Rest In Peace, Bev
Locals know the icon of local politics, Bev Carter of the Fort Bend Star. She never backed down from a fight. Bev passed away on Saturday evening.
She was my first editor and my biggest critic. I worked for her off and on for twenty five years. I say off and on because we often butted heads. I think she fired me once and I quit twice. Together we scared people. There are more stories to tell than I really want to remember right now but I specifically recall both of us walking into commissioners court once and the county attorney running for the door.
About once a month we’d show up at the courthouse on Friday afternoons to do “bed checks,” seeing which elected officials left work early. It worked – they started their weekend at 5:00 just to keep from getting pictures of their empty desks in the newspaper.
I once hid out at her house for a week to avoid a subpoena to reveal a source. I was willing to go to jail until I found out that they wouldn’t let me bring my own underwear and pillow.
We practically single-handedly got rid of a corrupt district judge and an incompetent district attorney. We rifled through cell phone bills back when the county was paying by the minute and found thousands and thousands of dollars of personal calls, even hundreds to an elected official’s girlfriend. During that episode I saw her make a grown man cry and then holler at him for crying.
We were the first to realize that FBISD Superintendent Raj Chopra was a fraud, and we got called every name in the book for going after him because “it made the school district look bad and that hurt business.” Screw the kids; we can’t hurt real estate agents!
We got into a fight with a police chief, more than one constable, the entire Rotary Club, and the county attorney.
Her newspaper, which she founded and published, did more to make Fort Bend liveable than the chamber of commerce ever did.
When I met her in 1985, she was a Republican. By 2000 she was a Democrat and didn’t care who knew it. Her favorite thing to do was to hack off the religious right.
She was married five times but said that didn’t count because she married one of them twice. I said it most certainly did count because she shot one of them and that should count double. She shot him and while driving him to the emergency room concocted the story he should tell about shooting himself. She claimed to have invented the phrase, “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it” when the police came the emergency room to interview her about the “accident.”
She was one tough broad. She fought COPD, breast cancer, and the recent death of her only daughter. My last conversation with her was from Austin at the rally with Wendy. She wanted to know where I got the pink tennis shoes. I had talked to her the week before and she fussed at me for not writing enough about local politics, so I guess it’s time for me to go piss off the sheriff or the district attorney.
The last story we worked on together was a fun one. It’s fun when people you don’t like prove that nobody should like them because they are jerks.
Bev leaves behind a son, Michael, his wife Lisa, three grandchildren she completely adored, and a large grateful fan base who will miss her.
Her last column was a tribute to her father.
She was smart, courageous, and beautiful, but mostly she was fierce.
Fierce women. The world needs more of ’em. We all mourn the loss of each one. Consolation to you on the loss of your friend.
1Jessica
RIP Bev (and deepest condolences to her family and friends).
2To Bev, and to your loss.
3Condolences–to her family and friends, and all of us who appreciate strong women…her passing really leaves a void.
4Condolences to you, JJ, her family and the rest of her friends. Once had an editor like Bev. Jo was another fierce piece of work. She also died too soon. When I relate a few things to people about Jo, they just don’t believe that anyone, a boss included, could be so picky about when and how work was done. There is a sad attitude about work these days and Jo, like Bev, is so missed!
5Deepest sympathy, JJ.
Some folks make the world a better place.
This lady was definitely one of those people.
How fortunate you were, to have her in your life.
Condolences to her family, and all her friends, and fans.
6Bev Carter will be missed. I am sorry for your loss. The county has suffer a great loss
7I never knew Bev Carter, and that was my loss. We need more people like her in the news business.
8My deepest condolences, Susan. May your wonderful memories comfort you during this difficult time.
Lorraine
9Bev must have been a real hoot. I love the visual of the court attorney running for the door when the two of you show up. So sorry for your loss…sending good thoughts your way.
10The Fort Bend Star was thrown onto our driveway every week as soon as we moved into our house on the Brazos River edge of Sugar Land. I was immediately attracted to Bev’s Burner, and especially drawn to a certain beauty salon column. After the WMDBS went online, I became a regular customer, and that’s how I first became friends with Juanita Jean. I only met Bev one time, when Fenway Fran infiltrated a Belles of Heaven organized meeting on some long forgotten issue. She was something. Even after moving away to the Pacific NW, I would still go online and read Bev’s Burner to find out what was REALLY going on in my old county. So sorry to hear of her passing. Another feisty one, gone too soon.
11I loved reading her paper when you and John(before the deep end jump) wrote for her. There was a balance to it. She will be missed.
12I am so sorry to hear this. In addition to the personal loss, I don’t know what Fort Bend will do (or become, or become more so) without her.
