II think this must be his father's death record: Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947  Name: Marshall F. Brake Birth Date: 26 May 1862 Birth Place: Hamilton Co , Illinois Death Date: 13 Feb 1933 Death Place: MT Vernon, Jefferson, Illinois Burial Date: 14 Feb 1933 Burial Place: MT. Vernon, Jefferson, Ill. Cemetery Name: Oakwood Death Age: 70 Occupation: General Laborer Race: White Marital Status: M Gender: Male Street address: 1407 So. 10 St. Father Name: Benjamin F. Brake Father Birth Place: Tenn. Mother Name: Sophie Davis Spouse Name: Charity Lewis Brake FHL Film Number: 1684955 > On September 3, 2014 at 7:54 AM rwlmn via <iljeffer@rootsweb.com> 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 local 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 25 years. > He was a member of Masonic Lodge No. 31, Order of White Shrine 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