Wayne Brewer

Wayne was born in Camp Crook, South Dakota on October 28, 1932 to Ida Ewalt Brewer and Wesley Brewer. He was raised on the family ranch between Ekalaka, Montana and Camp Crook. Wayne was a proud third generation Montanan, his grandparents having homesteaded in the Ekalaka area in 1900.



As a young man he stayed in the area working on various ranches and farms, eventually working for the rural electric company as a lineman in Medicine Lake, Montana. He married Rita Anne Chandler with whom he had 2 sons, William and Robert. They eventually divorced and he later married Donna Mae Ralston of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Donna brought with her 2 young children from a previous marriage, Rodney and Jacqueline.



After marrying Donna, Wayne planned on homesteading in British Columbia, Canada but an accident with a horse at his parent’s ranch crushed his leg leaving him unable to climb power poles any more. While waiting for his leg to heal, Wayne moved to Miles City, Montana to attend college. After a year there he decided to continue his education at Montana State University in Bozeman. So in 1968 Wayne and family came to the beautiful Gallatin valley. After graduating from MSU with his Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering he decided to settle here, eventually opening his own firm, Valley Sprinkler and Pump Company in Belgrade. He worked all over the state designing and installing irrigation systems for farms and ranches. A cattleman at heart, Wayne kept some black angus cows at his acreage just outside of Bozeman. He often joked that he had the irrigation company because he had to have a job to support his cow habit! He loved the land and animals on it. He kept track of the hawks and eagles, the fox and deer as well as his beloved cows. He didn’t believe in burning his ditch because “even the mice need a place to live”.



Wayne was predeceased by his parents Ida and Wesley, his brother Clyde Brewer, and his wife of 50 years, Donna Brewer who died in April of 2015. He is survived by his sister Dorothy Padden of Ekalaka and her children, his sons William Brewer and Robert Brewer of Carbon, Texas, his son Rodney Ralston of Las Vegas, Nevada and his daughter Jacqueline Snyder (Stan) of Bozeman. His 4 grandchildren, Rebecca Easterling (Alex) of Manor, Texas, Rex Brewer of Carbon, Texas, Jennifer Sherman (Curt) of Minot, ND and Alisa Gullett (Dan) of Belgrade were the apples of his eye. He loved teaching them about the land and cattle. Jennifer and Alisa were lucky to be raised in Belgrade and were brought up working the cows. They rode and branded and fed the cows and helped with calving, learning about life and death along the way. There are also 4 great-grandchildren who were greatly loved, Rylie Greenawalt (James) of Belgrade, Blade Vega of Belgrade, Garrett and Mekenzie Sherman of Minot, ND.



There will be an informal gathering at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service Tribute Center in Bozeman on Tuesday afternoon, December 4th from 4:00 to 6:00pm.



Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.dahlcares.com.