Today has been an emotional day. Actually the last couple have been. Yesterday, I was reading the newspaper and flipped the page to the obits and there staring at me was a picture of a girl I had gone to school with. A girl who would have even been considered a friend who kept in touch with me, off and on until about 2 years ago. This girl tried so hard. She loved so easily and wanted to be loved in return. She had so many things counting against her. When she was 3 she was adopted by a family who loved her and tried to make her happy but I think her first few years of life must have been so hard, and too much for her to overcome. I found out today that when she was born she only weighed 2 lbs 11ozs. That is a tiny baby and 33 years ago I don't think too many lived when they were that small. I attended the graveside service. It was so sad. I don't think it was sad because she is dead, as her dad said "This isn't sad, her life was sad." I was so sad for the life that she wasn't able to live. She never got to have a family or know the joy of being in a relationship with some one who truely loves you. Thank goodness that we have faith to know that she is now free of the human frailities and that her progression can continue on. She can become the woman that she was meant to be. I have felt guilt, thanks to her mental illnesses (and I think there were many and pretty severe) she was a hard person to handle sometimes. I feel guilty because I wish I would have been a better friend to her. I wish that I would have had the ability to love her perfectly, to love her the way my Heavenly Father would have had me love her. I noticed at the service that there was a lot of regret, there were people who were saying,"we were always trying to ditch her" etc... I know that I did the best I could with what I had but that's what Beverly did too. She unfortunately wasn't given as much as I was, or maybe she was given more... I hope that I can resolve to be better, to look outside myself, to love all, to develop a Christ-like love, to develop charity. I believe that is what we all need, the pure love of Christ.



So in Beverly's memory, I vow to speaker kinder to and of people and to look for the best and assume people are doing the best they can. It's a lofty goal but one that always needs to be worked on.




Beverly Perkes
1974-2007
Beverly Perkes, 33, died Friday, Sept. 7, 2007, of a heart attack at the Utah State Hospital. Beverly was born on June 23, 1974, in Las Vegas, Nevada and joined the Perkes family on April 29, 1978. She attended school in the County School District and especially enjoyed participating in the Color Guard prior to graduating from Sky View High School in 1993. Beverly was extremely loving and always wanted to help others. Her favorite job was volunteering as a Candy Striper at the Hospital and visiting people that she knew were alone. She had a talent for sign language and touched many people with the grace and beauty of her hands. Beverly is survived by her parents, Lynn and Kris Perkes of Utah; her brother, Steven (Celeste) Perkes also of , Utah; sisters, Jamie Perkes of St. , Utah and Alison (Spencer) Sullivan of, Ore. She is also survived by three nephews, Christopher, Tyler, and Alex Perkes; and one niece, Jordan Sullivan. Graveside memorial services will be held at the City Cemetery Friday, Sept. 14th at 11a.m. A second memorial service will be held at the Utah State Hospital, 1300 E. Center in Provo on Saturday Sept. 15 at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Beverly's name to the Intensive Treatment Unit at The Utah State Hospital, 1300 E. Center, Utah 84603. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Allen-Hall Mortuary, Utah. Condolences may be sent to the family online at http://www.allenmortuaries.net/. Published in the Herald Journal from 9/12/2007 - 9/19/2007.