Freestone County, Texas Obituaries [Newspaper Title Lost] Buffalo, Texas Volume 52, Number 51 Wednesday March 1983 Otis Brewer, Sr. dies; funeral to be Thursday Funeral services for Otis Virgil Brewer, Sr., who helped pioneer Buffalo's development from rural hamlet in the 1920s to a thriving community today, will be Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Buffalo. The Rev. James Vermillion will officiate. Mr. Brewer, 75, died at his home in Buffalo Monday morning. A native of Freestone County, he began his business career in Buffalo in 1923. His career spanned numerous milestones in Buffalo history. Among them were construction of Highway 75 in the late 1920s and decades later, Interstate 45. An astute businessman and staunch Buffalo booster, Mr. Brewer understood what the highway meant to the community's development. He understood it as a young businessman in the 1920s. And, decades later, he understood it when the Interstate was built. Semiretired, he loved to talk about the town's early development and the people who helped lead the way. Kind and gentle-spoken he did not mention himself as one of those leaders. Even as he was business and community leader, so Mr. Brewer was a student of Buffalo and area history. He was a collector of items that, in years gone by, played key roles in building Buffalo and the area. He was justly proud of his collection of artifacts. His vision was not limited to the local scene. Mr. Brewer followed national and international economic and political development closely. He loved to talk about them, to voice his opinion and seek the opinion of others. Still, his heart was in Buffalo. In 1946, he and his wife gave approximately four acres of land to the Buffalo Independent School District for development of Brewer Field, the athletic complex that bears his name. Keenly interested in the school system, he served on the Buffalo School Board of Trustees. He was a member of First Baptist Church and the Chamber of Commerce. At one time he operated a car dealership in conjunction with his service station. He was also a Goodyear tire dealer for many years. Mr. Brewer was born in Freestone County on Sept 13, 1907, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Luther N. Brewer. He resided in Teague, Donie and Jewett before moving to Buffalo. Survivors include his wife, Mary Bobbie; son, Otis, Jr., of Houston; daughter, Judy Ruth Reed of Mexico City; granddaughters, Elaina, Lisa and Esther, and grandson, James, all of Mexico City. The family asks that in lieu of customary remembrances, memorials be made to the First Baptist Church building fund or to the Buffalo Public Library. Burial will be in Brewer Cemetery in Freestone County. Mullenax Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.