This memorial website was created in memory of our baby brother, Herbie Brewer, Jr. who was born in Kentucky on August 22, 1968 and passed away on August 15, 2006 at the age of 37 in a housefire. Our father (Herbert Brewer, Sr.) perished the same day in this tragic housefire side by side not two feet from the back door. My brother you see was crazy over my Dad and even though he had to pass by that back door to get to my dad, he did not go out. He found my dad and that is where they found him, he and my dad were holding hands. We don't know if the smoke overcame Herbie or if the roof caved in on them, but they didn't make it through that back door. Herbie was our brother, our friend, our hero. Anytime anyone needed anything Herbie was there.
Herbie never let anyone down, friends, family, neighbors or strangers. He was always willing to help. Some days I could almost swear Herbie just got up and went places in search of someone to help. I can't say enough good things about my brother, but I do want to say; my brother was a hero. He did all he could to save our father that fateful night. He proved he loved our dad more than he loved life. I have posted a letter on this website entitled, "A Letter from Herbie to Jesus." Herbie asked the Lord to help him understand how he could go to the cross and die for us. He asked the Lord to help him understand it all. I believe he found the answer to that question the night of the fire. He proved that he, just like Jesus did, loved the life of another more than he loved his own. I believe that night he understood it all. I know Herbie has a mansion in Heaven right next door to dad and mom and he won't have to hurt anymore. (which he did hurt, everyday) Herbie had a twisted spine, bone spurs on his spine and several fractures in his spine as well as scoliosis. Herbie had a stroke when he was 20 as well as high blood pressure for as long as anyone could remember. He hardly even knew a time in his life when he was not in pain and on a bagful of medicine. He wouldn't take the pain medicine they gave him, but in order to stay alive he did have to take the high blood pressure medicine. The doctor's told Herbie, "if he had been 40 instead of 20 when he had his stroke, that he would have died." Four years later our brother Carlos had a stroke, at age 40, and he only lived about 3 days after that. He slipped into a coma and had to be put on life support. When the life support was unhooked, Carlos was gone. Because of this Herbie was very afraid to miss his medicine. If he would've have just taken the pain medicine too he wouldn't have had to suffer like he did.
(If you notice in the pictures I have on this website of Herbie and Daddy's trip to the beach. Every picture you see Herbie was carrying Daddy's shoes.
Herbie notices Daddy had sat his shoes on the ground
Herbie later on in the day, still carrying Daddy's shoes.
When Herbie was a year old he became very sick and on the way to UK Hospital in the back of an ambulance traveling as fast as RC Walker could make it go, God took the breath from Herbie's lifeless little body. Eddie Bowling would not give up, he didn't stop until Herbie was again breathing on his own. (It is strange the very person who brought Herbie back to us that day was there the day they lowered him into his final resting place. Eddie Bowling owns the funeral home where Herbie and Daddy were layed out. They wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. Eddies's son Doug personally lowered my dad and my brother in the ground. As I understand this is not something he usually did himself.) When Herbie got sick our Daddy and Mommy prayed and prayed for God to let them keep their precious little blonde haired, brown eyed son a little longer. Herbie started breathing again and their prayers were answered. Herbie would be in a coma for many days after that. His brain had swelled and his kidneys had shut down. They had to cut Herbie from his breast bone to his pelvis to perform the surgery it would take to save his life. Because of the amount of time Herbie's brain was deprived of oxygen Herbie had parts of his brain which were damaged. He had seizures for many years after that. He had a lot of emotional problems as well and it was hard for dad someday's, but no matter how hard it got, Daddy kept his promise he made to God that day at UK Hospital. He was a wonderful father to us all. He was crippled. It took him 2 years to learn how to walk again which when he did he had a very bad limp. They told mom and dad that if Herbie did survive, his mind would never reach adulthood. My Dad prayed to the Lord and told him that if he would let Herbie live that he would take care of him no matter what the shape. He said he would keep Herbie on his knee for the rest of his life, if he had to. (By the way, when Herbie died he was lying across Daddy's knees.) Daddy never let Herbie down. I believe the day that Daddy died, the Lord said, Well done Herb, and he took Herbie to. Because I believe Herbie lived because Daddy prayed so hard for him to live and when Daddy's life was over his little baby boy's destiny had been fulfilled.
Herbie never married during his short lifetime. He never left Dad and Dad never left him for any amount of time. Even though Herbie did fall in love, I believe he felt he could not leave Dad. For the next thirty-six years they took care of each other, especially after my mother died in 1985. Herbie was only 17 then. Herbie grieved for mommy till the day he died after that. He said, "he had a hole in his heart no one could ever fill."
God did let Herbie's mind grow up. Herbie had a mind for mechanics. He could make anything with a motor run, it seemed. He loved to rebuild motors for lawnmowers cars or just about anything he could get his hands on. He had a talent. He loved all kinds of cars, but especially the hotrods. I remember one time Herbie and my husband put a go-kart motor on a three-wheeled bicycle just to see if they could. You should have seen the look on Herbie's face when they started the motor and the wheels began to turn thanks to the chain driven motor.
It is the belief of our family that if Herbie hadn't have perished with our Dad that night that he could not have survived without him. Their love and their bond was just too strong. It's like they knew when the other one was in trouble or needed them. Daddy was 77 years old, but if anybody bothered Herbie he would take off flying to give them a piece of his mind or worse if he needed to. If anybody did anything to Dad, Herbie would do the same.
To the ones of you who knew him, I hope I have done him justice with this site. I have tried to let you feel just for a moment, what we have felt all our life. Blessed to know Herbie. We are greatful for the time God gave us with Little Herbie Jr. we know he could have taken him when he was a year old, but he chose let us keep him just a little bit longer. Thank you Jesus.
Tributes and Condolences
A letter from Herbie to Jesus / Alene (baby sister )
Tonight I'm just sitting here thinking about things I just dont understand, why you died just for us, if we only knew your plans. I know we all have heard how you died and went to the cross, and we have heard how you died to save us all,&nb...
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My Brother / Alene (Baby Sister )
My Brother As kids, we grew together, we fought, we laughed, we cried. We did not always show the love, we knew we felt inside. We shared our hopes and our dreams, a couple of secrets too. All th...
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i miss you / Heather Maxie(ballinger) (neice)
we never could say enough to tell anyone how much you meant to us we miss you both so much alot of times it is hard to breath or sit and not cry the pictures are so hard to look at no matter how much time passes the pain will never go away ive been b...
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Thinking of You / Ellie Sparks (Niece)
Herbie, I have been thinking of you a lot lately. I miss you so much. I know that I was not around much after we grew up, but I miss you none the less. I miss the children we were, and the fine adult you grew up to be. Everytime I think about yo...
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HELLO BABY BROTHER / ROSE SIMPSON (SISTER)
HERBIE FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE AND MISS YOU,HERBIE I WENT TO THE GRAVEYARD YESTERDAY,THEY SET YOUR HEADSTONE,IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL,HERBIE I LAID ON IT AND CRIED,HERBIE YOU SHOULD NOT BE GONE FROM OUR LIVES,WE HAD SO MANY MORE ME...
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Tributes and Condolences
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