No. 4 Luther Oakes

No. 4 The children of Jacob (Jake) M. Oakes and Matilda Elizabeth Coile Oakes

In this session we want to introduce you to the children of Jake and Elizabeth Oakes from Jefferson County, TN. As mentioned in the previous two blogs, both Jake and Elizabeth passed away in 1908 and 1916 respectively. During their life time they had 14 children but only four seem to have survived to adulthood. We know very little about those that did not survive. In most cases we don’t even know their names as they may have died within a few days or weeks of their birth.

Of the 14 children, we only have information on six. These are Samuel, Luther, Emma, Edgar, Andrew and Elmer. Over the next few blogs we’ll feature those children who survived into adulthood. Before we do this here are two of the children that did not live into adulthood but for which we do have names but no information:

• Samuel was the first of the children that seem to have survived very long after birth or for which there is any record. He was born in November 1879 when Elizabeth was 27 years old. We know nothing more about Samuel other than that he probably died before 1902 as he does not appear in the 1902 family photo. See this photo in this blog with Jacob and Elizabeth seated with four children: Luther (tallest), Emma, Edgar and the baby is Elmer.
• Andrew was the fourth of the children that seem to have survived for a few years. He was born about 1893 when Elizabeth was 41 years old. He died on 22 April 1899 at the age of six.

Of the four remaining children, all lived to adulthood. Today we want to feature the second of the children for which we have a record:

Luther Monroe Oakes

Luther was born on 6 September 1885 in Jefferson County, TN. I have very little information about “Uncle” Luther. He was raised in Rocky Valley Community near Strawberry Plains. He married Nettie Reed and they lived there lives out in the same area. As best as I can tell they lived on land that they owned or on land that they sharecropped. Luther lived all his days in the same community. I have an old picture of Luther sitting out front of his house. He is in his overalls and has a hat that was common to many farmers of the day. Luther and Nettie had seven children. They are as follows:

• Wallace (born 1908 – 1966)
• Rachel (21 September 1913 – 1 April 2000)
• Odice (7 November 1915 – 6 September 1969)
• Trula (1 June 1919 – unknown)
• Marie (9 June 1923 – unknown)
• Ruth (unknown birth/death information)
• Margaret (15 September 1925 – 7 July 1989)

Charles Oakes remembers visiting his uncle Luther and family when he was a small boy. One of the things that he remembers most is the good food he ate while there. Many of us today wouldn't consider the opportunity to eat pork & beans as anything special but it was for Charles during the 1930's. Luther would send one of his children to buy pork & beans from a small country store near their home when Charles' family came to visit. It was a special treat.

I am including a photo of Luther, Lettie and Rachel. In this picture Luther is about 28 years old.