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Submitted by Garry Wayne Brewer - Grady George Brewer: Blue Eyes,Light Brown Hair US Draft
Registration,report number 41-3-42A. Question one, Height, Tall. build, Slender. Color of Eyes, Grey.
Hair, Light.Bald, No.Disabled? No.Name, Grady Brewer.Age, 22.Home Address, Allen Creek, Tennessee.
Date of Birth Dec 12,1895,Born Citizen, Born, Wayne County, Tennessee, USA. Occupation, Farmer.
Employed by Who, Self. Where Employed, Wayne County. Dependents, Wife. Married? Yes. Race,
Caucasian. Any Military Service? No. Do you claim exemption from Draft? No. I affirm that I have
verified the above mentioned answers and that they are true. Signed Gradie Brewer, June 5,1917
Rememberances of Grady Brewer from his daughter, Elizabeth Lois Brewer Neff (not verbatim):
Lois remembers her father as cheerful, intelligent and resourceful. She does not remember her
parents ever fighting, but they teased each other alot. Grady was proficient at playing the guitar
and singing, and seemed to be able to play any musical instrument without training. He was a
'horse-trader' which means that he went out and bought and sold merchandise, making a profit from
those sales to provide for his family. Grady would always bring home something of a present for his
children and his wife. Like his brothers and cousins, Grady drank alot, but his wife Lillie never
allowed him to drink at home or come home drunk. Lois was 'his princess', and just prior to his
death had played with her and put her back down on the bed to take his shoes off or put them on.
Lois is unsure how Sidney Bowden could have gotten the shotgun in his bed, as he was completely
unable to get out of bed. When Grady was shot, Lois was on another pallet bed nearby and was
drowsing. She woke up with a shock to see her father on the floor in a pool of blood. She had
nightmares for years after that. Grady's family were shocked and angry about the killing, and took
Sidney out of the house, to jail, and then to the Nashville insane asylum, never to be seen again.
1920 Census - Wayne County, Tennessee
ED 148 Sheet 3
15 Jan 1920
Fm 36 36 Allens Creek Road
Staggs, Peter J. Head O M W 50 S Tenn Tenn Tenn Farmer
Nancy Sister F W 62 S Tenn Tenn Tenn
Winnie Sister F W 60 S Tenn Tenn Tenn
37 37 Allens Creek Road
Brewer, Grady Head R M W 25 M Tenn Tenn Tenn Teamster Lumber Hauling
Lillie Wife F W 22 M Tenn Tenn Alabama
Williard Son M W 2 1/12 S Tenn Tenn Tenn
1924 - Death Certificates of Wayne County 1914-1925
Brewer, Infant, b. & d. 1 Sep., 1924. Father: Grady BREWER, born Tenn.; Mother: Lillie BOWDEN, born
Tenn. No place of burial given.
Submitted by Garry Wayne Brewer:
January 20,1928, Wayne County News: Little Forty Eight Creek. Mr & Mrs Grady Brewer spent Saturday
night at the home Dock Brewer.
Little Forty Eight Creek: April 6,1928, Wayne County News: Miss Geneva Stutts and Willard Brewer were
visiting in the Rich Brewer home Wednesday.
Little Forty Eight Creek: June 8, 1928, Wayne County News: Mrs. Lillie Brewer is sick.
Wayne County News, June 15,1928: Also printed in the Lewis County Herald, June 21, 1928, Grady Brewer
killed by Father in Law, Aged man, Apparently while insane, Kills Son in Law While Dressing Monday
Morning. Grady Brewer, who resided on upped Dog Creek was killed by his father in law, Sidney
Bowden, at the Bowden home which is near the Brewer place on the same creek about seven o'clock
Monday morning and Bowden is now in the Waynesboro jail awaiting grand jury action charged with
murder. Mr. Bowden is a quiet harmless appearing old man of 75 years, and opinion is general that
the crime was committed while suffering a temporary attack of insanity. He is in bad health,
according to reports and is suffering from pellagra and high blood pressure. Brewer had gotten up and
gone to the kitchen barefooted, and soon returned to the room in which both he and the old man were
sleeping and was seated on a trunk at the foot of the old man's bed putting on his shoes when the old
man stuck the muzzle of Single barreled twelve gage shot gun against the back of his son in law and
fired a charge of number 4 or 5 shot into his back. He had secured the gun some time earlier and was
keeping it hid under the covering of the bed, it appears, and after the shooting claimed that the
killing was accidental. There was no enmity from all reports between the two men and no reason can
be found that could be found that could have prompted the old man to kill his daughter's husband.
