Strangers raise $117,000 to keep 110-year-old WWII veteran in his home

(Image credit: YouTube.com/Fox7Austin)

published 2 February 2017

Richard Overton, 110, has lived in his Austin, Texas, home for nearly 70 years, and thanks to the kindness of strangers, he's not leaving anytime soon.

Overton, believed to be the oldest living World War II veteran in the United States, was married but never had children, and his closest relative is a 95-year-old cousin who lives a few doors away. When his caretaker retired, Overton's family was worried he would have to leave for a retirement home. "We all knew that if you move Richard out of his home, he'd die," third cousin Volma Overton Jr. told ABC News. "That home is everything for him."

Volma Overton's daughter suggested they start a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for around-the-clock care, and so far, they have received $117,000, with $50,000 coming in during the first two days. That's enough to keep Richard Overton in his home for another seven months, and in the meantime, Volma Overton is serving as his primary caretaker. "His mind is really pretty sharp," he said. "We just sit there and listen to him talk, and just listening to him is something that's really, really special." Overton, who has no major health problems, enjoys a daily cigar, a shot of whiskey, and keeping an eye on the neighborhood. "His front porch is a special place," Volma Overton said. "He always sits there and waves to people and everyone just comes by and talks to him."Catherine Garcia