Gentry Lee Brewer

We lost our most senior Brewer descendant on July 17, 2014.  Gentry was born on November 7, 1921. He was the son of Dewey Samuel Brewer (1898-1977); the grandson of Jerry Milton Lee Brewer (1861-1903); and the great grandson of Wiley Brewer (1832-1864).   Gentry lost his wife of 72 years, Billie on March 19, 2014.

Gentry Lee Brewer with his bride Willa Dean Williams Brewer (1926-2014) in the 1940s. 

Gentry Michael Brewer (1945-2013), son of Gentry Lee Brewer and Willa Dean Williams Brewer.  Mike served his nation in the War in Viet Nam.

Family of Shubert Pharis Brewer and their Sacrifice in World War II

James Coite Brewer (1919-1944) and Ernest William Brewer (1926-1945), sons of Shubert Pharis Brewer and Daisy Mae McDaniels Brewer, gave their lives for their country in World War II.  A third brother, Lee Ransom Brewer (1914-1973) was wounded in battle.  See the April 23, 1945 edition of the Statesville Daily Record below about these three sons.  Two other sons, John Woodrow Brewer (1916-1969) and Clifford William Brewer (1924-1971) served their nation in World War II.  That's a total of five sons of Shubert and Daisy who were involved in the War.

Ernest William Brewer (1926-1945).  The picture below appears to have been taken when he was in basic training.

Margaret Amelia Carson Brewer and Sarah Catherine Brewer Meadows

Margaret Amelia Carson Brewer (1867-1940), wife of John Preston Brewer and her sister-in-law, Sarah Catherine "Cas" Brewer Meadows (1857-1920), daughter of Wiley Brewer and Lucretia Stout Brewer and wife of Augustus F. Meadows.

Brewer Family Reunion, June 12, 2011

We had a grand Brewer Family reunion on Sunday, June 12, at the Statesville Civic Center.  About 80 attended--the best attendance in our history.  Below are pictures of the event.  To see a larger version of any picture, just click on it.  If you want a high-resolution photo, let me know. 

Our senior members, the grandchildren of Jerry Milton Lee Brewer and John Preston Brewer

  

Family of Orlando Roy Brewer

Family of Ila Etta Elizabeth Brewer

Family of Dewey Samuel Brewer, Sr.

Family of Izetta Margara Brewer

Family of Joe Sephus Brewer, Sr.

Family of Shubert Pharis Brewer

Family of Thomas Benjamin Wiley Brewer and James Robert Brewer

Several members of the Brewer family were unable to attend our reunion on June 12, but these members got together a couple of months ago.  Below are pictures of the folks who were not with us in June:

Family of Ora Una Brewer

Family of Edna Bonnie Brewer

Family of Maldon Oscar Brewer

 

Shoot Out Between the Duckworth Brothers and the Brewer Brothers

At our mini-reunion in October of 2010, we discussed the shoot out between our ancestors and the Duckworth brothers.  At the request of several family members, below is the newspaper article of August 18, 1892 in the Statesville Landmark.  We believe the Brewer brothers are John Preston and Jerry Lee Brewer.  Our Brewer ancestors were particularly skilled with their pistols.

A UFO is Spotted by Our Ancestor

Samuel Goodwin Stout (1843-1919) was the brother of Sarah Ann Stout Willet and the brother-in-law of Wiley Brewer.  Below is an interesting article from the December 5, 1899 edition of the Statesville Landmark.

John Preston Brewer

John Preston Brewer (1851-1918), son of Wiley and Lucretia Stout Brewer.  He was born in Chatham County, NC, and moved with his family to Alexander County, NC about 1861.  At various times, he was a photographer, sawmill owner, blacksmith, merchant, magistrate, postmaster, and wagon maker.

Sarah Catherine Potts Brewer (1854-1892), John Preston Brewer's first wife.

John Preston Brewer's second wife, Margaret Amelia Carson Brewer (1867-1940).

Sawmill owned and operated by John Preston Brewer

Descendants of John Preston Brewer (1851-1918)

Ora Una Brewer Connolly Family:  
Back row:  John Wade Connolly (1894-1959), Ora Una Brewer Connolly (1896-1983), Marvin Preston Wesley Connolly (1914-1970). Front row:  Robert Wayne Connolly (b. 1925), Margaret Annie Mae Connolly (1919-2000), Edna Pauline Connolly (1921-2011).

Arnie Angus Brewer (1900-1981), son of John Preston Brewer, and Arnie's son, Robert Preston Brewer (1925-2006).

Four of the six children of John Preston Brewer:  Back:  Edna Bonnie Brewer Poole (1907-1985), Izetta Margara Brewer Troutman (1902-1990), and Ora Una Brewer Connolly (1896-1983).  Front:  Arnie Angus Brewer (1900-1981).  Picture likely was taken about 1980.

Ruth Adelia Overcash Brewer (1899-1971), wife of Arnie Angus Brewer, holding son, John E. Brewer (b. 1945), and son Richard Arnold Brewer (1939-1998).

