On Tuesday, the Works of Women (WOW) event took place at the Oliver family’s “Flag House” at 740 North St. in Cape Girardeau. The Honorable Marie Watkins Oliver for creating the Missouri State Flag and Lavetta Rhinehart for creating the bronze sculpture of Oliver for the Kellerman Foundation. Descendants of the Oliver family were present.
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The bronze sculpture of Marie Oliver created by Lavetta Rhinehart remained veiled for the first part of the evening until Oliver’s great-great-grandson John Oliver III addressed a full hall . (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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The ‘Flag House’, now owned by Bert and Mary Ann Kellerman of the Kellerman Foundation, featured fashions, Rhinehart artwork and Oliver family artifacts. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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Kellerman Foundation intern Mya Hewitt greeted WOW event guests as they entered the residence. Hewitt’s role as an intern at the foundation includes searching through the vast amount of boxes containing Oliver family documents, photographs, and artifacts and cataloging the items. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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Brooke Roth served wine to guests at the WOW event. Appetizers and beverages were offered to event patrons. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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Sarah Thurmond wore traditional attire from when Marie Oliver worked on the design of the Missouri state flag and greeted visitors. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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Fancy That Cakes owner Katie Goodpasture baked a cake for the WOW event that was designed to look like the Missouri state flag. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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Some of Lavetta Reinhard’s works on display at Tuesday’s event. Most of the pieces featured portraits of women, including her series on women around the world. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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John Oliver III and Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. look at a book about Oliver’s great-great-grandmother, Marie Oliver. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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Kellerman Foundation President Sarah Holt, sculpture designer Oliver Lavetta Rhinehart and Kellerman Foundation Founder Mary Ann Kellerman present the sculpture to attendees of the WOW event. The bronze sculpture was previously kept in the Kellerman Foundation vault until it was revealed on Tuesday evening. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
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Jack Oliver III addresses the public at the event after the unveiling of the bronze sculpture. “The men in the Oliver family had titles, but the women had testimonials, because they were the ones who got things done,” Oliver said. (Beau Nations ~ Southeast Missouri)
