Beverly Ann (Baugher) Blackwell

Beverly Blackwell was called to heaven on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at University of Missouri Hospital after a long battle with lung disease and sepsis with her family members by her hospital bed holding her hands. She fought long and hard and beat an aggressive form of lung cancer, but was ultimately called “home”. We believe she is celebrating in heaven with her husband Bill, on his birthday, and all the love ones that preceded her.

Beverly Baugher Windsor Blackwell was born on September 26, 1946 to Roscoe and Dolores Baugher in Bucklin, Missouri. She grew up on a large farm in a small loving town. She enjoyed helping her dad with all the farm work whether it was cattle or crops which developed her longtime love of gardening. She was a lifelong member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Bucklin, MO and was baptized at the same church. As a young girl she was heavily involved in her small community and enjoyed participating in many church and school activities.

She graduated from Bucklin High School in Bucklin, Missouri, in 1964. She was proficient in business, shorthand, 10-key, and typed over 120 words per minute. She moved to Columbia, MO in 1964 immediately following high school and began an over 30 year long career with the University of Missouri-Columbia and University of MO Extension. She started as a secretary in the Accounting Dept and ended her career as the Director of Telecommunications here in Columbia, which is now IT, and then at the TCRC in Poplar Bluff, MO. She was on the ground floor of many technological advancements, bringing the University into the 21st century with new software programs, laying CAT5, Ethernet, etc. She was asked to give lectures on new technology and enjoyed teaching and learning new things along with her peers and students. After she semi retired, she and her husband, Bill, moved to Doniphan, MO, building their lovely retirement home, which she designed, on top of a beautiful cliff overlooking the Current River. They hosted many family and friends, especially grandkids, who enjoyed their own private “bed and breakfast”, hiking, relaxing on their deck, the local VFW, and fishing and floating on the Current River for several years. After getting settled in Doniphan, she started back to work at Poplar Bluff, MO’s TCRC with University Extension and started one of the first telemedicine hubs, as well as other teleconferences. This was brand new technology which she thoroughly enjoyed, when it worked correctly. She stayed techno-savvy until the very end, enjoying ordering her groceries and home goods online as well as staying in touch with her many friends and family on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. She also enjoyed bowling in Columbia and Poplar Bluff, texting like a teenager, swapping pictures, and good old-fashioned long phone conversations. She was always watching her game shows or playing computer games to “keep her mind sharp and to stay up with the times”. She was always proficient, detail oriented and well organized; the one to organize work conferences, work lectures, bowling conferences, family get-togethers, and class reunions, etc. She was a jack of all trades and the best wife, mom, step-mom, mother-in-law, “Grandma BB”, sister, aunt, cousin and friend anyone could ever ask for! She was always a room-mom when her kids were in grade school, she ran her kids to many many sporting events and school functions, was an active member of her church, helped both her son and daughter plan their weddings, was on many bowling teams/leagues and held many officer positions with her bowling leagues, was inducted into the Bowling Hall of Fame in 2012, received many awards at the University of MO, and enjoyed keeping up with her kids and grandkids on social media as well as playing board games and cards with them, never letting then win on purpose.

In approx 1993, Bev and Bill moved to Doniphan, MO and in approx 2002 moved back to the mid Missouri area in Hallsville, MO (to another home which she again designed herself) to be closer to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. They filled their days with camping, tractor pulling, dinners at the VFW, four-wheeling, hiking, gardening, grandparents’ days at local grade schools, musicals, dance recitals, and ballgames, and always shared their unconditional love. She loved them all and accepted everyone just as they were!

Bev was known for her kind heart, intelligence, organizational skills, professionalism, meticulous editing skills, quick wit, and the way she made everyone feel worthy, special, and loved. She was known to everyone as Bev or BB. She loved gardening, bowling, game shows, luncheons with her retired University of MO friends, Friday night dinners with her widowed girlfriends, country music, gospel music, musicals, her dogs (Sadie) and traveling. But her greatest joy was her spending time family and friends.

Later in life when asked what she considered her greatest accomplishment, Bev would say, “my family.” She was always positive, “glass half full” as she would often say. She always showed gratitude and said she felt blessed, always wanted to help the less fortunate, always rooted for the underdog, always full of love, and devoted to her family and friends. Her love will live on in our laughter, tears, life lessons, the wisdom she passed on to us and the wonderful memories we hold deep in our hearts. She was an amazing mom and friend and is already terribly missed!

Bev was preceded in death by her parents, Roscoe and Dolores Baugher and her husband, Bill, of 31 years. She was also preceded in death by the father of her children, John Windsor, and a grandson, Joshua Friedrich. She is survived by her Sister, Arleta (Baugher) Stone and brother-in-law, Roger Stone; children Stacie Windsor Friedrich and son-in-law, John Friedrich, Jason Windsor and mother of her grandsons, JoEllen Windsor; bonus/step-children (which she liked to claim as her own) Vicki Blackwell Whitney, Randy Blackwell, and Warren Brent (Tammy) Blackwell; grandchildren: Suzanne Friedrich Pearson (Aric), Christine Friedrich Corbin (Jacob), Zackary Windsor, Nathan Windsor, Lauren Whitney Karr (Geoff), Blair Whitney (Seanmichael Stanley), Blake Whitney (Kelly); and her great-grandchildren, Adrienne & Alexis Pearson, Kennedy & Beckett Karr, Penny Stanley, and Emerson, Oliver, & Theodore Whitney. She is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins and her dog, Sadie Mae.

Our family would also like to say a special note of thanks to everyone who took care of Bev at the Univ of MO Medicine ICU, Progressive Care Unit, & Internal Medicine floors as well as everyone who cared for her at Columbia Post Acute rehab facility. She was treated with kindness, dignity, respect, compassion, and lots of tender loving care. Thank you!

A celebration of Bev’s life will be held at Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday, August 16, 2025, with a visitation from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. with a service at 3:00 p.m., as she donated her body to the “Gift of Life” program at the University of Missouri.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to the University of MO “Gift of Life”, JDRF, Central MO Food Bank, Second Chance Animal Rescue, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Bev’s honor or an organization close to your heart.

Online condolences and tributes may be shared with the family at www.bachyager.com.

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