Margaret Lillian (Seuss) Oliver

Mar 4, 1919 - Oct 26, 2000

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP- Margaret L. Oliver, gifted artist who used her talents to benefit her church, died of scleroderma Oct 26th at Jewish Hospital Kenwood. The Anderson Township resident was 81.

Born Margaret Lillian Seuss South Bend, Ind., she was the youngest in a family of four daughters.

Her father called her "Pete," a nickname that stuck throughout her life. She loved sports, playing on softball and volleyball teams. She married William Oliver, her high school sweetheart, in 1941. He described her as a "sweetheart" and a "dark-haired beauty.' After taking classes in floral design, Mrs. Oliver and her husband owned and operated The Blossom Shop in Park Forest, Ill., during the 1950s.

When Mr. Oliver was hired by the Kroger Co. in 1956, the shop was closed and the family which came to include six children moved Sumitt Hills Heights, Ky. It was one of moves they made as Mr. Oliver was transferred by Kroger. After living in a string of cities, they moved to Anderson Township in 1971. After another transfer in 1975, the family moved back to Anderson Township permanently in 1977. Mrs. Oliver approached each move with optimism and a sense adventure.

An enduring image is one of Mrs. Oliver "snuggled with an armload of preschoolers and toddlers on the couch," reading The Little Engine That Could and other favorites, her husband said. She created a special atmosphere for her family by sewing clothes for the children, making floral arrangements for home decor and gift-giving, and decorating Easter baskets, birthday cakes and Christmas cookies to provide special memories. In later years, Mrs. Oliver designed wedding invitations, special-occasion cards and holiday wreaths out of her preferred medium of natural materials, such as dried flowers and pine cones. She served for many years on the fine arts committee at Anderson United Methodist Church and was a volunteer at Bethesda Hospital.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by five daughters, Cynthia Fiefer Scottsdale, Ariz., Mary Anderson of Lees Summit, Mo., Susan Conrad of San Antonio, Texas, Rebecca Callaway of Poway, Calif., and Janet Pantuso, of Alexandria, Va.; a son, Thomas W. Oliver of Martinsburg, W.Va.; two sisters, Marion Rowley of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Ruth Jacobson of South Bend, Ind.; and five grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Anderson Hills United Methodist Church, 7515 Forest Road. Mrs. Oliver's remains have been cremated.

Memorials: Anderson Hills United Methodist Church, 7515 Forest Road, Cincinnati 45255 or the Scleroderma Foundation, 12 Kent Way, Suite 101, Byfield, MA 01922

Sources: Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com and FindAGrave.com

11/26/2025 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183629195/margaret_lillian-oliver