Welcome to Group 5: Isaiah Brewer
Isaiah Brewer was a twin to Effie Brewer Nivens. He was the backbone of the Brewer family, an entrepreneur who owned a saw mill and responsible for a large slice of our historical significance in this country. After his father passed away, Emiline greatly relied on him; Isaiah stepped right in to help his mother raise the younger children. He was a beloved Brewer family member.
Isaiah was instrumental in the building of the Wesley Chapel Church in 1908. During that time, the people who lived in that community had to travel very far to attend the Oro Church (now the Oro United Methodist Church). Most of them did not want their children to have to walk that distance. Soon a group in Pageland including the Sowell, Stanley, Blakeney, Edgewood, White, Thomas, and Allsbrooks families came together and decided to build a church in their own neighborhood. Following in the footsteps of her husband, Emiline asked Isaiah to portion off some of the Brewer land to make building this church possible.1 Isaiah readily provided lumber from his saw mill and helped the other men in the community begin building the church. Without the land or lumber, the entire project would have been impossible.
The church was named for John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. Emiline Watts Brewer is widely considered the founder and mother of the church.
In The Voices of Pageland, author Beth Laney described Wesley Chapel: “The edifice served as both church and school until the mid 1920s, when philanthropist Julius Rosenwald made available matching grants to communities for school buildings. The people of Wesley Chapel community raised monies and a large two-room schoolhouse was erected about a mile from the church grounds.”2 Bob Gathings, one of Emiline’s grandchildren.
Today, the Wesley Chapel Church is more than 100 years old. Arthur Brewer, Sr. tore down the Wesley Chapel School and built his home on its foundation. In a way, this has preserved some portion of the school.
Isaiah Brewer was a very important member of the Brewer family. He was married to Lizzie Robinson Brewer. He was the father of nine children.
Children: Lincoln, Cromwell, Carlos, Mae Crozier, Booker, Howard, Nellie (Scat), Thomasina, and Wickersham.
Grandchildren: Marguerite, Elanor, Freddie May, Frederick, Doris, Gerald, Lyla, Thelma, Alfred, Larry, Elois, Carolyn, Benjamin, Lincoln, Hodison, Willie Mae, Henry Sr., Jennie, Reverend Dr. Fred D., Jannie, Booker, Arthur, Marietta, Jennie, Fred, Jannie, and Booker.
Great Grandchildren: Frederick, Michael; Dennis, Leonard, Derrick, Marcus, Wendy, Darrell, Deon, Nellie, Karla , K.J., Jr, Karen Bennett, Jordan, Branden, Sharon, Henry Jr., Michelle, Michael, Azilee, Danny, Jeanetta, Felicia, Natasha, Byron, Bridget, Ernestine, Wakia, Rhonda, Marie Allen, Arthelia, Gary, Tony and Herbert, Henry, Jr., Theresa, Opal, Michael, Mary, Shirley, Lisa, Wanda, Tunya, Freddie, Riley, and Renee.