Clayton and Myrtle Brewer
by Unknown
(Transcribed by RB, with permission from the Mellette County Historical Society, from "Mellette County 1911-1986" published by the Mellette County Historical Society)
The Clayton Brewer family came to Mellette County in the early 1950's but were not newcomers to South
Dakota.
Clayton Lester Brewer was born February 3, 1900, at Berwyn, Nebraska, to T. B. and Mary Griggitt Brewer. Myrtle Eva Drake was born April 9, 1901, at Mason City, Nebraska, to John and Nora Hess Drake.
Clayton grew up around Duff, Nebraska. Myrtle grew up around Almeria, Nebraska. They were married at
Taylor, Nebraska, on July 4, 1923. They say most people celebrate their freedom but they celebrate their
bondage. In February 1926 they came to South Dakota. It was on Washington's Birthday so there were no
stores open to buy lunch. Clayton's dad was living east of Mission and brought Clayton and Myrtle to his place
by car. Clayton and his brother, Claris, moved their belongings in a
hay rack and lumber wagon with a top buggy tied behind the lumber
wagon. They didn't have too many belongings so it didn't take a lot
to move.
Myrtle helped drive the wagon from Mission to Parmelee. At that
time the road went through Rosebud. When they were coming up
the hill the tent poles fell off Myrtle's wagon. An Indian man came
along and helped her get them loaded again.
Clayton's brother-in-law, Bob Strohl, came along from Mission
with baled straw in the hay rack. The first night at Parmelee we
slept in the hay rack with the baled straw around us.
We had a four-holed topsy stove that we cooked on, and burned
cow chips. Times were hard. Myrtle used the back of Clayton's
overalls for the boys until they were old enough to start to school. In those days a pair of overalls cost 59¢ a pair. We brought a few chickens and some guineas along.
We lived in a tent on Scabby Creek for three months until Clayton could get a sod house built. Before coming to South Dakota we had a cottonwood tree in Taylor. We cut it down and made it into lumber. The
ridgepole for the sod house was a plank from that tree. This was the beginning of life in South Dakota.
Clayton broke horses and traded horses and did some farming with horses. In 1932 the family—Clayton, Myrtle, Ralph, Ross and Lavaun—moved to Harrington in Bennett County. Ray, Lee and Clyde were born in Bennett County. Here we farmed and ranched. In the early 1950's we moved to Blackpipe and quit farming. While we were at Blackpipe we built the house which was later moved to White River.
In the mid 1950's, we moved to the Elmer Bachelors' for the winter, then on to the Dulcie Tompkins place
north of Cedarbutte where we ranched until 1961. We were in partnership with Dulcie Tompkins.
Ralph was the oldest son. He was adopted while we lived in Nebraska. He served in the army the last part
of World War II in Japan. He was married to Mary Lou Sanders of Silver City, Iowa, in 1949. They had two children, Sandra Gabbert of Springfield, Missouri, and Brad of Mountain Lake, Missouri. Sandra and her husband Paul have a foster home and one adopted son. Brad and his wife, Carol, have a son and a daughter. He is a baker. Ralph was killed in a hunting accident in 1964. Gail was born in Parmelee and lived twelve days. He is buried there. Ross and his wife Judy live in Meeteese, Wyoming. He works on oil well rigs. He was in the army as a paratrooper. They have six children.
Kelly Thorsen and her husband Clark, live on a farm near Gordon, Nebraska. They have a daughter, Cassie, and a son, Andrew. Tom and his wife, Kelly, live at Clinton, Nebraska. He works at the Farmer's
Co-op in Gordon and is an officer in the National Guard. Jeff and his wife, Duana, work on a ranch near Gordon, Nebraska. They have one daughter, Jackie, and two sons, Steven and Timothy. The three youngest—
Mike, Amy and Burt—are at home in Meeteetse, Wyoming.
Lavaun lives in Nampa, Idaho. She has a daughter, Vicki, who is married to Larry Hosier. Her son Bryan
lives in Portland, Oregon, and is manager of a store. She has two foster daughters, Heather and Holly, at
home.
