Carolyn Louise Humburg 1938-2023

She was born Carolyn Louise Humburg on June 13, 1938, to Merrill and Dorothy Humburg. With her older brother Jay, she grew up in the small town of La Crosse, Kansas. She sometimes remembered herself as a tomboy, who liked to play baseball and could beat up a boy or two.

Carolyn’s dog, Zipper was a smart and loyal pet, who would meet her at 3 pm to walk her home from school.

She was an active student, playing the piano, the flute, and singing in choir.

She enjoyed the 4-H club, where she learned practical skills and competed in fairs. Working as a bookkeeper in her father’s hardware store, she began saving money that would allow her to travel to Europe after college, where she saw some of the great art museums. In her summers, during high school and college, she was a camp counselor. After graduating from KSU, she taught first grade for three years.

In 1961, she married William “Mac” Brewer, a man who had himself been a camp counselor and a backcountry canoe guide. Mac was in medical school, and they owned a VW Beetle. Between 1964 and 1970, they welcomed five children to the family: Joe, Mike, Karl, Rebecca, and Ben. During this phase of family building, they lived in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. In 1971, they moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, where Mac began his practice of pediatrics, and Carolyn got organized. One constant interest in her life was nurturing the intellectual, emotional, and moral development of children.

She had her hands full with her own children, of course, and they are so grateful for her unconditional love.

She also started a Montessori preschool in her home, was a den mother for Cub Scouts, and presented art appreciation lessons at the elementary school. She was friendly, capable, and hardworking, and she always had time to help or listen. Carolyn knew many people and made good friends in Grand Junction and beyond.

She and Mac were an amazing team, whose unique style and generosity have inspired various young couples. Their good fortune was due to their love for each other, the blending of their different talents, and the grace of God. In 1985, Mac returned to the public health service, and they moved to Pinetop, Arizona, where the two youngest finished high school. In their empty-nest years, Carolyn and Mac moved more frequently with his job: Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Kodiak, Alaska; and Mobile, Alabama. In each place, she learned new things and made new friends. After Mac’s retirement in 2000, they moved to Tucson, Arizona, but spent half of the year in Silverton, Colorado. Other jobs took them across the globe to Tajikistan and to Haiti’s Hôpital Albert Schweitzer.

In her later years, when Carolyn’s memory began slipping away and her need for care increased, Mac was her constant companion. She was happy and serene in his presence. She died on October 10, 2023, in Tucson at 85 years of age. When she was a girl, Carolyn responded to the good news of Jesus Christ, and in adulthood, she deepened her relationship with God.

She believed in her salvation and in life everlasting. She is survived by Mac, her five children, her son-in-law, David, three daughters-in-law, K.C., Katie, and Keri, and eleven grandchildren: Mina, Tess, Ellie, Adam, Jonah, Jacob, Joshua, Maddie, Isaac, Luke, and Andile. Her first great-grandchild is joyfully expected this January.