The First Brewster Reunion, 1913

First Brewster Reunion, 7 September 1913, Adams County, Indiana.

It is always a pleasant surprise when some family-related information unexpectedly pops up right before your eyes. Last Friday I was doing some newspaper research at the Brumback Library in Van Wert. I was nearly finished and was looking through a book of abstracted articles from the Willshire Herald, waiting for a rain storm to end. I was searching for news articles about my maternal ancestors from the Willshire/Schumm area.

What I did not expect to find was an article about my Brewster ancestors who lived in Indiana. The Brewsters are my dad’s side of the family and they lived in the Adams/Jay County area. Adams County, Indiana, and Van Wert County, Ohio, border each other. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Indiana news was published in an Ohio town that was so close to the state line. But I was.

This article was about the first Brewster Reunion, held in Adams County, Indiana, in 1913. I have had the above photo of the reunion for some time and it is nice to have a newspaper article about it.

The following two paragraphs are from page 5 of the Thursday, 18 September 1913 edition of the Willshire Herald:

J.H. Brewster and wife left Monday morning for New Philadelphia, Ohio, to visit other relatives before returning to their home in Kansas.

The first reunion of the Brewster family was held in the Baucker grove, in Jefferson township on Sunday, September 7. A bounteous dinner was served to all present. After dinner everybody was busy eating ice cream and melon. J.H. Brewster of Kansas, delivered an after dinner speech which was very interesting and full of good advice, and all listened very attentively. Those present were as follows: J.H. Brewster and wife of Independence, Kansas; Daniel Brewster, wife, two daughters Edna and Augusta; Winfield S. Brewster and children, Charles, Andrew and Emma; George W. Brewster and wife of Decatur; Philip H. Brewster, wife and children Gertie, Alpha, Bernice, Elva and Masters Jesse, Theodore and Glenn; Charles Brewster, wife and children Clara, Fredia, Maynard, Harold, Melvin and Jennie; Frank Brewster, wife and children Bernice, Minnie and Joe; Jesse A. Buckmaster, wife and children Claudice, Lois, Verlyn and True; Samuel Brewster, wife and children Elsie and Russel; Roy Scoles, wife and children Breman and Harry, all of Adams county; Mrs. Ora E. Curk and daughter Irmyl of New Corydon, Indiana; Harry Teeter, wife and son Walter of Portland, Indiana. 

Willshire Herald, 18 September 1913, p5.

Persons in above photo, left to right, starting with back row:

Back row: Jesse A. Buckmaster, Charles William Brewster, Phillip Henry Brewster, James Henry Brewster, Daniel M. Brewster, Winfield Scott Brewster, George W. Brewster, Charles Brewster, Samuel Marion Brewster, Roy Scoles.

Row 2: Harry Teeter, Augusta Blanch Brewster, Gertrude Brewster, ?, Alpha Brewster, Jack Russel Brewster (child), Edna May (Woodruff) Brewster, Claudia Beatrice Buckmaster, Irmyl Lang, Dora Edna Brewster, Ora Elizabeth Brewster, Franklin D. Brewster, Andrew Theodore Brewster.

Row 3: Harriet Ann (Brewster) Buckmaster, Golda Rosetta (Brewster) Teeter w/son Walter, Oma Annette (Brewster) Scoles w/son Harry, Mary Elizabeth (Bellis) Brewster w/son Richard, Pearl Selina (Reid) Brewster w/Glen, Maude (Marsh) Brewster w/son Melvin, Mary Loverda (Bebout) Brewster, Jane (Newton) Brewster, Rachel Hannah (Bebout) Brewster, Theodore “Dore” Franklin Brewster, ?.

Row 4 (front row): Jesse Brewster, Maynard D. Brewster, Lois Louella Buckmaster, Harold “Bill” Brewster, Merrill Scoles, Elsie Elizabeth Brewster, Beatrice Brewster, Annabel Lee Brewster, Bernice Brewster, Elva Viola Brewster, Verlyn Genevieve Buckmaster, Freda Brewster, Robert Brewster, Clara Brewster, Angelo “True” Buckmaster. (source: Brewster Genealogy, Compiled by Leone B. Freed, 1982, revised 1988 & 1994.)

When looking for information about our ancestors we need to remember to exhaust all sources and not to limit the scope of our search for information. You never know where you might find information you seek.

10 comments

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    • Brian K Brewster on March 10, 2012 at 5:41 pm
    • Reply

    Glad to get the article for the reunion. I taped it on the back of my picture. The one I have is from Grandma Brewster after she died and is said to have come from Great Grandma Brewster. It is in an oval frame with a beveled glass over it. Picture is Black and white in a Black frame. Entire picture is approx 12 inche long and 6 inche high. Appreciate your work. Brian

    • Trudy on July 24, 2013 at 12:55 pm
    • Reply

    Hi,

    CW Brewster is my great grandfather– I have been looking all over for a picture !! Would it be possible for you to send me the picture in gif ? I have been searching for informaiton on Maude – as according to family myth she was full blood Miami … however I have not found that to be true.

    Any help is GREATLY appreciated, my Mom (82) would love the info, she is the grandaughter of Maue and Charles.

    Trudy Perkins

    1. Hello Cuz! Nice to hear from you. I’ll e-mail you privately about the photos.

    • Amy Starr Van Duzen on September 23, 2013 at 9:29 pm
    • Reply

    Hello there! I am doing research on the Brewster side of the family and see my grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Bellis Brewster in the photo from the 1913 reunion! I’d love a copy of this photo and any additional information that you can provide. Mary Elizabeth Bellis Brewster was married to Lewis Wilson Brewster, who was the son of George W and Rachel Bebout Brewster. Thank you very much!

    1. I’ll e-mail you a copy soon and contact you so we can share information. Thanks for writing!

        • Amy Starr Van Duzen on September 26, 2013 at 2:19 pm
        • Reply

        Thank you so much! I’ve spent the morning with my mother, Mary Louise Brewster Starr, looking through old photographs and would love to share information with you! Looking forward to hearing from you! 🙂

    • Joan Brewster Woods on September 6, 2021 at 11:30 pm
    • Reply

    J H Brewster is my great great grandfather. My great grandfather is Jesse Burgess on 4th row. My grandfather is Marvin Carl Brewster that married Della Floy Buckles. Before my father died in 1998 he took us to Independence to the Brewster home that I had seen in pictures. And retold stories like my great Uncle Leonard killing himself in the barn in 1934 after his airplane crash, and my grandfather wing walking. Do you know anything of Jesse Burgess?

    1. No, I am sorry, I have very little information about your branch of the family, but your stories sound very interesting! I will e-mail you privately.

    • Jack William Brewster 7/13/1941 on April 6, 2022 at 4:36 pm
    • Reply

    I am the son of Jack RUSSELL Brewster
    My father added Jack to his birth certificate and kept Russell Merle.
    Jack Russell Merle Brewster – born Oct. 7 1911
    His father, Samuel & mother Edna were my grandparents.
    George Brewster was my great-grandfather.
    Born in Indiana , the family with a third child
    Carl , relocated to Midland Michigan and later to Mt. Pleasant Mi. 23 mos. old in picture. To the day.

    1. Thank you for that information. I see Samuel, Edna, Jack Russell Merle, and sister Elsie Elizabeth Brewster on the 1913 photo. Thanks for writing and introducing yourself. I may contact you sometime for additional information about your branch. Thanks for writing!

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