Arnie Angus Brewer's garage in St. Petersburg, FL.  We believe Arnie and his family migrated to Florida from the Alexander and Iredell County area sometime before 1925.

Robert Preston Brewer (1925-2006), son of Arnie Angus Brewer, and his wife Beverly Jean Knotts Brewer (1932-2004)

Thomas Robert Brewer (1953-2009), son of Robert Preston Brewer, and his wife, Marlene.

Edna Pauline Connolly (1921-2011), daughter of Ora Una Brewer Connolly and wife of Chester A. Mayberry, Jr.

Janet Izetta Brewer (1922-1941), daughter of Shubert Pharis and Daisy Mae McDaniels Brewer and wife of George Galliher.  She died in childbirth at only 19 years of age.

Joyce Beatrice Brewer (1933-2008), daughter of Shubert Pharis Brewer, and her husband John Lee Keller (1928-2005)

Larry Carlton Brewer (1905-1979) and his mother, Pearlie Idocus Williams Brewer, wife of Maldon Oscar Brewer

Larry Carlton Brewer served in the US Navy in World War II and Korea

Center, Ora Una Brewer (1896-1983) daughter of John Preston Brewer.  Ora's daughters:  Left, Edna Pauline Connolly (b. 1921) and Right, Margaret Annie Mae Connolly (1919-2000)

Nannie Kishma Brewer (1878-1948), daughter of John Preston Brewer and wife of Thomas Dalton Mayberry, and two of her sons:  Charles Capp Maybery (1895-1975) on the left, and Abraham Lincoln Mayberry (1899-1978) on the right.

Effie Louise Mayberry (1908-1995), daughter of Nannie Kishma Brewer, her husband Cletus Haymore Campbell (1899-1982), and their son, Jimmy Ray Campbell (1930-1993).

Effie Louise Mayberry Campbell (1908-1995) and her sister Eva Estelle Mayberry Gill (1911-2000).

Jimmy Ray Campbell (1930-1993).  In addition to serving his nation in the US Navy, Jimmy was an engineer supporting the USA at the height of our space program.  This included Projects Apollo and Skylab.  Jimmy touched the landing leg of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module which carried the first humans to the surface of the moon.  Today his fingerprint remains on the moon and likely will be there for millions of years.  The first picture shows Jimmy in the late 1940s during his service in the Navy.  The second shows the Apollo team in mission control.  Can you pick out our Jimmy?  Click on the photo to enlarge it

William Thomas Gill (1929-2013), grandson of Nannie Kishma Brewer.  Bill served his nation during two tours in Korea and one tour in Viet Nam.  He retired from the US Army as a Command Sergeant Major.  In the photo, Bill is with his wife of 61 years, Billie Fae Gerard.

Izetta Margara Brewer, daughter of John Preston Brewer and Margaret Amelia Carson.  This photo had "Victory" handscribed along the bottom border.  Was it associated with the end of World War I?

Miles Reid Troutman (1894-1970) and his wife Izetta Margara Brewer (1902-1990).  

Betty Sue Troutman Sharpe (1934-1993), daughter of Miles Reid Troutman and Izetta Margara Brewer.  Betty Sue was injured in an automobile accident in 1949 at age 15.  She became a paraplegic, and her courage and energy are captured in the 1952 article below from the Statesville Daily Record.  In 1970 she married Donald Ray Sharpe.  Click on the image to permit easier reading.

Troutman Family:  1st row:  Betty Sue; 2nd row:  Miles Reid Troutman and Izetta Margara Brewer; 3rd row:  Marilyn, Carson, Lila, and Maxine

Five of the seven children of John Preston and Margaret Amelia Carson Brewer :   From the left:  Izetta Margara Brewer Speece (1902-1990); Ora Una Brewer Connolly (1896-1983); Arnie Angus Brewer (1900-1981); Viola Dorothy Brewer McCurdy (1894-1983); and Edna Bonnie Brewer Poole (1907-1985)

Viola Dorothy Brewer McCurdy on the Paddlewheel Queen in October 1961.

Family of Orlando Roy and Mary Ellen Bailey Brewer:  Roy Maurice Brewer, Margaret Lucille Brewer, Orlando Roy Brewer, William Preston Brewer, Jean LaVerne Brewer, Mary Ellen Bailey Brewer, Hilda Evelyn Brewer, Rosemary Brewer

(in front).

Roy Maurice Brewer (1936-2014), son of Orlando Roy Brewer and Mary Ellen Bailey Brewer.  Roy served his nation in the United States Marine Corps.

Larry Arland Smith (1943-2008), son of Hilda Evelyn Brewer and Woodrow Wilson Smith.

Maldon Oscar (or Oskay) Brewer (1876-1936).  Maldon was the son of John Preston Brewer and John's first wife, Sarah Catherine Potts (1854-1892).

Maxine Verimilla Troutman (1922-1971), on the right, daughter of  Miles Reid Troutman and Izetta Margara Brewer;  Edna Pauline Connolly (b. 1921), on the left, daughter of John Wade Connolly and Ora Una Brewer.  This photo confirms children today are the same as they were 80 or so years ago.  What could be more fun than feeding chickens?