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By Jennifer Strobel
By JENNIFER MILLER STROBEL
Dr. Robert Caverlee officiated at a lot of weddings in the course of his ministry, which spanned more than half a century.
He married couples in weddings planned to the tiniest detail, in churches filled with guests.
He officiated at impromptu weddings in the parsonage, with only his wife, Lillian, as a witness.
Either way, the beloved longtime minister of Fredericksburg Baptist Church made the occasion special.
Just last summer, an older couple stopped by the church, seeking information about Caverlee and sharing long-ago memories of their parsonage wedding.
Dennis Sacrey, church administrator, was happy to show them around the church's heritage room and its photos of Caverlee, who died in 1971.
The visitors told him how, during World War II, they were passing through town when they decided then and there that they wanted to get married.
Their pre-planning consisted of a question to a stranger who told them, "Oh, you have to go up to the Baptist church for that."
They did, and in short order they had become husband and wife with the blessing of Caverlee.
A lifetime later, they returned to the town where it all started.
"They went on and on about how he and Mrs. Caverlee made it such a special time," Sacrey said.
Caverlee was happy to oblige couples, including one pair who requested that their wedding take place in-flight, on a biplane.
Even with that lofty career moment, however, Caverlee was best-known as a down-to-earth, multitalented minister, teacher, community leader and fisherman.
He devoted half a century to the ministry, with 29 years at Fredericksburg Baptist Church on Princess Anne Street. He was an assistant professor at Mary Washington College; sports announcer for James Monroe High School football games; host of two local radio programs, "Dr. Bob's Hunting and Fishing Corner" and "Dr. Bob's Treasures From Twice-Turned Pages"; a Scouting devotee, both as a boy and as an adult leader--and that list highlights only a few of his many contributions to his community.
Caverlee's name lives on in the church's Caverlee Memorial Chapel, where Sunday school classes and various worship services are held.
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NEW HONOREES
Fredericksburg City Council recently accepted three new names to the Wall of Honor. They are: Dr. George Brumble, W. Sidney Armstrong, John W. Scott Jr., civil rights pioneer from his teen years and the city's first black judge. NOMINATE SOMEONEWant to nominate someone for the Wall of Honor? Download (see link below) an application form or call the city clerk at 372-1010. Nominations should meet the following criteria and be submitted, with supporting information such as obituaries and news articles, to Tonya Lacey, Clerk of Council , City of Fredericksburg, Box 7447, Fredericksburg, Va. 22404 or 715 Princess Anne St., Room 208, Fredericksburg. Nominees should be deceased for at least one year prior to nomination. Nominees must have been residents of the Fredericksburg area who made significant contributions to the welfare of the city. Nominations may be submitted by any person, other than immediate family members, who was personally acquainted with the nominee. fredericksburgva.gov/uploaded Files/Boards/General_Content/Wall_Honor_Updated 04272012.pdf |