Merry Louise Bremer

Longtime year-round Marco Island resident Merry Louise (‘Merry Lou’) Bremer, 80, found peace and release from her long battle against Alzheimer’s disease at home, just before midnight on Friday, September 27, 2019, surrounded by her loving family and devoted husband of 37 years, Brian Bremer. Merry was born on January 5, 1939 in Aurora, Illinois and was a 1957 graduate of East Aurora High School.

She had a warrior spirit to the end and was also a breast cancer survivor earlier in her life. Merry gave hope to others facing cancer by volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor, Michigan and knitting her signature prayer shawls.

Her many accomplishments include being awarded First Runner Up in the Miss Illinois pageant and a long and successful career in travel, both as an American Airlines flight attendant and as a travel agent.

Merry loved music and dancing ("Sunshine on my Shoulders" and "Hello Mary Lou" among her favorites) and was a champion golfer, winning awards and leading committees at Wynstone Country Club in North Barrington, Illinois and The Island Club on Marco Island. She was a member of the Marco Island Women’s Club and many also knew her as a brilliant and competitive master of puzzles and word games.

Her large and loving family was Merry’s greatest source of joy and pride, particularly with the blessings of many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who knew her as their ‘Meema’.

In her later years, as she fought Alzheimer’s disease, Merry found great happiness as a participant in the Naples Senior Center Dementia Respite Support program, an organization and program that also provided support and respite for Merry’s husband Brian and her family.

Merry was preceded in death by her father Albert Brauer, mother Violet (Bedford) Brauer, her brother Albert A (‘Sonny’) Brauer, Jr. and her niece Audra M. Brauer.

Merry is survived by her husband Brian F. Bremer; siblings, Richard A. (Sarah) Brauer and Carol Joy (John) Little; sister-in law Brenda (David) Gudritz and brother-in-law Brent (Carol) Bremer; the father of her children Edward Bunce; children Joy Lynn (Michael) Ward, Jode Edward Bunce, Jenifer Louise (Scott) Pankow and step-daughter Brianne (James) Bremer-Kennish; grandchildren Patrick Lawrence Ward, Matthew Edward Ward, Ryan Michael Ward, Christopher Brian Ward, Lindsey Joy Ward, Jacob Edward Bunce, Alexandria Kathleen Bunce, Melissa Louise Bocek, Bethany Mae Wilson, Olivia Loraine Wilson; great-grandchildren Auviana Louise Ward, Emmitt Lawrence Ward and Willson Alexander Bocek; and step-grandchildren Summer Elizabeth Pankow, Sophie Leigh Pankow, Lily May Kennish, Amberley Rose Kennish and Florence Ruby Kennish.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Naples Senior Center Dementia Respite Support Program at http://www.naplesseniorcenter.org/donors/giving-to-jfcs/ or the Ronald McDonald House at http://www.rmhc.org/get-involved.