Elver R. Oscar

Elver Ralph Oscar was born July 10, 1891, in Paoli, Wisconsin, the son of Thomas and Lizzie Gafke Oscar. He came to Stoughton with his family as a child, graduated from Stoughton High School, and attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Over the course of his long life, Elver became closely associated with Stoughton's business community, civic organizations, veterans groups, and American Legion Post 59.

During World War I, Elver served in the U.S. Army, with later records noting service at Americus, Georgia, and Dallas, Texas. After the war, he returned to Stoughton and became part of the generation of veterans who helped establish the American Legion as an important part of the community.

Elver spent 54 years as owner and operator of Thomas Oscar & Son, a longtime Stoughton automobile dealership and Mercury agency. His involvement in the local business community extended well beyond the dealership. Beginning in 1931, he served for 50 years on the board of directors of First National Bank, including service as chairman of the board. In 1981, the Wisconsin Bankers Association honored him for 50 years in banking.

Elver was elected Commander of Otis Sampson Post 59 in June 1942, succeeding Glenn Blakley and taking office that September. His leadership came at a particularly significant time in Post history. The United States was again at war, and the Legion was working to support a new generation of servicemen and their families while continuing its responsibilities to veterans of the First World War.

During Elver's command, Post 59 planned what contemporary newspapers described as a year of intense wartime activity. Among its efforts was participation in the “Records for Our Fighting Men” campaign, collecting used phonograph records that could be exchanged for new records and sent to American servicemen.

The demands of wartime were significant enough that in 1943 Post 59 reelected Elver and the entire slate of officers for another term. His continued leadership carried the Post through 1944 as its members worked to support servicemen and their families during World War II.

Elver's own contribution to Stoughton's wartime effort extended beyond the Legion. He was instrumental in local war bond purchasing drives, and in 1943 he co-chaired the community effort supporting a bomber named “Stoughton Wisconsin.”

Elver remained connected to Post 59 for the rest of his life. He was one of the Post's early members and eventually one of its last surviving charter members. In the fall of 1989, nearly 70 years after the Post was organized, Elver and Post 59's first Commander, Fred J. Mattingly, were honored with life memberships as the Post's two remaining charter members.

His involvement throughout Stoughton was equally extensive. Elver served on the Stoughton Fair Board and was active with Stoughton Farm-City Night. He was a member of the Stoughton Barracks, Stoughton Historical Society, Stoughton Country Club, and Chamber of Commerce. During the late 1920s, he also participated in a birthday fund drive and presentation honoring automobile pioneer Henry Ford at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.

On February 21, 1924, Elver married Claire R. White of Madison. They remained married until Claire's death in 1976 and had a daughter, Patricia.

Elver R. Oscar died March 9, 1990, at the age of 98. He was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery in Stoughton.

Elver's remarkable life connected two generations of American military history. A World War I veteran and early member of Post 59, he later led the Post from 1942 through 1944 as another generation of Stoughton men and women served during World War II. Through 54 years in the automobile business, 50 years in banking, decades of civic involvement, and nearly a lifetime with the American Legion, Elver Oscar left an enduring connection to both Post 59 and the Stoughton community.