Oliver (“Ollie”) was a friend of Tom’s from Greenville High School.

His  obituary reads, in part:

Oliver Wafer, the son of Oscar Wafer and Bess Virginia Oliver Wafer, was born on May 9, 1923, at the Wafer home in Greenville at 340 North Third Street.

He attended Central School and graduated from Greenville High School in 1941. Early in life Ollie worked at the Donnell Funeral Home, did surveying, and then attended the Rolla School of Mines.

Ollie answered his country’s call by joining the United Stares Navy on November 19, 1942 in Ames, IO. He rose to the rank of Sonarman First Class. Ollie served at Ames, IA. V-12, Sound School at Key West, FL., the Naval Training School at Norfolk, Virginia, and aboard the USS John W. Birmingham. He was awarded the American Area Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Medal, and the Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged at Great Lakes.

Ollie then returned to college and graduated with his Civil Engineering Degree from Colorado State in 1948. It was there that he met Edith June Joseph whom he married on September 10, 1948 at the Wafer home in Greenville.

Ollie then worked for the Mt. Vernon Electric Co-op and later for Wilson Architects, where he worked on the Bond County Community Unit # 2 High School which opened in 1958, and was involved in helping with plans for many churches, schools and hospitals. In 1982 they moved to Grand Junction, CO, where Ollie continued working until 1990.

Ollie lost his wife, Edith, on March 26, 2005 and returned to Greenville in 2006. Ollie is survived by their two children: Kay (Mark) Bleyer of West Lafayette, IN, James A. (Deb) Wafer of Belleville, IL; sister: Ann Hunter of Greenville; grandchildren: James Joseph Wafer, Christy Wafer, Benjamin Wafer, Andrew (Kimber) Bleyer, Gregory (Sarah) Bleyer, and Becky Bleyer; and four great-grandchildren: Gavin, Abbot, Mary, and William Oliver Bleyer. Ollie is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Edith, his sister Jane Hubbert, and his brother James O. Wafer.