Edward Wesley Nidever

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Carl McNair on April 22, 2014:

Report to the Class of 1955 on the Funeral of Edward Wesley Nidever CO E-1, USMA Class of 1955 Ed Nidever was laid to rest with Military Honors on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at the Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax, Virginia, beside his wife, Carolyn, who had passed away ten years earlier. Funeral Services were held adjacent to the park at the Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Fairfax, Virginia. Copy of his Obituary, Funeral Program and Eulogy have been provided separately on his web page. A brief synopsis listing participants and classmate's attending is provided herein. Memorial and graveside services were very well attended including twenty classmates attending (5 of his surviving E1 classmates were present) and spouses attending, as well as many friends and neighbors from the Leisure World Retirement Community in Leesburg, Virginia, where Ed resided following his wife's death in 2004. Family members attending were his youngest daughter, Karen Triplett, her husband and children, as well as Ed's former wife, Marjorie Squires who played the organ for his services, his stepsister, Rev. Bunny Nidever Oliver of California, who officiated at the services, his son, Wesley Edward, Jr., his eight grandchildren, and Jane Burns, long time devoted friend and neighbor at Leisure World who is known to many of the class from many class events, Founders Day Dinners, and Army Navy Games. Prior to the Memorial Services, an hour was provided for visitation and viewing in the Chapel where Ed looked his normal -- peaceful self and attired for burial as he had requested in his Dress Grey coat, with his three "first class" stripes, the very same dress coat he wore on his last day as a cadet -- for breakfast the morning of June 7, 1955. He had discarded it in the hall as he cleared his room that day and a roommate recovered it and returned it to him years later, at which time it became a prized piece of his wardrobe. It appeared to still fit him well and his neighbors at Leisure World recalled for us that Ed always wore that same dress coat on Veteran's Day each year, symbolic of his years as a cadet and later military service. West Point classmates and spouses attending were: John and Ruth Sloan, Co C1 Bill Arthur, Co E1 Norm Blahuta, Co E1 Carl and Jo Ann McNair Co E1 Earl Singer, Co E1 Bob Strati, Co E1 John Rudski, Co H1 Rich and Mary Ann Miller, Co H1 Ed Anderson, Co K1 Ted and Starla Vitori, Co M1 Dick and Sandy Wargowsky, Co M1 Jack McAuslan, XCo E2 Jim Cutchin, Co L2 Matt and Betty Schepps, Co L2 Eulogies were provided by Carl McNair, representing the Class of 1955, Blake Bralley, his oldest grandson, Britt Triplett, his son-in-law, and his step-sister, Rev Bunny Nidever Oliver. Pallbearers were led by Carl McNair, and included his son, Edward Nidiver, Jr., of Atlanta,GA, his son-in-law, Britt Triplett, former son-in-law, Glenn Bralley, and three grandsons. As the casket was placed in a beautiful white hearse, the driver held out a black and gold standard attached to the driver's side window of the hearse which boldly stood out "GO ARMY -- BEAT NAVY" . Ed showed his loyal "Rabble Rouser" colors to the end and his flag bore evidence to same. As the hearse and processional approached his burial site, military members from the 3rd US Infantry, "The Old Guard", from Fort Myer, stood at attention with the hand salute as the flag draped casket was borne to the grave. Once in position, a bugler from the US Army Band, "Pershing's Own", sounded Taps as all stood at attention with "hands over hearts", following which the Honor Guard folded the flag and presented it to Karen Triplett, Ed's youngest daughter and next-of-kin. As the service concluded, mourners approached the casket, covered by a large spray of red, white and blue flowers, decorated by a wide "black and gold" ribbon, emblazoned with "USMA Class of 1955". Following the funeral services, all attendees were invited to meet and greet for a celebration of Ed's life held at the home of Karen and Britt Triplett in Leesburg, Virginia. Carl McNair

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