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Bessie Brewer — A Tribute |
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On the Lord's day evening of Dec. 12, 2004 at 7:30 p.m., my Mother, Bessie Imogene (Bowen) Brewer,
was gently and quietly borne across the bound of time. She sojourned upon this earth for 92 years,
six months and three days.
She was born in Washita County, Oklahoma, June 9, 1912, the eldest daughter and second child of Walter and Sarah Augusta (Short) Bowen. Her mother's family came to Oklahoma Territory in January, 1907 from Eastern Kentucky. Her maternal grandfather, Silas James Short was a pioneer gospel preacher in Kentucky in the latter part of the 19th century who moved to Oklahoma Territory because of an asthmatic condition. Her father, Walter Bowen, came to Oklahoma in 1908 from West Virginia and settled in Washita County where he met and married Sarah A. Short. The Bowens purchased a farm in Washita County when Mother was five years old and lived there until Mother was 23. She attended Herd Law School, which was situated on a corner of their farm, through the 8th grade and then attended Canute, Oklahoma High School, graduating in 1932. She was baptized into Christ by C. E. McGaughey during that period of her life. The Bowens worshipped with the Taylor church of Christ southeast of Elk City, Oklahoma. By 1935, great clouds of dust rolled across the western Oklahoma plains and drought took its toll on the family farm. Her father made only one bale of cotton that year and the lender foreclosed. The family was forced from the home they had known for 18 years and Mother and her sisters gained domestic employment in Elk City to help their aging parents. On June 22, 1940 she married my Father, Clyde Brewer in Hollis, Oklahoma and they made their home in Childress, Texas. I was born there on June 7, 1941 and we lived across the street from the building of the church of Christ where she took me as an infant for worship. Their second child, Carl Edward, was born in Dec., 1944 and died three months later. Their third son, Kenneth, was born Aug. 4, 1946 and their fourth, Walter Phillip (Phil) was born Nov. 20, 1949. Mother attended every assembly of the church until slightly one month before she died. The last time she was physically able to attend was Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004. Her devotion at 92 is a testament to her love for the Lord. On my computer desktop I have her picture, surrounded by gospel preachers and taken at our last lectureship in June. Among those in the picture are Preston Silcox, Muskogee, Oklahoma; Wayne Price, McLoud, Oklahoma; Rick Popejoy, Wellington, Texas; and her two grandsons, Landry and Nathan Brewer. Her birthday was June 9 and we had a celebration for her. Her beaming smile in that picture is a genuine expression of joy to be surrounded by faithful Christians — especially gospel preachers. Because she came from a family of preachers, they occupied a special place in her heart and when her grandson, Nathan, filled his very first preaching appointment a few years ago she accompanied him on that occasion. Her funeral on Wednesday, Dec. 15, was conducted by two faithful gospel preachers whom she knew and loved, Rick Popejoy of Wellington, Texas and Pat Craig of Lexington, Oklahoma. Pat, who has known Mother since he was 11 years old, delivered the eulogy and Rick delivered words of encouragement from the Scriptures. Three of my sons led congregational singing. Kevin led It Is Well With My Soul, Travis led, Our God, He Is Alive, and Landry led Mother's favorite song, The Last Mile of The Way. In full assurance and hope of the resurrection at the last day, we buried her body beside my father's at Ural Cemetery southeast of Elk City, only 4 or 5 miles from the farm where she spent her childhood. When we viewed her body, I told my children that Mother "isn't here any more," but the house she lived in sure was pretty. The funeral lasted a bit longer than most as her grandchildren also spoke in her memory. Their love for her was summed up by my son, Travis, who said, "She was everything a grandmother should be." Each of them, as well as my brother, Kenneth and I, has an afghan knitted by her loving hands and the kitchen towels she crocheted and gave to others cannot be numbered. That was the essence of her life. Like Dorcas (Acts 9:36-39) she left a sweet savor of loving kindness in her wake and the sunshine she spread still warms our hearts. In her house are countless "thank you" notes from those with whom she shared the labors of her hands. Among those is a sweet note from Irene Taylor who was here with her husband, Robert, for our gospel meeting a year ago. Mother could never let a preacher leave here without sending two of her crocheted towels with him. She had little of this world's goods, but considered herself one of the richest women on earth. And she was rich in that which neither moth could eat nor rust could corrupt. She loved the Lord and His church, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren dearly. Through all of the sorrows which came into her life of nearly five-score years — including the sad tasks of burying half of her children — she remained a constant beacon of influence for good. Not once did she ever complain or blame God for any troubles. In fact, when the winds of adversity assaulted her, she was made stronger by the faith of Christ which has been taught for six generations in our family. Her little 5 ft., 3 in. frame cast a mighty shadow of eternal proportions for good across all who knew and loved her. My children who have learned and obeyed the gospel of Christ are the 6th generation of our family to do so. Mother's grandfather, Silas James Short, was named for his uncle who was once called "the first church of Christ man to preach in Pike County, Kentucky." Her grandfather also had a sister who married James Hall, a pioneer gospel preacher in Kentucky. In my library of prized volumes are books brought to Oklahoma nearly a century ago by Mother's grandfather Short. Among those are original editions of McGarvey's Christian Evidences, Milligan's Commentary on Hebrews, and Campbell's Christian Baptism. When her mother married her father, Walter Bowen, in 1910, he was not a Christian, but Grandma's steadfastness in the faith ultimately brought him to obey the gospel and he died in the Lord on Nov. 20, 1958. All of their seven children were also baptized into Christ. When Mother married my Father in 1940, he was not a Christian either, but her steadfast devotion to the Lord brought him to Christ also and he died in the Lord on July 15, 1979. Their three remaining children became Christians and the youngest, Phil, died in the Lord on Nov. 9, 1971, 11 days short of his 22nd birthday. One of her two living sons is a song leader and Bible class teacher, and the other is a gospel preacher. One of her grandsons is a gospel preacher and another is a song leader, Bible class teacher and occasional preacher. During the last days of her life on earth, I stayed beside her and attended her, as she had done, oh so long ago, for my brothers and me in dark hours of illness. Then, as November waned and December came, she steadfastly turned her face toward earth's fading light and, without complaint, walked ever so patiently into an eternal one far brighter where roses never fade. The precious rays of her love linger in her wake and, where she walked, the sunshine she spread remains her priceless legacy to us. No human can calculate the eternal good that faithful women like my Mother and her mother may do in their short sojourns on earth. As Timothy's mother did (2 Tim. 1:5) so our Mother leaves us an eternal treasure before which all worldly goods pale in comparison, and we rise up and call her blessed. Her legacy to us was summed up in these words, written to her on Mother's Day, May 14, 2000: "I'm not sure you realize what an influence for good you have been in the lives of your husband and sons." "We are all Christians, due in large measure to your loving influence and your undying devotion to the Truth of God." "I thank God every day for my precious Mother, for your loving devotion to us and your labor of love in raising us." "Thank you for the sleepless nights, the sacrifices you made for us, the toil of feeding and clothing us and your care for us when we could not care for ourselves." "But most of all, thank you for being a Christian and seeing that your children knew the love of God which you exemplified toward Dad and us." "I love you with all my heart." We loved her much, we loved her long, and we love her still. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them" (Rev. 14:13). |