Found a bio for his father contributed by Lewis Marshall Brake: Marshall F. Brake In 1906, Marshall F. and Charity B. (Lewis) Brake left their Hamilton County farm home and came to Mt. Vernon. Then this family numbered parents, five daughters and three sons. They selected a small cottage at 1407 South 10th, Mt. Vernon, as their home, and with industrious hands and minds, made it into a home for this large family. This, with the exception of a few months following a fire which destroyed that home, remained the Brake homestead until death took the father and mother in 1933. The father became an employee of the Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Co., worked as a common laborer; sons and daughters of employable age too, became wage earners, while the younger children entered schools, learning to become respected citizens of the city and community. Life of the parents immediately took a trend of citizenship in which they took up responsibilities of community welfare and the Brake name was entered upon the rolls of some fraternal and church bodies. These activities continued so long as health permitted. As for the children, school activities found them accepting the teaching with which Mt. Vernon students have been blessed. Graduation days found them among the leaders of their respective classes. Growing older, they proved to be citizens of merit and the family has contributed to the growth of the community. The family is not lacking in patriotic activities, one son being a veteran of military service during World War I, seven grandsons serving with honor in World War II, one grandson and granddaughter serving during the Korean War one grandson now serving in our American embassy at London, England. The family has been fortunate so far as length of life is concerned; only two deaths of the eight children have marred the family picture. Today all surviving children live in Mt. Vernon with the exception of Pearl, the daughter now living in Escondido, California. The Brake name is still alive in Mt. Vernon, in that the one surviving son, Earl, maintains a home here, as do three of the daughters, all widows. They are Stacy Kern, Maude Eller and Candace Dougherty. One grandson, Neal Brake, temporarily residing in London, is a member of the American embassy, also considers his home with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Earl-Brake of Mt. Vernon. -Lewis Marshall Brake "Facts and Folks A History of Jefferson County, Illinois" Jefferson County Historical Society Printed by Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, TX - 1978 On 9/3/2014 7:54 AM, rwlmn via wrote: > The Mt. Vernon Register-News, Tuesday, May 3, 1977 > Lew Brake Dies; City's Best Known Old Soldier > By GUY HENRY Managing Editor > Mt. Vernon's best known old soldier is dead. Lewis Brake, 81, of 723 Harrison street, suffered a heart attack last night and was dead upon arrival at Good Samaritan Hospital. Lew, as he was affectionately known by his friends all over Southern Illinois, served as national commander of the World War I veterans in 1957 and 1958. He was active right up to the day he died, crusading for the rights of veterans of all wars with the zeal of an evangelist. Mr. Brake was loved and respected by his "buddies"— veterans of all ages who honored him for his never-ending work in their behalf, and for their wives and their children. Unlike most men, Lew got to "smell the roses" for his great deeds before he died. In March of 1976 friends came from all over Illinois to show their respect and friendship on "Lewis Brake Day." The mayor, who issued the official proclamation for > Lew's day, was there, along with The state VFW commander, and veterans officials from many organizations. " I didn't know I had so many friends." That was the simple, modest response Lew gave after listening to words of praise by speaker after speaker. They all knew that Lew has done more than anyone else around here for war veterans and their wives and children. He was visibly moved when Mayor Holland Lewis presented him with a framed document proclaiming the day as "Lewis Brake Day" in Mt. Vernon. As he always did throughout his lifetime. Lew took advantage of the occasion to perform a labor of love - praising fellow veterans and crusading, once again, for veterans' causes. After serving In World War I, Mr. Brake was a postoffice employee for 39 years, except for a period when he was city editor of the Mt. Vernon Daily Herald. For a long time he was service officer for the Illinois Veterans Commission in the Mt. Vernon area. Over the years he served as commander of the l! ocal American Legion and VFW posts and In 1937 and 1938 was commander of the Department of Illinois, VFW. Funeral services will be held al 2 p. m. Thursday at the Central Church of Christ, of which he was a member. Mr. J . Howard Kraps and Mr. Mike Harbin will officiate and burial will be in Oakwood cemetery. Military graveside rites will be conducted by American Legion Post 141 and VFW Post 1376, assisted by King City Barracks of World War I. Friends may call at the Hughey—Pulley Funeral Home after 5 p. m. Wednesday and until 11 a. m. Thursday, when the body will be moved to the church to lie in stale until the funeral hour. Lewis M. Brake was born Feb. 3, 1896 near Dahlgren, the son of Marshall F. and Belle (Lewis) Brake. The family moved to Mt. Vernon when he was ten years old, and he has been a resident here ever since. On May 26, 1923, he was married in Mt. Vernon, to Dorothy Coats of Woodlawn, who survives. He served as a deacon at the Central Church of Christ for 2! 5 years. He was a member of Masonic Lodge No. 31, Order of Whi! te Shrin e of Jerusalem No. 66, Lodge HI9 B.P.O. Elks, and the Disabled American Veterans. During World War I, he served as an enlisted man with the 335th Infantry for 17 months, 11 of which were in France. Surviving, besides his wife, are a brother, Earl Brake, Mt. Vernon; four sisters, Mrs. Stacy Kern, Mrs. Maude Eller and Mrs. Candace Dougherty of Mt. Vernon, and Mrs. Pearl Morris of Escondido, Calif.; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one brother, Silas, one sister, Mrs. Minnie Smith, and his parents. > Visit the Jefferson County web site at: > www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iljeffer/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ILJEFFER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- Sandy (Whalen) Bauer sandy@whalen-family.org