Roosevelt Oliver, son of Andrew W. Oliver, Sr. and Della Mae Marston was born on June 1st, 1956 in Durant, Mississippi. He was the brother of four siblings; Bobbi Jean, Patricia, Andrew Jr., and Alfred. At a young age, Roosevelt was baptized at John Wesley United Methodist Church in Durant, MS. Later, the family decided to relocate and put down roots in Waterloo, IA. Roosevelt attended and received an education at West Waterloo High School in Waterloo, IA.
After high school, he started working construction at Cedar Falls Construction Co. This employment led him to Harlan, IA, where he met and fell in love with Roxann Jean Study. The couple would describe their love as, love at first sight. On May 30th, 1992 Roosevelt and Roxann both said “I do” and united in marriage. To this union two daughters were born, Crystal Jean and Sheneka Jean; in addition to their marriage, he was blessed with another daughter, Amy Jean Marie.
Rosie was a dedicated family man and a hard worker. In his early work career he continued to work construction and later transitioned into the packing plant industry. He retired in 2019 after putting in 20 years of labor at Smithfield Foods (Farmland) in Denison, IA. He enjoyed spending his mornings drinking coffee with his beloved wife Roxann, daily phone calls with sister Bobbi Jean, cooking food on the grill, watching tv programs such as; Andy Griffin, Sanford and Son, and Little House On the Prairie. He also enjoyed watching basketball, he would flip to the sports channel whenever “the game” was on. In the summer, he took delight in sitting on the porch and enjoying nice weather. If you knew Rosie, you would know he loved eating sweets, especially chocolate chip cookies, those were his favorite. In his free time, he liked to spend time completing yard chores; like mowing the lawn, removing weeds, and trimming tree branches. He took pride in hand washing and cleaning his family’s vehicles. He loved playing board games, going on bicycle rides and fishing with his children. Rosie would go above and beyond for his family, his daughters were his life and he loved them dearly. He had an immense amount of love for the family pets and enjoyed their company too. Rosie always had a smile on his face and will forever be remembered that way. He was a happy, kind and loving man. Rosie will forever be missed, loved, and have a special place in everyone’s heart.
The Lord saw he was tired and it was his time to be called home. Roosevelt passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 24th, 2024, at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, attaining the age of sixty-seven years and nine months. He is preceded in death by his wife Roxann, his parents & grandparents, infant sister Ora Jean, 5 uncles and 3 aunts.
He is survived by his three daughters Crystal Oliver (Seth Rauterkus) of Manilla, IA, Sheneka Oliver (Jaydon Bruett) of Omaha, NE, Amy Sorensen (Tim) & granddaughter Summer, of Harlan, IA; Two brothers Andrew Oliver Jr. and Alfred Oliver, all of Waterloo, IA; Two sisters Bobbi J. Marston of Waterloo, IA, Patricia Oliver of Chicago, IL; Two aunts Dorothy Ambrose of Waterloo, IA, and Bessie Smith of Calumet City, IL; A host of nieces, nephews, and many extended family members and friends.
Memorial service will be Saturday, May 4th at 11am at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.
Pauley Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
