Oliver William Dorr

Oliver William Dorr

• Oliver William Dorr was born on 10 February 1890 in St. Louis, Missouri.
• He married Edith Bowlin, daughter of Lawrence Bowlin, circa 1914.
• Oliver William Dorr registered for the draft on 5 June 1917 in St. Louis, Missouri, while living with his wife and child at 6116 McPherson in St. Louis, and operating as a caterer with Door & Zeller Catering Company.
• Oliver William Dorr died circa 5 March 1949.
• His wife Edith Bowlin became a widow at his death.
• He was interred on 7 March 1949 at Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.
• The following appeared on 10 January 1988 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: A funeral Mass for Edith B. Dorr, of the old Dorr and Zeller Catering Co., was celebrated Wednesday at the Mother of Good Counsel Home in Normandy. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery.
       Mrs. Dorr, 95, of Normandy, died of infirmities Monday at the Mother of Good Counsel Home.
       Mrs. Dorr was a graduate of the old Convent of the Visitation on Cabanne Avenue. Her father, Lawrence Bowlin, operated area groceries that were the forerunners of modern supermarkets. The family also built one of the early homes on Windermere Place in the West End.
       The old Dorr and Zeller Catering Co. was founded in 1887 by Mrs. Dorr's father-in-law, Lorenz E. Dorr, and by Henry Zeller. The company located at 401 DeBaliviere Avenue in 1922 and became known for its elaborate cakes, French desserts, chocolate and ice cream fountain. The building also housed an upstairs ballroom, kitchens and three private rental rooms.
       Mrs. Dorr had played a large role in the interior design of the building on DeBaliviere and especially the ornate patterns in the plaster ceiling - hundreds of sundae dishes each with three scoops of ice cream. The building is now home to the Pantheon Corp. and Central West End Savings and Loan Association; many of the designs remain visible.
       
  For most of its 64 years, the firm was the largest party-catering company in the city. The company closed in 1951, three years after the death of Mrs. Dorr's husband, Oliver.
       Mrs. Dorr also was an active volunteer in charitable organizations and was recognized by the baseball Cardinals management as a longtime fan.
       Surviving are two daughters, Dorothy D. Passen of Clayton and Edith D. Hartrich of Creve Coeur; two sons, L. William Dorr and Oliver W. Dorr Jr., both of Clayton; 30 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren.

• Last Edited: 14 Aug 2013