Matthew Aaron Brewer was born in 1982 to Joan and Bill Brewer in Edmonds, Washington. The Brewer family moved from Washington back to Montana in 1989. He and his five siblings, Joe, Andy, Beth, Seth, and Rachel, did most of their growing up in Great Falls.
Matt attended Mountain View Elementary School, where one of his school days highlights was his portrayal of Chuck Berry in his 5th grade wax museum, and he attended East Middle School. Matt was a determined, opinionated, and creative child. He loved science fiction, and would stridently defend his theories of space travel capabilities based on Star Trek and Star Wars. He had a great sense of humor, and could sing many a Weird Al song. Matt, Seth and Rachel had a special bond. They would rent movies and eat a special snack mix of sweet and savory junk foods all in one big bowl. He loved to explore the outdoors, and would spend time with his siblings on adventures in the fields and gullies at the edge of town.
A pivotal experience for the entire family took place in the summer of 1996 when Matt suffered a catastrophic injury in which his back was broken and he was partially paralyzed. In his characteristically independent way, he had been out exploring alone and fell from a rock face. He was miraculously found, and his older brothers Joe and Andy helped carry him to safety. He spent the next four years applying his grit and stubbornness to disproving the doctors’ initial assessment that he would not be able to walk. Thanks to his hard work, the support of wonderful medical staff, and the prayers and faith of family and friends near and far, he was able to walk again.
He was called to serve as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served honorably in the Montana Billings mission. He and his sister Beth were full time missionaries at the same time, and he sent her an ice cream maker as a gift because she had said that the ice cream where she was serving was sub-par.
Matt was married to Melissa Hardin until their divorce several years ago. Their eight children were Matt’s greatest joy, and he loved each of them deeply. Bryce is attending technical school in Anaconda, Montana. Madison and Logan attend college in Anchorage, Alaska. Mason and Dallan live with their adoptive mom, Ana. Skylar Peyton lives with her adoptive parents, Haley and Nathan. Penelope and Vivan live with their adoptive parents, Jason and Jen.
Matt is survived by his eight children, his three brothers and two sisters, nine nieces and nephews, his parents, his Grandma Vera, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins.
Matt dealt with the effects of chronic pain, a traumatic brain injury, as well as mental illness from a very young age, which did result in some devastating experiences for him and his family. However, the love and gratitude his family feels for his life and the legacy of his children far outweigh this. They find hope in each other, and in their collective faith. His family is grateful for his life, and feel confident that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all wounds will be healed. They are grateful for angels in this life and the next, and they look forward to a sweet reunion in the future.
In lieu of flowers, we encourage supporting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Great Falls Rescue Mission, or a resource center for people in need in your community.
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