Mr. Brewer leaves a wife and three chidren, two boys and a girl, ranging in age from two to nine
years. Sidney Bowden, who is being held without bond for the killing, has a son and daughter in
California, and a son Charlie Bowden, who made his home with his father and Mrs. Brewer whom he made
a widow, by his rash act Monday, and his wife. Immediately after the killing Monday the sheriff and
Circuit Court Clerk S.M.Brewer were sent for, and before anything was moved they made a full
investigation and brought Mr. Bowden in for the crime . The latter is an uncle of the murdered man.
Little Forty Eight Creek: December 28, 1928, Mrs. Lillie Brewer and children spent the week end at
the home of Rich Brewer.
Death Cert of Wayne County, Tennessee dated 11 June 1928 for Grady George Brewer, Father: James H.
Brewer, Mother: Lum Brewer, Informant: Wm M. Brewer
1930 Census - Lauderdale County, AL - Florence City
Precinct 10
April 17, 1930
435 357 Minnehaha St.
Brewer, Lillie Head-H R $3 - No F W 33 Wd - No Yes Tenn Tenn Tenn Spooler Cotton Mill
---, Willard Son " M W 12 S Yes Yes Tenn Tenn Tenn
---, Lois Daughter " F W 9 S Yes -- Tenn Tenn Tenn
---, Villard Son " M W 3 10/12 S No -- Tenn Tenn Tenn
Lillie Ann Pearl Bowden Description: Blue Eyes, Brown Hair
Submitted by Garry Wayne Brewer - From the Wayne County Newspaper,dated Friday, January 13, 1934.
Blowing Springs, There is several cases of measles in this community. Mrs. Lillie Brewer and
children(note Grady Willard, Lois and Villard) has returned to their home at Florence after several
days visit with her mother(note Mariah Staggs,died April 1934). Dr. Taylor was in the J. H. Brewer
(my GreatGrandfather) home Sunday to see Clarence Brewer(note J.H.son) and Alice Stockard (note J.H
.Granddaughter) who is ill. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Moore(note J.H.daughter Dee) was a guest in J.H. Brewer
home Sunday. Bill Stockard (note, J.H.Grandson and Grady Willard cousin) has returned home after
spending a few days at Florence with his Aunt Lillie Brewer. W.R. Brewer (note J.H.Brother) was in
the J.H. Brewer home Friday. J.H.Brewer and Geraldine (note J.H.Granddaughter) was in the Charlie
Nutt (note J.H.brother in law) home Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Die Robinett is ill . Miss Marie Stockard
(note J.H.Granddaughter) was in the Dock Brewer (note J.H. son) home Monday.
1940 Census - Tulare County, California
Earlimart, Alila TWP - 3 April 1940
18 O $100
Brewer, Lilly Head F W 45 W Tennessee Florence, Lauderdale, Alabama Citrus Packer
Villard Son M W 14 S Tennessee Florence, Lauderdale, Alabama
Bowden, Charlie Bro M W 61 S Tennessee Waynesboro, Wayne, Tennessee Ranch Laborer
Submitted by Garry Wayne Brewer - California Certificate of Death, Full Name: Lillie Brewer. Date of
Death: April 5, 1965, 8:40 a.m. Female, White, Place of Birth: Lawenceburg, Tenn. October 27, 1889
(note birth date is 1895) Age: 75. Last occupation: At home. Married: Widowed. Place of Death:
Hillhaven Conv. Hosp. 2530 Solace Ct. Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California. Length of stay
in county at time of death: 12 years. Length of stay in state at time of death: 30 years. Last legal
residence: 607 Palo Alto Ave, Mountain View, California. Name of informant: Villard Brewer. Address
of informant: Los Gatos, California. Burial, April 7, 1965, ALta Mesa Memorial Park, by Mays
Funeral Home, Mountain View, California. Parents: Father Charles Bowden,(note, should be Sidney
Bowden) Tennessee, Mother Marisha Staggs,(note, should be Mariah Staggs) Tennessee, information given
by son, Villard Brewer. 1930 Census of Florence, Alabama: list Lillie Brewer head of home, White
Female 33, born in Tennessee as were both parents: son Willard 12 years old, daughter Lois 9 and
younger son: Villard 3 1/2 years old, she is a widow. Her sister Ethel Ames is living in Adrian,
Michigan , brother Omar Clark in Sidney, Ohio as per the 1930 census, can't find record of her mother
Mariah Bowden and Lillie Brother Charlie M. Bowden in Tennessee or other parts of country , nor her
Aunts, Nancy (Nan) Winnie Staggs, Uncle Peter J. Staggs, but according to Wayne County, Tennessee
property records they are there, but must have missed the census takers.