Lloyd Brewer

For his family and many friends, Lloyd Brewer represented the best picture of unconditional love. He was one of the kindest people you could ever meet, and he was constantly thinking of ways to help others. Lloyd was a jokester at heart, and each day he found new ways to share his happiness and laughter with the many people he loved.

With an end to the Great War, thousands of young American soldiers returned to their civilian lives back home. The economy flourished amid the new demands of a peacetime nation, and the stock market rose steadily. In Sarah, Mississippi, Alphonso Brewer and his wife Mary Holcomb had another reason to celebrate. They were expecting a child, and on September 14, 1923 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their son Lloyd.

The youngest of eleven children, Lloyd grew up in Sarah with the companionship of his many brothers and sisters. He was raised on the family farm, located on an eighty-five acre plot of corn and cotton fields. The Brewer children grew up with very little, but they learned how to make the most out of what they had. Lloyd enjoyed hunting with his older brothers. They would take off for a couple of days and camp out. He inherited his prankster sense of humor from his older brothers. When Lloyd was young, they would get him to climb to the top of the tree - and then they would cut the tree down!

Lloyd attended school through the ninth grade. He then devoted himself entirely to working at the farm. In January of 1944 he entered the Armed Services. He was sent to Fort Custer for training, where he attended a USO dance and met Charline Little. She gave him a picture of herself, signed with the fictitious name "Jane."

The war was heating up in the European theater and it wasn't long until Lloyd saw action. His company, the 423rd Infantry, came in and fought behind troops that were engaged in the Battle of the Bulge. He recounted how many of the dead German soldiers were young teenagers and that the snow was up to their waist. Lloyd was struck by two bullets but was fortunate as he was transported state side where he healed from his injuries. Lloyd didn't talk about his war experience much, but was proud of his service to God and Country.

Shortly after being honorably discharged and having received the Purple Heart, Lloyd and Charline were married on April 9, 1945 in Kindelberger Park in Parchment. The newlyweds briefly lived on North Edwards Street, Glendale, and Springbrook before settling down in Country Acres where they resided for fifteen years.

Lloyd was known for his hard work ethic and his meticulous ways. He worked at Atlas Press and Gilmore's for a short time before he found his job at Fuller's (since renamed Eaton's). He worked as a precision tool grinder at Fuller's for thirty-eight years. This was the perfect job for him. He loved being outdoors and working in the yard, and he paid very close attention to detail, which the job required. Among his coworkers, Lloyd - or "Slim," as he was called - was known to be a real prankster. Most of the guys at Fuller's were jokesters, but Lloyd always outdid the others. Some of his most famous ruses include dropping a cigarette in someone's pant cuff, putting a dead mouse in a guy's sandwich, and who could forget the time that he lit the greasy rage in the back pockets?

Lloyd and Charline were blessed with two wonderful children, Wayne and Jannie. Among his children, Lloyd was known as the gentler of the parents. He was always helping other people, almost to a fault. He regarded his family as his greatest accomplishment, and he was very proud of his children. At least once a year he visited his family down South. In his later life, Lloyd was thrilled to see his family grow with the blessing of four grandchildren and three great-grandkids. He kept a tough-love tom-cat around the house named "Peanuts." His grandson Ethan said that Lloyd petted the cat roughly, the way that it liked it.

Lloyd always kept himself busy around the house. He wasn't one to sit around. He would tinker and putter around the house, looking for things to do. In fact, he never liked to go fishing because it was difficult for him to stay in one spot for so long. But Charline enjoyed this pastime, and he would often spend an afternoon on the lake with her. After his retirement, Lloyd and Charline discovered more time to spend with one another, and they became "frequent travelers" with Lapeka's Tours. They also owned a trailer at Sandy Pines.

After Charline passed away, Lloyd became better friends with his neighbor Frances Vandenbergh who was also widowed. For the past nine years they enjoyed going out to eat together and spending time together. In true Lloyd form, he tended to her yard as meticulously as he tended to his own.

Lloyd was a kind-hearted man who always thought of others before himself. Among the many people who loved him, he will be greatly missed and frequently remembered.

Lloyd died on May 12, 2006 at his residence. Learn more about Lloyd, view his Life Story Film and visit with his family and friends on Monday from 4:00-8:00 PM at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler-Kalamazoo, 6080 Stadium Drive where services will be held Tuesday 1:00 PM with Dr. George Coon of Northeastern Baptist Church officiating. Interment will follow at Ft. Custer National with full Military honors followed by food and fellowship at the Northeastern Baptist Church. Lloyd worked as a precision tool grinder at Eaton Manufacturing for over 38 years. He was preceded in death by his wife Charline in 1997. Surviving are 2 children; Wayne (Barbara) Brewer of Sarasota, FL, Jannie (Rick) Smith of Kalamazoo, 4 grandchildren; Jennifer (Mike) Schau of Midland, MI, Laura (Dan) Lavalle of Bonita Springs, FL, Ethan Brewer of Chicago, Elizabeth Smith of Kalamazoo, 3 great-grandchildren; Adam Lavalle, Lucas and Logan Schau and a special friend, Frances Vandenbergh of Kalamazoo. Please visit Lloyd's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you may archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to Progressive Supra-Nuclear Palsy (PSP) or the American Cancer Society.