how her calm demeanor and fairness within her classroom made her one of their favorite teachers. Some of her students still comment today, of how the kindness and love she showed them so many years ago have affected them greatly.
When Beverly was not teaching school, she loved being home. She would help out however she was needed, by mainly cooking and keeping things in order. There was one job that was somewhat out of the ordinary for her. Troy had baled large square bales that needed to be picked up in the field. She was enlisted to drive the semi as Ray would load them. Her instructions were to just leave it in first gear, whether she was in the field or on the highway. She ended up helping drive truck for many summers.
Beverly was also a seamstress and always purchased fabric. One of the items she especially became known for was her denim quilts. She loved giving them as gifts. She would personalize the backing with peoples favorite teams, animals, and anything else that would make it special for the person she made it for. She generously donated many of them to the church youth auctions. Her quilts quickly became some of the most sought-after items at the auctions, and more often than not, her nephew Billy Ray would proudly take one home.
If she wasn't sewing, she could be found outside in her beautiful yard, pulling weeds, watering and tending to her flowers. She loved sharing them with neighbors, friends, and family. She enjoyed participating in Bible studies with the ladies of the church. She was the instigator of reviving the ministry of taking and serving meals to the students at OPSU. She hosted family and holiday dinners. Those get-togethers highlighted her life, especially if a good game of dominoes was included. There were hardly any activities they missed of their grandkids. Traveling near and far including state tournaments in OKC and trips to Kansas. She was one of their biggest supporters. Her love of God followed her all throughout her life, in the way she dealt with the obstacles in her life and also her kind heart and willingness to help others. She never wanted anyone to feel left out and wanted them to always be treated fairly. Doing the right thing, was very important to her.
She is survived by husband, Daniel Ray Baker of 65 years. Two daughters, Theresa Darbyshire and husband Joe, Traci Woolman, and a daughter-in-law, Shelly Baker. Three brothers and their wives, Kenneth and Janese Maness, Gary and Denitta Maness, and Parker Lee and LuShane Maness. 15 Grandkids, 17 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death, by her son Troy Baker, her Father Troy Barnes, her Mother Betty Maness, Step Father Parker Maness, a great grandchild, and two nephews, Trent and Kyle Maness.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Cimarron Memorial Hospital, St. Paul’s Methodist Church, or the Medical Center League House in Amarillo TX.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, April 5, 2026, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Henson-Novak Funeral Directors in Boise City. Funeral services for Beverly will be held at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Boise City on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. with interment to follow at Boise City Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, April 5, 2026, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Henson-Novak Funeral Directors in Boise City. Funeral services for Beverly will be held at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Boise City on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. with interment to follow at Boise City Cemetery.
Friends and family may sign the online guest book, leave an online condolence or upload a favorite photo to www.hensonnovak.com.