Beverly Lasher

Beverly J. Lasher, 82, passed peacefully Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009. Memorial service: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Mayfield Kiser Funeral Home, Burleson. Memorials: Leukemia-Lymphoma Society at www.leukemia-lymphoma.org. Beverly was born on Sept. 6, 1927, in New York, the daughter of John and Vera Ames. She graduated from Arlington High School. She pursued many activities, including being a florist, real estate agent and local craft activity. In 1968, she made headlines through her efforts in establishing and organizing a memorial fund for the purpose of serving north Texas service men fighting in Vietnam. Known as the Rick Lasher Memorial Fund, Beverly and several dedicated volunteers sent packages and wrote letters to local service men who had no relatives stateside from which to receive parcels. She succeeded in influencing Congress to look at the then controversial M-16 rifle after receiving several letters from soldiers regarding problems with the lubricant. For these contributions, Beverly received the Female Newsmaker Award from the Fort Worth Press Club. In her later years, she enjoyed spending time gardening, sewing, reading and with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Survivors: Her son, Kevin Lasher and wife, Marjorie, of Grand Prairie; daughter, Maureen Underwood of Krum; grrandchildren, Patrick Fuller, Meghan Cole, Joshua Cole and Ben Lasher; great-grandchildren, Lily Fuller and Alyssa Cole.