Beverly Ann Carnes Carlson

Beverly Ann Carnes Carlson passed away peacefully on September 23, 2025 at her home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, surrounded by her loving family.

Beverly was born on January 26, 1942 and graduated in 1960 from Lawton High School, recipient of the Schubert Club Music Theory Award. She received her B.A. from Oklahoma State University in Music Education in 1966 and became an elementary music and speech teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma until 1976. During that time, she obtained a Masters Degree in Education from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

She then shifted careers and went to work for Goodyear Tire and Rubber in Lawton as a Human Resources Specialist. Beverly was loved and respected by her managers, colleagues and other plant employees.

Beverly married Gunnar Carlson Jr. in 1987, whom she got to know via hours and hours of conversation over amateur radio and then dated for more than ten years.

They settled in Las Cruces and Ruidoso, New Mexico, where they were very active with the Masonic Lodge. Beverly was a member of Eastern Star. Along side Gunnar, she was a pistol-packing member of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Posse and a Demolay mentor. She was also extremely proud to be a member of Daughters of the American Revolution.

Beverly possessed talent in cooking, music and art, painting, jewelry making and quilting. A few years ago, she made over 100 beautiful, colorful lap quilts and she and Gunnar distributed them at the local veterans hospital.

She was loved by the countless many whom she helped through her wisdom, generosity and humanitarian efforts. She will always be remembered as a strong and kind woman who was unafraid to speak her mind.

She is survived by three children, daughter, Cynthia Bookout, and sons Torre Bookout and Daniel McKinney and grandchildren Ariel, Aaron, Gavin, Adriana, and Angela McKinney.

A celebration of life will be held in Las Cruces on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 1pm, at the Las Cruces Scottish Rite Temple.