Clayton Ray and his wife, Carolyn, live at Bend, Oregon. He is a minister of the Bible Missionary Church. He was in the army in Korea. They have four children, Charlene, Steve, Sheray and Danny. They lost a baby boy at birth and he is buried in Idaho.
Lee married Nora Moore in 1965 at Lakota Chapel Parsonage in White River. He works on a ranch at Kaycee, Wyoming. He was in the National Guard for six years. They have two sons, Timothy and Todd.
Clyde married Janet Bligh in 1961 at Norris. He also was in the National Guard for six years. They live on
a dairy farm in the Lakeview community in Todd County. They have four children, Leston, Rebecca, Thomas and Yvonne.
In 1961 Clayton and Myrtle moved to White River. Their home was on the Rodeo Road just south of the Bill Pullins residence. Clayton worked away from home six months of the year. He worked for Ross in Wyoming; Two Rivers Ranch at Plainview, South Dakota; Cow Camp at Four Corners, Wyoming; Daum Brothers at Okaton and for Jack Carr.
Myrtle baby-sat with Lynn Christensen, Jeannie Bak and Patricia McNulty.
They were members of the Nazarrne Church in White River.
Peggy Pullins was a good neighbor through the years. The Harold Richeys would spend their Sundays with Clayton and Myrtle. Fred and Nellie Gudath were old-time friends when they lived in Nebraska.
They have a '58 Oldsmobile and a Ford Bronco. They have Clayton's mother's pump organ and cupboard and the family Bibles, and quilts made by both their mothers.
Clayton used to hunt coyotes and go to brandings, which he still enjoys.
In 1980, they moved into a mobile home on Clyde's place. Clayton still rides a horse and cuts wood for their heat. Myrtle makes quilts and rugs and crochets doilies. In the summer, she has a flower garden and
keeps the yard.
They celebrated their 50th anniversary in White River in 1973 and their 60th anniversary in 1983 in
Clyde's yard.
by Unknown
(Transcribed by RB, with permission from the Mellette County Historical Society, from "Mellette County 1911-1986" published by the Mellette County Historical Society)
The Clayton Brewer family came to Mellette County in the early 1950's but were not newcomers to South
Dakota.
Clayton Lester Brewer was born February 3, 1900, at Berwyn, Nebraska, to T. B. and Mary Griggitt Brewer. Myrtle Eva Drake was born April 9, 1901, at Mason City, Nebraska, to John and Nora Hess Drake.
Clayton grew up around Duff, Nebraska. Myrtle grew up around Almeria, Nebraska. They were married at
Taylor, Nebraska, on July 4, 1923. They say most people celebrate their freedom but they celebrate their
bondage. In February 1926 they came to South Dakota. It was on Washington's Birthday so there were no
stores open to buy lunch. Clayton's dad was living east of Mission and brought Clayton and Myrtle to his place
by car. Clayton and his brother, Claris, moved their belongings in a
hay rack and lumber wagon with a top buggy tied behind the lumber
wagon. They didn't have too many belongings so it didn't take a lot
to move.
Myrtle helped drive the wagon from Mission to Parmelee. At that
time the road went through Rosebud. When they were coming up
the hill the tent poles fell off Myrtle's wagon. An Indian man came
along and helped her get them loaded again.
Clayton's brother-in-law, Bob Strohl, came along from Mission
with baled straw in the hay rack. The first night at Parmelee we
slept in the hay rack with the baled straw around us.
We had a four-holed topsy stove that we cooked on, and burned
cow chips. Times were hard. Myrtle used the back of Clayton's
overalls for the boys until they were old enough to start to school. In those days a pair of overalls cost 59¢ a pair. We brought a few chickens and some guineas along.
We lived in a tent on Scabby Creek for three months until Clayton could get a sod house built. Before coming to South Dakota we had a cottonwood tree in Taylor. We cut it down and made it into lumber. The
ridgepole for the sod house was a plank from that tree. This was the beginning of life in South Dakota.
