In preparation for the ministry, Oliver attended David Lipscomb
College in Nashville, Tennessee (then a two-year college) and received a Junior
College Diploma in June, 1940. While preaching for the Central Church of Christ
in Macon, Georgia, he completed the necessary work for a Bachelor of Arts Degree
from Mercer University in 1943. He later took some graduate work at Centenary
University in Shreveport, Louisiana, and U. T. Graduate School in Nashville,
Tennessee.
Oliver preached for churches in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
He conducted Vacation Bible Schools beginning in 1944, preached
on the radio for seven years and conducted cottage meetings, showing the Jule
Miller films, had training classes for both young and old
and had personally trained a number of gospel preachers.
While Cunningham preached for the North Boulevard Church of Christ in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, he started a Christian Student Group in 1948, which met
on the campus of MTSC. In later years, while preaching for the Willow Avenue
Church of Christ in Cookeville, Tennessee, he started a similar Christian
Student Group, which met on the campus of TPI.
In July of 1969, Cunningham retired from located preaching and he and
Elizabeth purchased a house in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He continued to preach
part-time for churches within driving distance until
forced to retire because of extremely poor health. In spite of this, he was
conducting a training class for young boys at the Hendersonville Church of
Christ (where he and Elizabeth placed their membership in 1977) at the time of
his death, January 18, 1979. He died at Nashville Memorial Hospital in Madison,
Tennessee, on January 18, 1979, three days past his 63rd birthday. He is buried
in Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. He preached for 38 years.
-In Memoriam, by
Gussie Lambert, Shreveport, LA, c.1988 p.64,65

Directions To The Grave Of O.C.
Cunningham
Oliver Cromwell Cunningham is
buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Cemetery is located behind the 100 Oaks Shopping Center that faces
I-65 just before the I-440 Interchange in the southern part of the city.
From 100 Oaks travel east on Thompson Lane and turn left into the main
entrance of the Woodlawn Cemetery. Take your first left and travel up
the hill. Note that Fountain View C & D will be on your left. At the
top of the hill you will see a fountain area. Turn left into the
fountain circle. Looking straight south toward Thompson Lane travel in
down the path. To the right is Fountain Memorial B, then you come to
Fountain Memorial A. Look to the right for a concrete park bench. Go to
the bench and turn south toward Thompson Lane. Go past the tree you see
just ahead. Just the other side of the tree and slightly to the left is
the Cunningham plot. From the park bench it should be about nine or ten
rows.
Fountain Memorial A -
144 #2
GPS N 36º 06' 44.6"
x WO 86º 45' 42.3
Grave Facing East

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