John Brouwer ’59
John Brouwer ’59 of Osseo, Wisconsin, died on Monday, April 3, 2017at Regions Hospital, St. Paul MN, due to complications related to burn injuries.
John was born in Inwood, IA on September 7, 1934, the son of Jorienus and Artie (Brands) Brouwer. In 1946 he moved to Edgerton, MN with his family. John married the sweetest girl in town, Florence Schmidt on June 6, 1958. He graduated from Western Theological Seminary in 1962.
He was a Pastor in Dell Rapids SD, Corsica SD, Randolph WI, Altoona/Hallie WI and Neillsville/Granton WI. From there he and Florence retired to their hobby farm near Osseo, WI. In retirement, up until his death, he pastored at Rockland United Methodist Church. John enjoyed gardening, woodworking and hunting. Anyone who knew John appreciated his fruits and vegetables, along with his famous rhubarb juice.
John is survived by his wife Florence of 57 years; his 5 children; Darwin (Pat) of Mesquite, TX; Ivan (Nancy) of Swartz Creek, MI; Karen (Kevin) Gunvalson of Alexandria, MN; Gwendolyn Brouwer of Elko, NV; Evonne (Joshua) Cash of Waunakee, WI; 3 brothers, 5 sisters and 8 grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Jasper and Joe. One of John’s favorite bible verses is Matthew 25:21 “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” A memorial fund has been established for the Rockland United Methodist Church, 106 E Main St., PO Box 44, Rockland, WI 54653. Another option, which is one of John’s favorite charities, is for donations to be sent in lieu of flowers to this 501(c)3 non-profit international organization helping the homeless and needy: Children’s Vision International, Incorporated, 1002 Grove Street, PO Box 380, Bangor, Wisconsin 54614 (608) 486-4357 (608) 792-9512 Cell; website: www.childrensvision.