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Joann C. (Lange) Brewer
Joann C. (Lange) Brewer

BROOKLYN/ALBANY – Joann C. (Lange) Brewer, age 76, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Born August 9, 1944, to George and Helen (Klitzman) Lange in Monroe, Joann was a 1962 graduate of Albany High School. She went on to attend UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville before graduating from Green County Teacher’s College. Joann was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart, Glenn R. Brewer on August 7, 1965 at the United Methodist Church in Evansville. He preceded her in death this past February. After her college graduation, Joann taught 3rd and 4th grade in Monticello and then taught Kindergarten in Cassville before starting a family. Lifelong friends were developed during college and her teaching years that continued to be a very special part of her life. It was also while living in Bloomington that Joann and Glenn would make many lasting friendships including the Meyer family who would become like family still today. After the birth of two daughters, she and Glenn purchased a farm in November 1973 back in the Albany area next to the farm where she grew 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 both of them and they always enjoyed watching the kids show cattle through the years. Joann was always willing to make sandwiches to pack for the District Holstein Show or brownies for dairy judging nights the farm hosted. Her love of farming started with 4-H and as a young girl growing up on a dairy farm and made for a perfect farmer’s wife. As the kids grew, she found some time to go back to substitute teaching when time off the farm allowed. As the years passed, the farm needed her to be the go-to person and she found her days filled with all things farm. Running errands now instead of milking, feeding the crew, baling hay, feeding the calves and taking care of all of the barn cats. She loved her animals and especially her cats. Joann was an avid sports fan. She loved watching the Milwaukee Brewers but she planned her entire day around a Wisconsin Badger Men’s Basketball game and nothing was going to keep her from watching them! She loved to be outdoors, tending to her flowers and filling her bird feeders and always had time for a beer with friends at the end of a long day. While raising the kids and farming with Glenn, she also found time to be in softball and bowling leagues, traveling to State Bowling tournaments for many years. She was loved by so many people, many of them to this day still called her “Ma” or “Auntie Jo!” 

Her life became complete four years ago when she finally became a Grandma. She loved her grandchildren so much and was lucky to have them close enough to see daily. Family time was made easier with the kids all involved on the dairy farm and living within a mile of each other. She enjoyed the evenings when everyone just came to eat supper that she always had made.

She’s survived by her children, Tami (Brian) Behnke, Traci, Tony (Nicole), and her two very special grandchildren, Jaxson Kenneth and Kinslee Jo Brewer. She is further survived by brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Gary and Colleen Brewer, sister-in-law Jan Brewer, nieces, nephews, cousins and many special friends. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, brother Kenneth in 1964, father-in-law and mother-in-law Fay and Valliere Brewer, step father Alvin Joranlien, and brother-in-law Roger Brewer.

Funeral services will be held outside at The Albany United Methodist Church, 500 Park Street, Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 11am with Pastor Tom Moe presiding. An outside/drive-through visitation will be held in the church parking lot on Tuesday night, September 22, 2020 from 3pm until 8pm with considerations for Covid and social distancing.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family for a fund to be established later to support the local school and other organizations.

The family would like to thank Dr. Michael Huie and the amazing nurses at The Monroe Clinic Oncology Department, and Dr. Andrew Baschnagel at the UW-Hospital Radiation/Oncology department for everything these last almost 4 years and the caring staff at Agrace Hospice who again helped us through these past few weeks. Condolences may be expressed at wardhurtley.com