Rudolph Brewster

Dr. Rudolph Brewster left this life on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at Red Oak, Texas, in the company of his beloved wife and son.

A lifes celebration and recognition will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, April 18th at Kerrville Funeral Home, Kerrville, Texas to honor this man who touched so many lives as an educator, friend, husband and father.

Dr. Brewster was born to Joe and Ada Perkins Brewster in Blanket, Texas on Dec. 21, 1916. He was a precocious learner as a child and was soon an honor student throughout his student years. He graduated from Blanket High School as Valedictorian and entered Daniel Baker College in Brownwood, Texas. While at Daniel Baker College, he was an outstanding dramatist and literary arts student.

He graduated from Daniel Baker College in 1938 and assumed a teaching position at Lawn High School where he taught English and was the basketball coach. At the end of the school year, he entered Southwest Texas State College, subsequently earning a Master of Arts Degree in English. It was at SWTSC that Dr. Brewster met an undergraduate student from Fredericksburg who was later to become his wife.

Following Pearl Harbor, Dr. Brewster joined the U.S. Army Air Corps where he was a crew chief and later a flight engineer on B26 bombers. In 1943, he proposed and married his wife of 66 years, Irene Weiershausen.

As members of the Greatest Generation, Rudolph and Irene endured many hardships, made sacrifices and had the absolute time of their lives doing so while in the Army Air Corps.

On Jan. 13, 1945, Rudolph and Irene gave birth to Eric Allen Brewster, their devoted son, for the next 64 years. Upon mustering out of the Army Air Corps in 1945, he assumed the position of School Superintendent in Rankin, Texas.

In 1946, Rudolph began a long term relation with what was originally Schreiner Institute as a Junior College English teacher. He was regarded as an esteemed faculty member while at Schreiner Institute and is remembered by many students of the military years at Schreiner Institute. In 1958, he assumed the position of English teacher at Howard County Junior College in Big Spring, Texas. In 1963, he became Head of the English Department at Odessa College in Odessa, Texas. In 1969, he received a Ph.D. in English from East Texas State University. Dr. Brewster was later appointed to the post of Fine Arts and Communications Dean while at Odessa College. During his twenty year tenure at Odessa College, Dr. Brewster also held a position as Adjunct professor of English at University of Texas of The Permian Basin, in Midland, Texas.

In 1983, Dr. Brewster retired from Odessa College and the decision was made to return to Kerrville, Texas. After a few short months of retirement, Dr. Brewster was asked to return to his beloved Schreiner College now, University as a part time professor, teaching upper level and graduate courses in English. During his second tenure at Schreiner, Dr. Brewster was awarded Teacher of The Year three times.

In 1994 Dr. Brewster retired for the final time from Schreiner University and spent time with his wife, Irene traveling to Europe eleven times and ultimately sitting on his front porch, doing what he did ....holding court, waving at passing cars, entering into discourse and palavering, of which he was a master.

Dr. Brewster is survived by his wife of 66 years, Irene and son, Eric and wife Cheri, of Waxahachie, Texas. He always enjoyed the company of his grandchildren, Tanya Brewster of Houston, Texas, Richard Brewster of Austin, Texas and their mother, Betty Brewster of Kingwood, Texas. Tanya was an exceptional grandchild, who while a student at University of Houston, announced that she was going to become an English teacher......just like her granddad. Greatgrandchildren are Evan Brewster and Alyssa Brewster, both of Austin, Texas and their mother, Teresa Lo. He is also survived by friends Dr. Kelly and Carolyn Hildebrand of Kerrville, TX, Jim and Dr. Sherri Gillham of Midland, TX, Dr. Wally and Carolyn Freeman of Kerrville, TX, and Dr. Tom Heiting of Midland, TX......and the residents and friends of Braden Circle, where he lived. His sparkling wit and knowledge will be missed by his family, friends .....and the numerous students whose lives he touched.

Dr. Rudolph Brewster Relished prose Imbibed poetry Enjoyed discourse Understood ethos Having touched quite a few lives Moving on to another classroom

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