Collection - Jessie Oliver Collection

Jessie Oliver was born September 25, 1918, in Bright, Ontario. She graduated from Covenant College in 1950, when she was commissioned as a Woman’s Missionary Society worker. Her first placement was in Ahousat, Vancouver Island. After leaving Ahousat, Oliver continued as a minister with children and families, involved with Camp Fircom, CGIT and Sunday school. She moved to Skidegate Indian Mission in Haida Gwaii in 1954, where she established a church. She left Skidegate in 1958 to work with the reservation in Vancouver. Jessie Oliver was presented as Deaconess to the Conference of British Columbia in 1962 and proceeded to be deaconess to Chilliwack United Church and Soowahlie Indian Mission from 1961-1965. Oliver was then asked to be Christian Educator at Alberni Indian Residential School. After leaving the Residential School, she continued to serve in United Churches in British Columbia: Campbell River (1969), Powell River (1971-1975), and St. Andrew’s, North Vancouver (1977-1983). She retired in 1983 and spent her remaining years in Sechelt as a member of St. John’s United Church. Jessie Oliver died on July 29, 2006.