William Lester Oliver

Rev. William Lester Oliver, 87, formerly of Columbus, OH and Charleston, WV, entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, September 5, 2015 after a lengthy illness. He was born in Salem, SC, on October 22, 1927, the son of the late William Harbin Oliver and the late Essie (Heaton) Oliver. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Agnes Aileen (Lee) Oliver; his children, William Don and wife Linda of Morgantown, WV, Dennis Michael Oliver and wife Sharon of Athens, WV, Rev. Richard Lynn Oliver and wife Betty Lou of Bellevue, OH; and daughter-in-law Priscilla Oliver, wife of his son James Earl Oliver (deceased). He is also survived by his brothers Frank Oliver, Jack Oliver, Bruce Oliver, and Davis Oliver; his sisters Rachel Kelley and Vivian Swafford; 11 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by son James Earl Oliver; brothers, Elmer Oliver and Newton Oliver; and sister Blanche Murphree. He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served 1946-47 as a radio operator with the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA. After serving with the U.S. Army, Mr. Oliver returned to Oconee County, SC and after marriage, became manager of a large cattle ranch near Anderson, SC. Several years later he joined McLean Trucking Co, Winston-Salem, NC, as a long haul driver. In 1960, he took a position as dispatcher with his company in Belle, WV. In 1960, Mr. Oliver accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, and in 1962, was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel at Malden Baptist Church, Malden, WV. From 1964-66, he was pastor of the Fairlawn Baptist Church, Dunbar, WV, and in 1967 became pastor of the Witcher Creek Baptist Church, Belle, WV. In 1972, he rejoined McLean Trucking Co. as Terminal Manager in Indianapolis, IN, and later in Omaha, NE, and in 1975 he became terminal manager in Columbus, OH, where he retired. Rev. Oliver enjoyed fishing, golfing, gardening, amateur radio, computing, and spending time with his family. Family and friends will be received at The Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, 308 Elmhurst St., Morgantown WV, September 11 at 1:00 PM, until the time of the funeral service at 2:00 PM, with Rev. Richard L. Oliver and Rev. Douglas Miller officiating. Interment will follow in East Oak Grove Cemetery. Military honors will be provided at the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The North American Mission Board of the SBC, c/o 901 Commerce Street, Ste. 600, Nashville, TN 37203.