The First Presbyterian Church of Chili held a special gathering on Sunday, August 9, to celebrate the dedication of the church’s newest addition – a Little Free Library in memory of Melvin L. Olver, a long-time member of the church community and an avid reader. The date of the dedication coincided with Olver’s birthday.
Olver was a lawyer and served as the attorney for the Presbytery of the Genesee Valley. He actively served in local government and community organizations and was Chili Town Justice for 29 years. Olver was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He also had a wonderful voice and often shared his vocal talents at the church.
Several friends and members of Olver’s family attended the dedication, including his wife Eileen, daughter Kristin, and grandchildren Mattie and Carter. Son Matt traveled with his family from Ohio and watched virtually from the Olver home in Chili because COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented him from attending in person.
The ceremony began with a prayer by Pastor Brandi Wooten, followed by a brief history of Little Free Libraries presented by Sue Johnson. The church has registered its library with the national Little Free Library non-profit organization so that it can be located on the world map at littlefreelibrary.org.
All are welcome to visit the church’s Little Free Library, 3600 Chili Avenue, and take a book or share a book. The shelves are marked with fiction, non-fiction, young teen, and children’s. For information, call the church office at 889-9896 Tuesday through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
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