Matilda L. "Tillie" Brewer, 89, of Waco, passed away Friday, April 4, 2014, in a local hospital, three days after suffering a fall outside her home. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, April 7, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, Waco. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 8, at St. Louis Catholic Church with with Father John Guzaldo officiating. Burial to follow in Waco Memorial Park.
Tillie was born in Hamburg, Arkansas, the third of five children born to the late Michael Joseph Lesh and Mary Herlevic Lesh. She loved her status as "the middle child." Her parents, both originally from Croatia, owned a farm where the children worked long hours growing up. It gave Tillie a life-long work ethic. Indeed, even after she fell on April 1, fracturing her pelvis in three places and unable to get up, she began weeding a nearby flowerbed while waiting for help to arrive.
Her family moved from the farm to Joliet, Illinois, where Tillie graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1943. Shortly after, she moved to Rye, New York, with her sister Fran, where they stayed for a while with another sister, Mary. Tillie and Fran moved to Waco in 1948 to be near their other sister, Agnes. All the sisters were very close throughout their lives.
In Waco, Til met Marlin "Rick" Samuel Brewer. They married in 1954 and Tillie became very close to his extended family in Waco, east Texas and Houston. In 1958, Tillie and Rick bought a house in Robinson, which had been built by her brother-in-law, Johnnie McBryde of McBryde Homes. Til lived in that house for the rest of her life. For nearly 60 years, her home was a gathering place for friends, the source of countless family reunions and big Thanksgiving dinners. Tillie was known for her exceptional cooking, sewing, cross-stitch and needlepoint skills. Her cross-stitched Angels were well-known and hang in the homes of many family and friends.
When Tillie's husband was diagnosed with cancer in 1969, Tillie nursed him until his death on January 14, 1978. During this time, she relied on her sister, Agnes, and sisters-in-law, Cecil Connor and Effie Goldsmith, to watch over her daughter, Marla. Til also helped support the family by sewing, and creating wardrobes for scores of women and girls. After her husband's death, Tillie went to work as a bookkeeper for a number of places in Waco, the longest being Waco Spring and Brake. She was also the primary caregiver for her mother, Mary Wallesh, who eventually moved into the Regis Retirement Center, where Til served as a board member for a number of years.
Tillie loved to travel and was part of a bowling league for years. She enjoyed spending time with her sisters and long-time devoted family friends, Shirley Chatham, Martha Cox, and Sue Morrison.
She was preceded in death by her husband; sisters, Agnes McBryde Holmes and her husband, Johnnie, and Mary York and her husband, Harry; brother, Michael Lesh and his wife, Georgiann; and her brother-in-law, Bob Vickers.
Survivors include her daughter, Marla Ann Brewer Crawford; her grand-dog daughter, Amber; grandson, James Crawford Jr.; and great-grandson, James Crawford III; sister, Fran Vickers; 12 nieces and nephews; and numerous great- and great-great-nieces and nephews, and many friends.
Waco Tribune-Herald: 4/6/2014 - 4/7/2014...E3
Tillie was born in Hamburg, Arkansas, the third of five children born to the late Michael Joseph Lesh and Mary Herlevic Lesh. She loved her status as "the middle child." Her parents, both originally from Croatia, owned a farm where the children worked long hours growing up. It gave Tillie a life-long work ethic. Indeed, even after she fell on April 1, fracturing her pelvis in three places and unable to get up, she began weeding a nearby flowerbed while waiting for help to arrive.
Her family moved from the farm to Joliet, Illinois, where Tillie graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1943. Shortly after, she moved to Rye, New York, with her sister Fran, where they stayed for a while with another sister, Mary. Tillie and Fran moved to Waco in 1948 to be near their other sister, Agnes. All the sisters were very close throughout their lives.
In Waco, Til met Marlin "Rick" Samuel Brewer. They married in 1954 and Tillie became very close to his extended family in Waco, east Texas and Houston. In 1958, Tillie and Rick bought a house in Robinson, which had been built by her brother-in-law, Johnnie McBryde of McBryde Homes. Til lived in that house for the rest of her life. For nearly 60 years, her home was a gathering place for friends, the source of countless family reunions and big Thanksgiving dinners. Tillie was known for her exceptional cooking, sewing, cross-stitch and needlepoint skills. Her cross-stitched Angels were well-known and hang in the homes of many family and friends.
When Tillie's husband was diagnosed with cancer in 1969, Tillie nursed him until his death on January 14, 1978. During this time, she relied on her sister, Agnes, and sisters-in-law, Cecil Connor and Effie Goldsmith, to watch over her daughter, Marla. Til also helped support the family by sewing, and creating wardrobes for scores of women and girls. After her husband's death, Tillie went to work as a bookkeeper for a number of places in Waco, the longest being Waco Spring and Brake. She was also the primary caregiver for her mother, Mary Wallesh, who eventually moved into the Regis Retirement Center, where Til served as a board member for a number of years.
Tillie loved to travel and was part of a bowling league for years. She enjoyed spending time with her sisters and long-time devoted family friends, Shirley Chatham, Martha Cox, and Sue Morrison.
She was preceded in death by her husband; sisters, Agnes McBryde Holmes and her husband, Johnnie, and Mary York and her husband, Harry; brother, Michael Lesh and his wife, Georgiann; and her brother-in-law, Bob Vickers.
Survivors include her daughter, Marla Ann Brewer Crawford; her grand-dog daughter, Amber; grandson, James Crawford Jr.; and great-grandson, James Crawford III; sister, Fran Vickers; 12 nieces and nephews; and numerous great- and great-great-nieces and nephews, and many friends.
