Dorothy Oliver

Dorothy Oliver age 90, of Greenville, passed away Saturday evening, December 20, 2014 at Spectrum Health United Memorial Hospital in Greenville. She was born March 4, 1924 in Dowagiac, the daughter of Carleton C. & Ruth E. (Reinschottle) Minshall. Dorothy will always be remembered as one of Greenville’s finest musicians. She was an excellent violinist and she was always ready to share her talents. She played in pit orchestras for musical productions, mentored many young string players within the Greenville Public School’s orchestra program and performed in chamber music groups and in area orchestras. She was the concertmistress in the Rockford Community Orchestra for many years. Her love of music was a lifelong passion. She attended Albion College where she majored in violin and voice. It was at Albion that she joined Sigma Alpha Iota Professional Music Fraternity. She was a fifty-year plus member of the Grand Rapids SAI alumnae Chapter. She served as president for multiple terms and was awarded The Sword of Honor and The Rose of Honor. In 1964, a contest was held to come up with a Greenville promotion, and a cash prize was offered by three business owners to the person submitting the idea. Mrs. Dorothy Oliver was the winner, with the suggestion that a day be set aside to honor the Danish heritage Greenville enjoys. The first Danish Festival was held on August 18, 1965. She also volunteered at the Friends of the Flat River Community Library and was a Medicare volunteer at Spectrum Health United Memorial Hospital. She loved knitting, sewing, playing the violin with the quartet, was a member of Per Gradus and the First Church of Christ Science. Dorothy is survived by her sons and daughters in law William Clark Oliver of Miami, Florida, Christopher & (Shawn Ann) Oliver of Granger, Indiana and Drew Robert & (Kimberly Ruth) Oliver of Palmetto, Florida; 6 grandchildren Zach Oliver of Wyoming, Michigan, Cassandrah Ruthann Oliver and Sydney Alexandra Oliver of Granger, Indiana, Drew Robert Oliver, Jr. and Liam Elliot Oliver of Palmetto, Florida and Kaitlin Rose Coley of Orlando, Florida. She was preceded in death by her husband Clark J. Oliver. There will be no visitation. A Celebration of Her Life will be 3 PM Friday, January 2, 2015 at the Marshall Funeral Home, Greenville. Private burial will be held at Rest Haven Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers a fund has been set up at Fifth Third Bank for memorial contributions in Dorothy’s name. Complete obituary will be published in the paper on Saturday, December 27, 2014.