Clayton broke horses and traded horses and did some farming with horses. In 1932 the family—Clayton, Myrtle, Ralph, Ross and Lavaun—moved to Harrington in Bennett County. Ray, Lee and Clyde were born in Bennett County. Here we farmed and ranched. In the early 1950's we moved to Blackpipe and quit farming. While we were at Blackpipe we built the house which was later moved to White River.
In the mid 1950's, we moved to the Elmer Bachelors' for the winter, then on to the Dulcie Tompkins place
north of Cedarbutte where we ranched until 1961. We were in partnership with Dulcie Tompkins.
Ralph was the oldest son. He was adopted while we lived in Nebraska. He served in the army the last part
of World War II in Japan. He was married to Mary Lou Sanders of Silver City, Iowa, in 1949. They had two children, Sandra Gabbert of Springfield, Missouri, and Brad of Mountain Lake, Missouri. Sandra and her husband Paul have a foster home and one adopted son. Brad and his wife, Carol, have a son and a daughter. He is a baker. Ralph was killed in a hunting accident in 1964. Gail was born in Parmelee and lived twelve days. He is buried there. Ross and his wife Judy live in Meeteese, Wyoming. He works on oil well rigs. He was in the army as a paratrooper. They have six children.
Kelly Thorsen and her husband Clark, live on a farm near Gordon, Nebraska. They have a daughter, Cassie, and a son, Andrew. Tom and his wife, Kelly, live at Clinton, Nebraska. He works at the Farmer's
Co-op in Gordon and is an officer in the National Guard. Jeff and his wife, Duana, work on a ranch near Gordon, Nebraska. They have one daughter, Jackie, and two sons, Steven and Timothy. The three youngest—
Mike, Amy and Burt—are at home in Meeteetse, Wyoming.
Lavaun lives in Nampa, Idaho. She has a daughter, Vicki, who is married to Larry Hosier. Her son Bryan
lives in Portland, Oregon, and is manager of a store. She has two foster daughters, Heather and Holly, at
home.
Clayton Ray and his wife, Carolyn, live at Bend, Oregon. He is a minister of the Bible Missionary Church. He was in the army in Korea. They have four children, Charlene, Steve, Sheray and Danny. They lost a baby boy at birth and he is buried in Idaho.
Lee married Nora Moore in 1965 at Lakota Chapel Parsonage in White River. He works on a ranch at Kaycee, Wyoming. He was in the National Guard for six years. They have two sons, Timothy and Todd.
Clyde married Janet Bligh in 1961 at Norris. He also was in the National Guard for six years. They live on
a dairy farm in the Lakeview community in Todd County. They have four children, Leston, Rebecca, Thomas and Yvonne.
In 1961 Clayton and Myrtle moved to White River. Their home was on the Rodeo Road just south of the Bill Pullins residence. Clayton worked away from home six months of the year. He worked for Ross in Wyoming; Two Rivers Ranch at Plainview, South Dakota; Cow Camp at Four Corners, Wyoming; Daum Brothers at Okaton and for Jack Carr.
Myrtle baby-sat with Lynn Christensen, Jeannie Bak and Patricia McNulty.
They were members of the Nazarrne Church in White River.
Peggy Pullins was a good neighbor through the years. The Harold Richeys would spend their Sundays with Clayton and Myrtle. Fred and Nellie Gudath were old-time friends when they lived in Nebraska.
They have a '58 Oldsmobile and a Ford Bronco. They have Clayton's mother's pump organ and cupboard and the family Bibles, and quilts made by both their mothers.
Clayton used to hunt coyotes and go to brandings, which he still enjoys.
In 1980, they moved into a mobile home on Clyde's place. Clayton still rides a horse and cuts wood for their heat. Myrtle makes quilts and rugs and crochets doilies. In the summer, she has a flower garden and
keeps the yard.
They celebrated their 50th anniversary in White River in 1973 and their 60th anniversary in 1983 in
Clyde's yard.
Mellette County, South Dakota
Family Histories & Biographies - Brewer Surname
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Brewer Surname
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The Clayton Brewer Family in 1960
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