Effie "Bess" LaVerne (Penn) Brewer

Effie LaVerne “Bess” (Penn) Brewer, 87, of West Plains, Missouri, was born on December 20, 1931, in Holly Grove, Arkansas, daughter of Earl C. Penn and Lula Mae (Campbell) Penn.  She departed this life on August 16, 2019 at West Vue Nursing Home in West Plains, Missouri.

Effie married Charles F. Brewer on October 15, 1949 in Clarendon, Arkansas and to this union four children were born.  Effie “Bess” was a homemaker and worked as a bank teller when she was younger. Effie was a member of the Salem First Baptist Church and the Young at Heart Sunday school class. Effie loved her family, gardening, sewing and singing. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and friend.

She leaves to mourn her passing; son, Thomas C. Brewer and wife Joyce of Jonesboro, Arkansas; three daughters, Donna Brewer of Livingston, Louisiana, Karen Willett and husband Charles of West Plains, Missouri and Vicki Stoddard and husband Chad of Marked Tree, Arkansas; ten grandchildren; twenty one great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; two sisters, Virginia Simpson of Stuttgart, Arkansas and Linda Penn of Brinkley, Arkansas; and a host of other relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, three sisters and brother.

Funeral services will be Monday, August 19, 2019, 11:00 AM at Barker Funeral Home in Salem, Arkansas with Bro. John Hodges and Bro. Chad Stoddard officiating.  Visitation will be Monday, August 19, 2019, 10:00 A.M. until time of service at Barker Funeral Home.  Interment will be in the Salem Cemetery in Salem, Arkansas.  Pallbearers are the grandchildren. Honorary pallbearers are Hoot Miller and Buster Farguson. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Arrangements are under the direction of Barker Funeral Home of Salem, Arkansas.