13I never met Bev Carter, but from reading your vivid and loving word portrait of her, I’m really sorry I didn’t. Thank you for sharing your friend with us, and please accept my sincere condolences on your loss.
14With all the goofy public officials Texas has on display it’s a distinct pleasure to be associated with JJ. Bev would have been more than a business partner. She would have make a hell of a drill sgt.
15Well, at least Fort Bend County still has Juanita Jean. We all should be so lucky. Hugs, JJ.
16The list of great women of Texas includes Bev Carter, Ann Richards and Molly Ivans. A qualifying list will never include Kay Bailey Huthinson or any woman who voted to curtail women’s rights or opportunities.
17A lovely tribute to your fierce friend. Condolences to her family and true friends.
18Wonderful stories by Bev Carter on those links.
19Good editors are darn near impossible to find.
20My condolences to family and friends. I would have loved to have known her.
21My sympathies to you, Mz JJ, and to all others who knew and loved Bev and faithfully followed her columns.
22JJ, condolences to you and Bev’s family. I must say, Texas produces some of the most dumb ass
23men in the history of the universe, but you more than make up for it with the women you turn out. Ann Richards, Molly Ivins, you and Bev – what a wonderful legacy Texas women have.
I read Bev’s column regularly since discovering it right here on JJ’s blog a few years back. I had just sent Bev a note a few weeks ago thanking her for her hilarious column about getting pulled over by a policeman for what she insisted were bogus reasons. I was laughing out loud while reading that piece, so that definitely merited a grateful email from me. Yes, fierce women must be cherished and celebrated.
May she rest in peace and may her strong spirit soar.
24Beautiful post. Bev will be missed.
25@olescout I had a mental picture of Ann and Molly dealing Bev into whatever poker game they are playing!
So sorry JJ, some people just seem to make us better that we are. Bev sounds like one of those 🙁
26So sorry to hear about Bev. Fierce women are special and far too rare, and we must appreciate them when we have them. May Bev rest in peace and her family and friends celebrate the life she had and never forget that she was someone who made a difference for many.
Susan, I appreciate you.
27My condolences to Ms. JJ and all of Ms. Bev’s friends and admirers.
28My heartfealt condolences to you, Susan, and to Bev’s family. But also to all of us. There are too few people like Bev around anymore, and even fewer in the “working press.” They don’t make ’em like that anymore, and too many of the press folk I come across are stenographers for whomenver they cover, while editors merely reformat press releases and call them “news.”
Principaled hard-nosed reporters – their dearth is the death of the first amendment.
29I am heartbroken over Bev’s passing. She made a difference in my life and was a load of fun. She was the first person I told that I voted for Barak Obama twice and for Bill White. I told her I must be a Democrat, because the Republican Party had left me. She said she must be one also. She made me try harder and be a better person and to stand up against the ole boy brotherhood when it was necessary. Thank God for Bev Carter and all of the other women before us that helped to kick in the glass ceiling.
Regarding the Rotary Club, you did not get the whole club mad at you, because I was there. I laughed and laughed and that too was not approved. I could have told you they weren’t ready for you because as a Rotary Club Member (former), I brought a U of H professor or executive to speak on Sexual Harassment right after the new law. You could here a pin drop except when the ole boys whined that there was no such thing as sexual harassment and it was all in fun.
You and Bev have given me so many laughs over the years and I read you daily still. Keep up the fight for the girls that are still working and trying to push the younger girls to new heights like Molly, Governor Ann, Bev and you have done over the years.
Sometimes, a community gets better when a few good funerals happen. With Bev, this is not the case. She will be missed and missed and missed.
30I just wish I had known her.
Tommy
31Ms Carter was one of a kind. I read her column whenever I went to Chik-fil-A (where copies are available). I enjoyed her “tell it like it is” and saying what was on her mind. She was one of the last journalists who wrote in an old fashioned and truthful way. I will miss her column. To the family of Ms Carter…you had a super mom. May they find strength and comfort by our Heavenly Father in the days ahead
32While I didn’t know Bev Carter personally, I felt like I did, after reading her paper and columns for so many years. We first read her paper when we moved to Quail Valley, way back in 1983 and it was always a good source of local info and Fort Bend news that we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else !!
33As the saying goes, “well-behaved women seldom make history” … Bev & Co. helped keep things a little more honest here in Ft. Bend … Rest in peace, Bev
Texas has such a grand legacy of fierce women; I’m sorry we’ve lost another one. Condolences to everyone who cared about her.
34I was introduced to Juanita jean by reading the FB Star starting in early 1998 when I moved to Ft Bend. And i continued to read both Bev’s column every week, and Juanita’s blog every day. Carry on the fight Susan. Its all up to you to keep all those fluffy old white guys (like me) honest.
My condolences to Bev’s family, and I hope someone keeps up the tradition.
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