Waco Tribune-Herald: 4/6/2014 - 4/7/2014...E3
Matilda L. "Tillie" Brewer, 89, of Waco, passed away Friday, April 4, 2014, in a local hospital, three days after suffering a fall outside her home. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, April 7, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, Waco. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 8, at St. Louis Catholic Church with with Father John Guzaldo officiating. Burial to follow in Waco Memorial Park.
Tillie was born in Hamburg, Arkansas, the third of five children born to the late Michael Joseph Lesh and Mary Herlevic Lesh. She loved her status as "the middle child." Her parents, both originally from Croatia, owned a farm where the children worked long hours growing up. It gave Tillie a life-long work ethic. Indeed, even after she fell on April 1, fracturing her pelvis in three places and unable to get up, she began weeding a nearby flowerbed while waiting for help to arrive.
Her family moved from the farm to Joliet, Illinois, where Tillie graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1943. Shortly after, she moved to Rye, New York, with her sister Fran, where they stayed for a while with another sister, Mary. Tillie and Fran moved to Waco in 1948 to be near their other sister, Agnes. All the sisters were very close throughout their lives.
In Waco, Til met Marlin "Rick" Samuel Brewer. They married in 1954 and Tillie became very close to his extended family in Waco, east Texas and Houston. In 1958, Tillie and Rick bought a house in Robinson, which had been built by her brother-in-law, Johnnie McBryde of McBryde Homes. Til lived in that house for the rest of her life. For nearly 60 years, her home was a gathering place for friends, the source of countless family reunions and big Thanksgiving dinners. Tillie was known for her exceptional cooking, sewing, cross-stitch and needlepoint skills. Her cross-stitched Angels were well-known and hang in the homes of many family and friends.
When Tillie's husband was diagnosed with cancer in 1969, Tillie nursed him until his death on January 14, 1978. During this time, she relied on her sister, Agnes, and sisters-in-law, Cecil Connor and Effie Goldsmith, to watch over her daughter, Marla. Til also helped support the family by sewing, and creating wardrobes for scores of women and girls. After her husband's death, Tillie went to work as a bookkeeper for a number of places in Waco, the longest being Waco Spring and Brake. She was also the primary caregiver for her mother, Mary Wallesh, who eventually moved into the Regis Retirement Center, where Til served as a board member for a number of years.
Tillie loved to travel and was part of a bowling league for years. She enjoyed spending time with her sisters and long-time devoted family friends, Shirley Chatham, Martha Cox, and Sue Morrison.
She was preceded in death by her husband; sisters, Agnes McBryde Holmes and her husband, Johnnie, and Mary York and her husband, Harry; brother, Michael Lesh and his wife, Georgiann; and her brother-in-law, Bob Vickers.
Survivors include her daughter, Marla Ann Brewer Crawford; her grand-dog daughter, Amber; grandson, James Crawford Jr.; and great-grandson, James Crawford III; sister, Fran Vickers; 12 nieces and nephews; and numerous great- and great-great-nieces and nephews, and many friends.
Waco Tribune-Herald: 4/6/2014 - 4/7/2014...E3
Tillie was born in Hamburg, Arkansas, the third of five children born to the late Michael Joseph Lesh and Mary Herlevic Lesh. She loved her status as "the middle child." Her parents, both originally from Croatia, owned a farm where the children worked long hours growing up. It gave Tillie a life-long work ethic. Indeed, even after she fell on April 1, fracturing her pelvis in three places and unable to get up, she began weeding a nearby flowerbed while waiting for help to arrive.
Her family moved from the farm to Joliet, Illinois, where Tillie graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1943. Shortly after, she moved to Rye, New York, with her sister Fran, where they stayed for a while with another sister, Mary. Tillie and Fran moved to Waco in 1948 to be near their other sister, Agnes. All the sisters were very close throughout their lives.
In Waco, Til met Marlin "Rick" Samuel Brewer. They married in 1954 and Tillie became very close to his extended family in Waco, east Texas and Houston. In 1958, Tillie and Rick bought a house in Robinson, which had been built by her brother-in-law, Johnnie McBryde of McBryde Homes. Til lived in that house for the rest of her life. For nearly 60 years, her home was a gathering place for friends, the source of countless family reunions and big Thanksgiving dinners. Tillie was known for her exceptional cooking, sewing, cross-stitch and needlepoint skills. Her cross-stitched Angels were well-known and hang in the homes of many family and friends.
When Tillie's husband was diagnosed with cancer in 1969, Tillie nursed him until his death on January 14, 1978. During this time, she relied on her sister, Agnes, and sisters-in-law, Cecil Connor and Effie Goldsmith, to watch over her daughter, Marla. Til also helped support the family by sewing, and creating wardrobes for scores of women and girls. After her husband's death, Tillie went to work as a bookkeeper for a number of places in Waco, the longest being Waco Spring and Brake. She was also the primary caregiver for her mother, Mary Wallesh, who eventually moved into the Regis Retirement Center, where Til served as a board member for a number of years.
Tillie loved to travel and was part of a bowling league for years. She enjoyed spending time with her sisters and long-time devoted family friends, Shirley Chatham, Martha Cox, and Sue Morrison.
She was preceded in death by her husband; sisters, Agnes McBryde Holmes and her husband, Johnnie, and Mary York and her husband, Harry; brother, Michael Lesh and his wife, Georgiann; and her brother-in-law, Bob Vickers.
Survivors include her daughter, Marla Ann Brewer Crawford; her grand-dog daughter, Amber; grandson, James Crawford Jr.; and great-grandson, James Crawford III; sister, Fran Vickers; 12 nieces and nephews; and numerous great- and great-great-nieces and nephews, and many friends.
Waco Tribune-Herald: 4/6/2014 - 4/7/2014...E3
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
