James 'Jim' Brewer

James A. Brewer was born in Omaha, NE on February 13, 1949. He attended school in Geneva and Fairmont, Nebraska; graduating Fairmont High School where he received the John Philip Sousa Band Award in 1967. He is a graduate of Hastings College and received the Outstanding Music Department Graduate Award in 1971. He was on the faculty of the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, VA in 1972-74. He taught music in Lawrence, Bassett, Superior, Burwell, Arapahoe and Chase County High School and Imperial Grade School in Imperial, NE. He had private study in Saxophone Performance with James Houlik, former president of the World Saxophone Congress, at East Carolina University and with Vincent Patterson, former Principal Saxophonist with the US Marine Corps Band. Mr. Brewer was a member of the 1st Infantry Division Band at Ft. Riley, Kansas in 1978-79. He completed Officer Candidate School, the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, and parachute training at Fr. Benning, GA. He commanded a Basic Training Company at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO for two years and served in Infantry and Military Intelligence assignments in Germany from 1983 – 1988. Jim’s performance experience includes symphony orchestra, rock band, renaissance chamber ensembles, big band, club bands, and community bands. He was a member of the Tehama Shrine Temple Band in Hastings, NE. When dementia took over control of his life Jim resided in the Ainsworth Care Center and Sunrise Heights of Wauneta where he died on May 28, 2015.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Shirley (Merritt) Brewer and grandparents, Leslie and Mildred Brewer.

He is survived by Sharon Bohling of McCook, son, James Allen Jr. and Tanya Brewer of Palm Bay, FL; daughter, Jennifer Brewer and fiancé Josh Hust of Omaha; their mother, Candi Brewer of Council Bluffs, IA; brother, Tom and wife, Pam Brewer of Lincoln; sister, Maxine Fawcett-Yeske and husband, Robert Yeske of Woodland Park, CO; three grandchildren, Charles Brewer, Wesley Badberg, Cory Badberg; two future grandchildren, Destiny Michelle Hust and Baby Brewer; nephews, Judd and wife, Michelle Brewer of Hattiesburg, MS, Kyle and wife, Justina Brewer and niece, Kallie and husband Guy Gertsch all of Lincoln.

Visitation will be Tuesday, June 2, 2015 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church with Pastor Georg Williams officiating. Burial will be on 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at the Davenport Cemetery.

Memorials may be given in his name to the Hastings College Department of Music, 710 N. Turner Ave., Hastings, NE 68901.