John Shedrick Oakley (1850 - 1927)

Born 24 Jun 1850 in Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Florida A. Logan — married 24 Dec 1874 in Coffee, Tennessee, United States

Husband of Margaret Emma Jane (Powell) Oakley — married 31 Oct 1880 in Madison Co., IN

Descendants

Died 21 Jul 1927 at age 77 in Dixie, Coffee, Tennessee, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Gillespie [send private message]

Biography

John Shedrick Oakley was born on June 24, 1850, in Coffee County, Tennessee to William L. Oakley (age 25) and mother Musadora Gillespie (age 23). ^[1] John Shedrick experienced significant loss of close family members throughout his life. His father passed away at age 26 when John Shedrick was only 2 years old. ^[2] By 1860, At age 10, the Census shows he was living with his mother Musadore Gillespie Oakley Hill, brother Francis, and step-father Samuel Hill, and is listed in transcriptions as John Hill. ^[3] His brother Francis died of malaria at the age of 18 in 1866, when John Shedrick was about 16. ^[2] He stayed with his mother and step-father in Coffee County at least through age 20. ^[4] He married three or four times ^[2], and had four sons and one daughter. At age 24 he married Florida Logan on December 24, 1874 in Coffee County, TN. ^[5] Florida passed away three years later on September 10, 1878, at age 25. ^[6], along with their 3 month old son who died just 7 days after Florida. They are both buried in Chapel Hill Cemetery, Coffee County, TN. ^[6]

By 1880, and the age of 30, John was living in Van Buren, Indiana. ^[7] Later that year on December 1, 1880 he married Margaret Emma Jane Powell in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. ^[8] Their first son, Silas Ezar, was born in 1883 in Indiana, and passed away two years later in Texas. Their second son, Wylie Larence, was born three months later. ^[9] Their third son, Francis (Frank) Oakley was born in 1890. ^[9]
By 1893 the family had moved back to Texas, where daughter Mary Effie was born in March. ^[9] In November of the same year, and when daughter Mary Effie was only 8 months old, John’s wife Margaret Emma Jane died at the age of 32. ^[9] They had been married 12 years. John Shedrick found himself again a widower, now with 2 sons and an infant daughter to care for. John Shedrick made arrangements with a neighboring family, Moses and Cynthia Richardson, to care for Mary Effie. ^{[9] [10]}

Barbara Bragg Gross, a descendant of Mary Effie, wrote this about her: "Moses and Cynthia [Richardson] and family moved several times, taking Mary with them….The 1900 Federal Census shows the Richardsons and Mary living in the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma.) In the 1910 Federal Census, they were in New Mexico, and in 1912, the Richardsons were in Hall County, TX. Mary had some contact with her father and brothers, but continued living with the Richardson family until she married." ^[10]

Sherry Oakley Simmonds, great-granddaughter of John Shedrick Oakley, wrote this about his life after Margaret Emma Jane died in Texas: "J.S. married a third time in Fannin County, TX and also buried her in Texas soil. He returned with his son Frank by oxen cart, taking almost a year to make his way back to Dixie. His mother, Musadora Hill, dies within weeks of his return and thereafter he lived in the log house at Dixie. He farmed and did what work he could find. In 1912 he married Mattie Waggoner and this time his wife outlived him. J.S. died in the same house in which he was born at Dixie in 1927." ^[2] Note that this information needs further documentation and supportive citation. He died on July 21, 1927, aged 77, and is buried in Chapel Hill Cemetery, which is today on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center. ^[11]

Obituary and Burial

Transcription of obituary notice: ^[12] "J.S. Oakley Dies at Home Near Dixie. Dixie, July 27. – (Special) – J.S. Oakley, aged 77 years, died early Friday morning at his home here, from a complication of diseases. He is survived by his widow, two sons – Wiley Oakley of Alloway, Okla., and Frank Oakley of Dixie, and a daughter, Mrs. T.D. Bragg of Bigsby, Okla."

Sources

1. ↑ "Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSF9-W6P : 23 February 2021), John S. Oakley, 21 Jul 1927; Death, Estill Springs, Franklin, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Simmonds, Sherry Oakley. "George William Oakley." The Heritage of Coffee County, Tennessee 1836-2004. 2005 The Coffee Co. Heritage Book Committee and County Heritage, Inc. Entry 875; p. 315-316.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TT-ZCZ : 18 February 2021), Samel Hill, 1860.
4. ↑ "U.S. Federal Census, 1870." District 7, Coffee County, Tennessee;  Roll: M593_1520; Page: 87A; Lines 19-24; 6 Aug 1870; Dwelling 127; Family 127. Online database with images (http://ancestry.com: Accessed 25 Jan 2022.) John Oakley is listed as at school and aged 20.
5. ↑ "Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XD3L-46R : 16 March 2020), Florida A. Logan in entry for John S. Oakley, 1874.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 25 January 2022), memorial page for Florida A. Oakley (13 Sep 1852 - 10 Sep 1878), Find A Grave: Memorial ID: 26977846, citing Chapel Hill Cemetery, Tullahoma, Coffee County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by: Whitfield.
7. ↑ "U.S. Federal Census, 1880." Van Buren Township, Madison County, Indiana; Roll: 293; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 017, 8 Jun 1880; Line 4; Dwelling 137; Family 137. Online database with images (http://ancestry.com: Accessed 25 Jan 2022.) John S. Oakley is listed as a boarder and farmer staying with the family of Isaac Sluder.
8. ↑ "Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF44-8YD : 13 January 2020), John S. Oakly, 1880.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4} Gross, Barbara Bragg. "John S. Oakley." Family Histories: Franklin County, Tennessee, 1807-1996. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company."
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Gross, Barbara Bragg. "Mary Effie Oakley Bragg." The Heritage of Coffee County, Tennessee 1836-2004. 2005 The Coffee Co. Heritage Book Committee and County Heritage, Inc. Entry 998, pp. 374-375.
11. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKM-PWZN : 10 September 2021), John Shedrick Oakley, ; Burial, Tullahoma, Coffee, Tennessee, United States of America, Chapel Hill Cemetery; citing record ID 26977824, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
12. ↑ Manchester Times "J.S. Oakley Dies at Home Near Dixie." Manchester Times, July 28, 1927. pg 1. Manchester, Tennessee, USA.

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Michael Gillespie for creating WikiTree profile Oakley-411 through the import of Gillespie Family 10.ged on Apr 25, 2013.