Ollie Sherman Sr.

SHERMAN, Mr. Ollie Lewis Sr., 88, departed this life on Thursday, July 8, 2010. He was preceded in death by his wife of over 55 years, Edna Cephas Sherman; his eldest grandson, Paul Thomas Bryan; his mother, Rosa Loney; father, Moses Early Sherman Sr.; three brothers, Moses Early Jr., Russell and Clarence; and one sister, Beatrice. Ollie was educated in Hanover County Public Schools as was customary at the time. The responsibility of helping to support his family came at a young age and Ollie left school at a young age and embarked upon a lifelong career of providing for his family. Ollie was known to be exceptionally gifted with his hands and this proved to be true all his life as he became a master plumber and an expert farmer. After a stint of being employed by several governmental agencies as a plumber, Ollie started his own plumbing and heating business while simultaneously dabbling in farming. After all of his children were elementary school age, Ollie and Edna began farming as a hobby, which grew to such an extent as to be substantial support for maintaining a wife and home while clothing, feeding and educating four children. Ollie retired from plumbing and devoted his time to his true love farming. He farmed until his health would no longer allow him. He became widely known for his prowess at growing tasty collard greens and as well became known county wide for his "even sweeter sugar corn". Hard work was no stranger to this small featured giant of a man as his family and friends are apt to extol. He is survived by three sons, Anthony, Ollie Jr. and Michael (Dorothy); one daughter, Valerie Bryan (Leroy); two grandsons, Jason and Steven Bryan; two stepgrandchildren; Ray and Lisa Hardison; one stepgreat-grandson, Gabriel Hardison; three brothers, George (Edith), James (Annie) and Leroy (Miriam); two sisters, Clara Mitchell (Heywood) and Lottie Blocker (Joe); two sisters-in-law, Charlotte and Silvia Sherman; a host of other relatives and friends. Remains rest at Walter J. Manning Funeral Home, 700 North 25th St., where the family will receive friends Tuesday (today) from 6 to 7 p.m. Remains will lie in-state Wednesday, 10 a.m., at First Shiloh Baptist Church, 8150 Walnut Grove Rd., Mechanicsville, Va., where services will be held at 11 a.m. Rev. Dr. R. Neal Siler pastor, officiating. Burial Sherman-Cephas Family Cemetery, Mechanicsville, Va. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either the Sherman-Cephas Scholarship Fund at Norfolk State University Office of Development, 700 Park Ave., Suite 410, Norfolk, Va. 23504 or Elk Hill Farm, P.O. Box 99, Goochland, Va. 23063 in memory of Paul Thomas Bryan.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.