Beth Anne Shirley

Our beloved Beth Anne (Franke) Shirley, 41, of Lumberton, went home to be with the Lord on June 7, 2023, following a lengthy illness.  Our lives will never be the same without her smiles, love, encouragement and humor.

She leaves behind many to grieve her absence:  her sons, Phoenix Shirley, of Conroe, Jacob Resch, of Hawaii, and Triston Shirley (and Clarissa) of Pearland; parents, Russell and Darlyne Franke of Nederland; sisters, Shayna Schofield (Justin), of Lumberton, and Lisa Lyons ( Joshua) of Lumberton; brothers , Will Franke (Julie) of Friendswood, and Seth Franke (Dana) of Nederland ; a host of nieces and nephews that she loved dearly, along with their precious families: Jaython Lyons, Alex Franke, Joey Gonzalez, Jada Gonzalez, Caylin Riley. Hunter LaBarge, Andrew Franke, Harleigh LaBarge, Hennasey LaBarge, Adley Franke and Ellie Franke; and her special person Travis Batiste.

Beth was preceded in death by her grandparents, William and Altha Weeks, and Mattie Sue King.

On November 10, 1981, on a Tuesday afternoon, God gifted the Franke family with a beautiful, loving, adventurous baby girl named Beth Anne.   She was proclaimed to be “Beff Anne Bwayby” by her 2-year-old sister, Shayna, on the day she came home from the hospital, and that name stuck with her thru the years to come.   As she grew, her Dad nicknamed her “Beefy”, which she loved.

Beth was the fourth child born into the Franke clan, and she brought her own unique spark into the family mix.  She was bright, and curious about EVERYTHING!!!  She was very loving and cuddly, and also a little sassy, with very definite opinions that she was not slow to share. She had a big, infectious smile that lit up her surroundings.  She always looked for the good in each person and found reasons to be happy.  She had a God-given knack for spotting people that felt alone or excluded and making them her newest friend.  She loved everyone and adored all animals.   Her heart was very compassionate, and full of love.

Beth Anne loved school (both the learning and social aspects), and she excelled in it.  She enjoyed all things athletic. She played softball and was an all-star pitcher.  She loved gymnastics, and also singing with her sisters in the “Melody Makers” group.

Beth grew up in Hillcrest Baptist Church and gave her life to the Lord at the age of 10.  She was not bashful about telling others about the Lord and sharing His love in a gentle way.

She loved to travel, and all things adventurous.  She was a fan of Dr. Who and frequently binged multiple episodes.   Beth attended Lamar University and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.  She was very proud of this, but she considered her most fulfilling enterprise to be raising her three sons, Triston, Phoenix and Jacob.   Nothing gave her more joy, pride, and thankfulness than her boys!!!  Homeroom Mom activities, planning parties, helping with school, and telling her sons about Jesus occupied the majority of her time as an adult, up until she became ill with Lupus and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome eight years ago.   On her good days, she liked nothing better than to do fun things with her sons and her family.

During the course of her illness, though she had frequent very painful days, she reached out to the Lord for strength, and tried to maintain a cheerful outlook.  She continued to be a source of love, kindness and humor to those around her, even when in the midst of suffering.

We would have loved to have kept Beth with us for many, many more years, but God knows all things, and always has a plan that is far superior to ours.  We may not always understand, but we know and trust His heart and His all-knowing wisdom.  Isaiah 55:8-9 says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are My ways your ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  God spared Beth’s life many, many times prior to her homegoing, and we are most thankful for the years He gave us with her.

A gathering of Ms. Shirley’s family and friends will begin at 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at Hillcrest Baptist Church, 3324 Park Drive, Nederland. Her funeral service will be 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at Hillcrest Baptist Church, with her interment to follow at Oak Bluff Memorial Park, Port Neches.

Memorial contributions in Ms. Shirley’s honor to may be made to; Hillcrest Baptist Church Mission Outreach, 3324 Park Drive, Nederland, TX 77627; the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, 2050 Spindletop Avenue, Beaumont, TX 77705; the Lupus Research Foundation, 9250 Lincoln Street Northeast, Blaine, Minnesota 55434; or the Ehlers Danlos Research Foundation, 1829 Reisterstown Road, Suite 100 Pikesville, Maryland 21208.