Playing cowboys on the family farm, riding horses, lounging at the lake and going on dog walks at the park are some of Daniel Granger's favourite moments of his sister Beverly.
Memories with her are all that's left for the surviving members of the Granger family after the nearly-65-year-old's passing in October. Beverly Karen Granger was born on New Year's Day in 1960 and was 性视界传媒 Memorial Hospital's first ever New Year's baby after the hospital's opening on January 1, 1959.
"She is missed, but it is a bit of a blessing because she was trapped in a body and we didn't know what was going on in her mind because she couldn't respond," Daniel shared in an interview with Peace Arch News.
The brother reached out to PAN in hopes of highlighting his baby sister's historic moment for the community.
Towards the end of her life, Beverly developed dementia, causing her health to deteriorate. This was also exacerbated by a cancer found after she had a fall and broke her hip.
"It was downhill from there," her older brother said. "That was ultimately her demise there."
The well-loved mother lived for another six months after that before peaceful passing at Fort Langley Seniors Community care home.
Archives obtained by PAN indicate conflicting information, with the 性视界传媒 Leader naming Beverly as the second New Year's Day baby born at 2:50 a.m., while an archive from the Columbian newspaper names her as the hospital's first ever New Year baby, born at 12:05 a.m., which the family corroborates as the truth.
Born to Donald and Joyce Granger, Beverly was the youngest of four siblings, with two older brothers and one older sister. Beverly was predeceased by her parents and eldest brother.
The 64-year-old grew up in North Delta, graduated from North Delta Secondary and then attended hair dressing school in Whalley. She had two kids of her own, a boy and a girl.
"She was a hard worker and put her kids first and was always more than helpful to anybody that needed a hand," Daniel shared.
"Our other brother is much older, so me and Bev were always super close. I always looked out for her."
Daniel laughed a lot sharing memories of his younger sister, the two great friends throughout their entire lives, from young children to older adults.
The goodness of Beverly and their relationship is how the brother wants to remember her, rather than the painful last few months of her life.
"It was tough watching her deteriorate," he admitted.
"That's the cycle of life, and we're far better off because Bev was not doing well with all of her ailments. It was time for her to go and it was the best thing ... albeit you hate to see anybody go."
Daniel would visit Beverly in Fort Langley weekly for more than two years, just him and his dog.
"The one thing that kept me going, even though my sister's mind wasn't there or was deteriorating quickly, she always lit up with a smile when she'd see the dog and me," he recalled.
"So as long as she was happy to see us, I kept going even though we wouldn't communicate a lot."
The three would go to a nearby park together, until Beverly was unable to manage that due to her worsening health. Yet, Daniel kept going to her home until what would become the very last time.
"She was a very big family person, and she will be, and is, missed."
