SN 8.7.2021 FINAL

The Sun and News, Saturday, August 7, 2021/ Page 3

The list of Bremer’s
community involvement is
long, not only to Middleville
and Thornapple Township,
but also to Barry County,
Thornapple Kellogg Schools,
his church, and many
organizations within the
county. The list includes
being Thornapple Township
supervisor and a Barry
County commissioner.
Bremer is also a member
and has held many offices in
organizations including
Middleville Rotary Club,
YMCA of Barry County,
Middleville Downtown
Development
Authority, TAEF, Thornapple
Area Parks and Recreation
Commission, Spectrum
Health Pennock Foundation,
Leadership Barry County,
and the Middleville Housing
Commission. He’s also been
a member of many
committees and volunteer
efforts, including at TK
schools, Heritage Day
Committee, National
24-Hour Challenge,
Middleville Village Player,
and Imagination Library of
Barry County.
Bremer is seen at nearly
every Middleville event and
has a hand in planning,
promoting and running many
of them.
Humbled by the award,
he said he’s honored and
appreciative.
“I don’t do things I do
expecting someone to say
‘Thank you’ and give me an
award. I do it because it’s
just what I do. I see a need,
and I give where I can give,”
he said. “My gift is that I
can’t say ‘No.’ I have a
servant heart, and I’m
compelled to use it.”
Giving to others is part of
Bremer’s continuing
awareness of putting others
before himself and putting
God first.
“It’s taken me a long
time, but I’m becoming more
involved with God and his
Word and trying to live as a
better Christian,” he said.
Bremer credits his
parents, the late Lois and
Tom Bremer, for teaching
him by example how to be a
good community member
and be involved.
“My dad was active with
Scouts and Little League.
My mom was the secretary at

the township and for the

village planning commission.

She worked blood drives and

election days,” Bremer said.

“It was always about

somebody else and giving

back to the community.”

Over the years, Bremer

has worn many hats – there’s

the colorful propeller-topped

beanie he sometimes wears

to remind graduating seniors

to enjoy life; the baseball cap

he wears when performing

his “Who’s on First” routine

with his brother John; the

grizzly bear hat he wore as

Montana Grizzly, the

University of Montana

mascot; his Detroit Tigers

cap atop a tiger costume

worn to many season-

opening games; and the

cowboy hat he wears

portraying a sheriff trying to

thwart a stagecoach robbery

during the Middleville

Heritage Day Parade.

After high school,

Bremer attended Grand

Rapids Junior College and

later transferred to the

University of Montana where

he graduated with degrees in

elementary education and

health, physical education

and recreation.

He worked regularly as a

substitute teacher after

returning to Michigan. He

also worked as a personnel

manager at Bradford White

and a human resource

administrator. He’s been an

activity therapist for Barry

County Community Mental

Health, director for

Thornapple Area Parks and

Recreation, and even a

saxophone assembler.

The Middleville area has

always been home to Bremer

except for the four years he

attended college in Montana.

“I loved it out there, but it

wasn’t home. I had to come

back,” he said. “This is

home. This is a beautiful

community with a beautiful

river running through it. We

have a great community

surrounded by acres and

acres of woods and farmland

and rivers and lakes. We’ve

got it all right here.

“I love this community,

and I want to be part of the

solution to help make it

better for everyone,” he said.

Bremer is a 1968 graduate

of Thornapple Kellogg High

School. He’s watched his

three children graduate from

TK, and this fall will have

seven grandchildren

attending TK Schools.

When he’s not busy

volunteering or serving on

committees and boards,

Bremer said he enjoys

morning walks on the trail

nearly every day, fishing, and

learning to get better at golf.

Mostly, he enjoys being with

his family and attending

community events every

chance he gets.

Bremer said he has

attended every Hometown

Hero dinner since they

began, and he’s grateful to be

named this year’s honoree.

He hopes he can inspire more

people to take active roles in

the community in some way

• whether volunteering on an
  event committee, working
  with sports and recreation, or
  serving in some other way.
  He and his wife, Janette,
  have been married for 10
  years. He has three children,
  Brett, Kelly and Kirby, and
  two stepchildren, Mason and
  Mercedes. Together, he and
  Janette have 10
  grandchildren.
  Bremer said he’s blessed
  beyond words. Every week
  at the Rotary lunch, he puts
  two dollars in the $1 donation
  as a small symbolic gesture.

“I give two ‘happy

dollars’ every week because

I’m twice as blessed as

anyone there. I truly am,” he

said.

we have life insurance.

because, well, you

can’t predict the future.

simple human sense

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Happy to step in wherever needed, Mike Bremer helps prepare for local event.

Mike and John (right) Bremer have presented a “Who’s on First?” routine for sever-

al years. That has evolved into book readings for children. Here, they tell the story of

Eric Carle’s “The Grouchy Ladybug” for a Stroll in Read activity in Hastings. (File

photos)

Previous Middleville

Hometown Heroes

Previous recipients of the

Thornapple Area Educational

Foundation’s Hometown

Hero award include:

2008 – Frank Tichvon

2009 –Rex and Christine

Schad

2010 – Bob and Helen

Wenger

2011 – Marilyn

Finkbeiner

2012 – Joyce Domire and

Terri Vanderkooi

2013 – John Loftus

2014 – Don Boysen

2015 – Janis Fitzgerald

2016 – Jim and Diane

Weatherhead

2017 – Walt Eavey

2018 – Deb and Scott

McKeown

2019 – Don Williamson

Mike Bremer, whose dad was a Little League coach,

pulls weeds at the Crane Road ball fields in Middleville

during Barry County United Way’s Day of Caring.

BREMER, continued from page 1