BROOKLYN/ALBANY – Glenn R. Brewer, age 75, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born August 15, 1944, to Fay and Valliere (Walmer) Brewer in Monroe, Glenn was a 1962 graduate of Albany High School where he excelled in both Cross-Country and Track & Field. He will forever hold the distinction of being Albany’s first ever runner to qualify for the state cross-country meet. He placed fourth at the state meet in 1960 and also in 1961 leading his team to a 6th place finish. Glenn continued his running excellence at UW-Platteville earning an outstanding 7 career letters in Cross-Country and Track & Field. He was a member of 2 team conference championships and twice ran in the National Cross-Country Championships in Omaha, Nebraska. He was named UW-Platteville’s Athlete of the Week in both cross-country and track & field on different occasions.
He was united in marriage to Joann Lange on August 7, 1965 at the United Methodist Church in Evansville. After his college graduation in 1966, Glenn taught agriculture and driver’s education at Bloomington High School from 1966-1971 and then was a Vice President at the Union State Bank in Lancaster until 1973. It was while living in Bloomington that Glenn and Joann would make many lasting friendships including the Meyer family who would become like family still today. After the birth of two daughters, he and Joann purchased a farm in November 1973 back in the Albany area where both had grown up. They added a son in 1975 and began to develop a herd of registered Holsteins under the prefix of Glenn-Ann. Raising the kids on the farm was important to Glenn and he always enjoyed watching them show cattle through the years. The cows continue to be recognized on the county, state and national level for production and in 2015 Glenn-Ann Holsteins was 1 of only 4 herds in the United States to receive the Herd of Excellence award, being recognized for breeding and developing cows with superior type and production. Just this past week-end Glenn was to be recognized as a 40-year member of the Wisconsin Holstein Association.
Glenn served on many boards through the years including the Bloomington School, Albany School, Union Co-op, Green County Holstein and Union Bank & Trust. He valued the friendship of the Eager family at UB&T starting with his farm purchase and continuing through the generations.
Glenn was an avid sports fan and you could always find him listening or watching a ballgame. He loved his Milwaukee Brewers and Wisconsin Badgers and was a Green Bay Packer shareholder. His love of running was passed down to his son who now coaches cross country and track at Albany High School and Glenn loved to follow their seasons. In 2018, Glenn was fittingly inducted into the Albany Athletic Hall of Fame.
Reading newspapers was an important part of his day and he loved to sit at the table and read them from front to back. He always amazed his kids with the amount of information he could retain, even remembering the page of something he read. His life changed for the better three and a half years ago when he finally became a Grandpa. He loved his grandchildren so much and was lucky to have them close enough to see daily. Family time was made easier with the kids all involved with the dairy farm and he enjoyed the evenings when everyone just came to eat supper at their house. He was a hard-working farmer who worked right up until he began his cancer battle.
Surviving him are his wife of 54 years Joann, daughter Tami (Brian Behnke), daughter Traci, son Tony (Nicole), and his two very special grandchildren, Jaxson and Kinslee Brewer. He is further survived by his brother, Gary (Colleen), Albany, sister-in-law Jan Brewer, Albany, and many nieces and nephews. Glenn was preceded in death by his parents, brother Roger in 2017, father-in-law and mother-in-law George and Helen Lange, brother-in-law Kenneth, and step father-in-law Alvin Joranlien.
Funeral services will be held at the Albany United Methodist Church, 500 Park Street, where he had been attending, at 11 am on Saturday, February 29, 2020 with Pastor Tom Moe presiding. A visitation will be held at the church on Friday night, February 28, 2020 from 4pm until 8pm and again from 10 am until time of service Saturday morning.
Memorials may be made to Agrace Hospice in Glenn’s name or to the family for a fund to be established to continue his love of running.
The family would like to thank Dr Ryan Porter and the staff at SSM Heath Cancer Care in Janesville and the caring staff at Agrace Hospice. An additional thanks to two very special family friends, Mary Jo (Rita) Bergand Jessie (Berg) Butturini for helping all of us through the toughest time in our lives.
“Families that farm together, stay together.”
Ward-Hurtley Funeral Home Evansville is assisting the family. Condolences may be expressed at wardhurtley.com
