Thelma Ada Whiting, daughter of Alfred (1886-1951) and Nova (Smith) (1890-1957) Whiting, was born 1914 in Michigan. She graduated from Okemos High School in 1931 and married Richard Alvin Wever (Okemos Class of 1933), 1 October 1938 in Okemos, Ingham County, Michigan. Thelma died 2 July 1967 in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Richard, born 9 June 1914, Michigan, died 13 June 2003 in Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan. Richard and Thelma were interred Glendale Cemetery, Okemos.
Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) Sunday 14 April 1929
BY THELMA WHITING,
AGE 14, OKEMOS, MICH.
"Silas Marner" by George Eliot. Scot Foresman and Company
The shortest of George Eliot's novels, "Silas Marner," is more entertaining and more evenly constructed, in some respects, than any other novel she has written. It is a story of old fashioned village life, and sets in a strong light the influence of pure, natural, and human relations. Its theme is the life of a little child changing and softening the life of a lonely old man. There is a variety of classes of people and incidents. Its scenes change naturally and swiftly, as in life, and the abundant humor is natural rather than contrasting.
The first scene is at Lantern Yard, a religious settlement. There our chief character, Silas Marner, is convicted unjustly of a crime, and so is introduced to some of the trials of life. He makes his way to Ravelow as a linen weaver, a sad, dejected man who has no purpose in life but to hoard the gold he receives for his work. A small child, Eppie, comes to his hearth one night and Silas takes her to his heart in exchange for his gold, which has been stolen. In this way his love is returned, and Silas' heart is softened and made as nearly human as possible. Silas becomes a friendly man, and when the time comes for his loved one to be taken from him, he wants her to do as she most desires. She prefers, however, to stay with Silas rather than go to her own father who for such a long time did not claim her. This interesting story is brought to a close with the complete happiness of the main characters.
George Eliot sympathizes with her characters and makes that sympathy the chief thought in her stories. The characters are more interesting than the plot. One knows he characters so well that one could talk with them after finishing this very amusing and vividly told story of old England in George Eliot's time.
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Wednesday 5 July 1967
THELMA E. WEVER
OKEMOS - Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Glendale Cemetery here for Mrs. Thelma E. Wever, 53, of Allen Park, following funeral services at 11 a.m. at Trinity Methodist Church, Allen Park.
Mrs. Wever died Monday at her summer home in Cheboygan. She was a native of Lansing and a graduate of Okemos high school.
She is survived by her husband, Richard; two daughters, Mrs. Martha Hornkohl of Westland and Miss Linda Wever of Ann Arbor; a son, John, at home; her mother Mrs. Nova Dietz of Okemos; a brother, Kenneth Whiting of Birmingham, and three grandchildren.