Charles Brewer and Eliza Wilhelmsen Brewer (Parents of Carrie Wilhelmsen Brewer Pugmire)

Charles Hereford Brewer and Eliza Wilhelmina Brewer

(Parents of Carrie Wilhelmsen Brewer Pugmire)

Charles Hereford Brewer

            Charles Hereford Brewer was born in Somersetshire, England, May 16, 1853, to John T. and Louisa Hereford Brewer. When three years of age he came to America with his family. While in the East his mother, Louisa, passes away and was buried there. Charles lived at Penn Yan, New York, for some time and worked as a mason before coming to Salt Lake City, Utah. He was about sixteen years of age when he came West.

            He moved from Salt Lake to St. Charles, Idaho, where he lived for some time with a family named Jacobs. These people were very good to him and treated him as if he were one of their family. He felt very close to them and a special bond of friendship continued between then throughout their lived.

            Charles was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ, December 4, 1879, at the age of seventeen.
            He declared his love for and married Eliza Wilhelmina Wilhelmsen in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City, November 3, 1873.She was better know later by the name Mina E. Brewer.

            Their first home was located a block west of Main Street in the center of St. Charles and was a typical pioneer home with a dirt roof. Later they were able to move into a better house located on Main Street just across the street from the home of Thomas Grover Rich and the St. Charles Drug Store.

Charles Brewer Family

            They were blessed with seven children namely: Minnie W. (who died September 30, 1875) Charles William (who died May 12, 1930), Alice W., Anina W., George W., John W., and Carrie W.

            Charles was a good mason and helped to build the community homes. He donated weeks and weeks of work in building the church buildings. He worked untiringly in the bringing large rocks from the east side of Bear Lake to be used on the building of the St. Charles Chapel. Nothing was too hard for him to attempt. He and others who he worked with were called “The Rock Chucks.” It seemed that the whole community recognized him as a “friend when in need” and knew that they could rely on him for any help they needed. People sought his advice as to when to plant gardens and crops and depended upon his judgment in many ways. He had a smoke house and smoked meat for anyone who wanted to have it done, free of charge. He and his good wife were called to sit with the sick and lay away the dead as well as to help and trim caskets.

            He had a keen sense of humor which made him loved by both the young and old. He was very active in the community and a High Priest in the church. He died in Salt Lake City, August 20, 1928, and was buried in the St. Charles Cemetery.

Charles and Eliza Brewer

Eliza Wilhelmina Wilhelmsen Brewer

            Eliza Wilhelmina Wilhelmsen was born February 6, 1856, at Copenhagen, Denmark. She was the daughter of Niels and Anne Christine Nielsen Wilhelmsen.

            In 1864, her parents were encouraged by Apostle Charles Coulsen Rich to move to Bear Lake and acting upon his advice they moved to St. Charles, Idaho.

            Their first hoe there was a log cabin with dirt roof and dirt floor. Mina, as she shoes to be called, told how they used straw to cover the floor and that it had to be changed whenever it was necessary to assure cleanliness. The roof sometimes leaked so that it was necessary to place pans around on the floor to catch the rain.

            Mina was a great reader, an ardent seeker after truth and knowledge. Books were scarce and she told of how she longed to get hold of a book and search out the knowledge hidden between it’s covers. When she failed to obtain any other books she would read and study the dictionary. She had very little schooling but she was self educated to such a degree that she could converse with college graduates with perfect ease and they were amazed at her broad knowledge in so many phases of education. Charles, or Charley as he was usually called, affectionately nicknamed her “The Walking Dictionary.” She loved and wrote poetry and was skilled in sewing and cooking.

            The Charles Brewer home was truly “a house by the side of the road” with doors wide open to relatives, friends, and strangers. They were good neighbors who were always ready to give a helping hand to those in need.

            Mina loved the Gospel and was active in the church. She served in the M.I.S., Sunday school as well as other organizations. She served as second counselor in the St. Charles Ward Relief Society from 1915 to 1924.

            Her father died on his third mission to Denmark, where he served as Mission President and was instrumental, with the help of his secretary, Andrew Jensen, in translating the Book of Mormon into the Danish language. She was a great help and comfort to her widowed mother. Mina E. Brewer died March 31, 1929, at St. Charles and was buried there.

Alice and Carrie

Carrie, Alice, Anina
Eliza