FOREVER FRIENDS - #2

I've talked a lot about my forever friend, Joan, now it's time to introduce you to my other forever friend, Bev. This picture is of her and Mickey on a balloon ride in Albuquerque in 1981.


Bev and I met in early 1958. She was 17, and already married to Jim, and I was 19, and dating Mickey. We worked together and became good friends almost instantly. One of the first things I did was introduce her to Joan. The three of us became close. After Mickey & I married both Bev & Joan and their husbands began attending the same little Independent Baptist church I attended. These were great years of growing in the Lord for all of us. We were all raising our young families and sharing everything. We rotated going to one of our homes every Sunday for dinner. We would play cards 'til the wee hours on Friday nights, with all our kids asleep on pallets on the floor. Bev & Jim had one son and 2 daughters.


I have lots of pictures of all of us from these years but they are all on the 35mm slides that I have not been able to get into my computer yet so I'll just have to share older pictures of us!!



This picture was taken of Joan and Bev in 1981.

This is another 1981 photo of Bev presenting Mickey with a painting of Minnie Mouse she had done for him. That's me in the blue jacket. Bev was absolutely one of the most talented people I know. She could, and did, do anything and everything. Her kids, and Joan & mine too, didn't think there was anything she couldn't fix with scotch tape, and/or duck tape, or staples.

This picture was taken in 1984 as Mickey & I were moving into our beautiful Albuquerque home (that we had to force sell). Mickey kneeling, Jim in white shirt, me on my knees and Bev in the red. Bev & Jim helped me so much with painting, wall papering and a lot of things on this home while Mickey and Marc were back in Tulsa getting my mother and packing up things there.

This picture was taken in El Paso, TX at a balloon rally. Bev is on the left, then me, our youngest son, Marc, Mickey, Darlene (another Albuquerque friend who went down with us) and the 2 other girls are locals that helped us that day.

This picture is my two forever friends as they light candles for Mickey and my marriage renewal vows

October 1, 1988.

Bev was so instrumental in helping me plan,

organize and pull off this event. Lots more on that when I post about it.

Bev and I were totally seeking God and God's will in every aspect of our lives. We would read something in a book and call each other and spend hours on the phone discussing it. We were avid coffee drinkers and would go to a restaurant for a cup of coffee and sit for hours talking. We use to tease the waitresses that they needed to charge us "rent" for the booth. This would always be mid-afternoon when the restaurant was basically empty. The one question Bev kept asking me over and over again was,

"Susan, what does it mean to die to your self?"

Seven months and 10 days after the above picture was taken, on May 11, 1989,

my wonderful friend went to Heaven to see her Jesus and sit at His feet.

She was 49 1/2 years young.

Several week prior, on her way to work, she suffered 3 brain aneurysms. She lost control of the car and careened into the on coming traffic. Luckily she did not hit anyone. That was an angel of God occurrence as it was 8:30 a.m. traffic.

She lay flat on her back in the hospital for several weeks.

The last time Joan and I visited her she looked up to the ceiling and said "Oh look!!!! Can you see them? The flowers!! Oh look, look they are so beautiful!! Can you see them?" We both assured her we saw them.

She was flown to San Francisco via ambulance plane for surgery by one of the most renown brain surgeons. She & Jim made the trip alone. They were going to operate on one of the aneurysms and then do the other's later. The first surgery went so well the Dr. made the decision to go ahead and perform the second. She died during that surgery. Poor Jimmy was there all alone.

Her funeral was so huge they were standing all around the edge and outside. She had worked her entire life in the insurance industry and had risen to the top in her field, She was very respected professionally, an active member of Calvary Chapel and loved by all us who called her friend. Few could have loved her more dearly than I did and I still miss her terribly to this day.

Beverly Doris Dickman Bruskas

November 11, 1940 - May 11, 1989

Sister in the Lord

Friend Forever