Stillwater, Oklahoma - Beverly Perkins (née Robson), 88, of Stillwater, OK died, on Friday, January 3rd, 2025. Services will be held in Stillwater's First Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 10, 2025.

Beverly was born to Palmer O. Robson and Pauline Robson (née Lytle) in York County, Nebraska on May 4th, 1936. The youngest of three children, she was a happy surprise to her parents coming a decade after the birth of her two older brothers, Tom (1926-2009) and Don (1927-2000). The family's earliest years were spent in Thayer township (pop. 135), where Palmer ran the grain elevator. "Sally" as Palmer nicknamed Beverly was the apple of her father's eye. When she was old enough to see over the steering wheel, she drove Palmer to and from the grain elevator some two blocks from the family home (except when the county sheriff was in town). With her rat terrier Zipper, cousin Carolyn, and her younger friend, Elaine, Beverly enjoyed a happy childhood. In 1948 she graduated as the class valedictorian from Thayer High School (in a senior class of two).

Beverly followed brother Tom's wife, Ruth (1928-2024) in attending Nebraska Wesleyan University for two years. Like Tom, she attended dental school at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, graduating as a dental hygienist. Passing the board exam for Nebraska, she began working for a dentist in Lincoln. Shortly thereafter, on a blind date arranged by friends, she met a University of Nebraska senior, Larry M. Perkins. After a brief courtship, Beverly married Larry on August 30th, 1959. They spent the next 65 years in a loving union; two souls genuinely meant for one another. Beverly practiced dental hygiene in Syracuse, NY while Larry achieved his doctoral degree. Moving to Muncie, IN for Larry's first job, she gave birth to their son, Stephen (1964), followed by a second son, Andrew (1968), born in Columbia, MO. In 1968, the family made its final move to Stillwater after Larry accepted a position in the Department of Sociology at OSU. With both children enrolled in Stillwater's public schools, Beverly resumed work in the early 1970's as a registered dental hygienist in the office of Dr. William Gray until her retirement in 1995.

As a housewife and working professional, Beverly embraced and relished "staying busy!". She organized her boys' activities and encouraged and facilitated their very different interests. She also set high expectations for their personal comportment. She meticulously oversaw every detail of the Perkins' home with unwavering positive energy, including cooking fantastic dinners every evening. Monday thru Thursday morning she practiced dental hygiene, maintaining a loyal clientele, and contributing significantly to the family's livelihood. She participated in the First Presbyterian Church, neighborhood bridge groups, OSU's Lahoma (faculty wives club), PEO, and other university, civic, and Presbyterian events. She and Larry organized countless dinners, parties, and social gatherings for a diverse collection of friends and colleagues; including biennial post-game blowouts for visiting Nebraska relatives and friends following painful Husker blowouts at OSU's Lewis Field. Ever the enthusiastic organizer, she managed her marriage, motherhood, and work with grace, warmth, and class.

With retirement, Beverly and Larry continued to enjoy the local fellowship of so many close and dear friends while welcoming their new daughter-in-law, Kathy Wullstein (Stephen) into their small and very tight-knit family. They raised two rowdy Boston Terriers; read voraciously; gardened, and traveled widely. To the end Beverly remained fiercely loyal to family and friends, and she appreciated and benefited so much from their loving reciprocation. In addition to her immediate family, she is survived by her brother-in-law Jerry (Bette), along with numerous nephews, nieces, and their children.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Stillwater's Tiny Paws, a local kitten rescue organization: http://tinypawsok.org/ or to the Stillwater Humane Society.