Unclaimed Veteran to be Laid to Rest This Week

An Army veteran who died with no relatives to claim him will get a solemn military sendoff at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery this week.

Funeral services for David F. Oliver, 66, are set for Thursday, Sept. 18 at 1:30 p.m. at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County.

Oliver was an Army veteran who served between May and October of 1980. He was honorably discharged, but little more is known about his time in the Army.

After the Army, Oliver took a job for an O'Fallon small business assembling bird houses. He made purple martin bird houses for 15 years until the business opened a printing shop and Oliver took charge of shipping and receiving. He stayed in that role until the time of his death.

A coworker described him as "a very kind soul, a nice gentleman."

Earlier in life Oliver had been adopted, and his adopted parents preceded him in death. Never married and with no children, his last known address was a Super 8 Motel on West Terra Lane in Wentzville, where he died of natural causes on June 15.

His body has been in the care of the Office of Regional Medical Examiner in St. Charles County, awaiting any next of kin to come claim him, but none ever came. Hoffmeister South County Chapel is assisting in the arrangements. The Gold Star Moms and the Patriot Guard are invited to attend.

Each year, the Office of the Regional Medical Examiner-serving Jefferson, Franklin and St. Charles counties-gets an average of half a dozen unclaimed bodies.