Genealogy Data Page 192 (Notes Pages)

Note: Edith drew on George's pension after his death in 1916

Pension: Collected on George Washington Oakley's military pension

1930: Census, Inmate, New York, Chenango, Oxford, district 30. Women's Relief Corps Home

Note: Olean Democrat(Olean NY) Mar 15, 1898
Real estate transfers
Deeds recorded in the County Clerk's office during the past week

Note: Little Valley, March 12, - The following transfers of real estate have
been recorded in the county clerk's office during the week:

Note: Fred W May and wife to Edith C Oakley, Olean City $600

In the 1890's the Woman's Relief Corps, the auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, persuaded New York State to establish and maintain a home which a veteran could enter accompanied by his wife without separating them in their advanced years.

Before the establishment of the home, veterans could be admitted to the New York State Soldiers and Sailors Home at Bath, New York, but no provision was made for the wives of such veterans and they were left to care for themselves the best they could.

The site chosen for the facility was located in the Village of Oxford, New York in Chenango County and was formally opened in April 19, 1897 and immediately admitted 24 residents members.

By 1911 the home had expanded to five buildings, including four cottages and an infirmary (now known as the skilled nursing facility). Also by 1911 there were 172 resident members at the facility. In 1931 a wing was added to the skilled nursing facility.

To the Chief of the Board of Trustees,

Sir:

Herewithin are returned to you the papers in the claim above cited, which have been referred to this Division for opinion as to lawful widowhood.

The claim has received special examination under the instructions of th Board, and from the testimony so procured, together with the evidence filed in the brief, it appears that this claimant was ceremonially married to the soldier, July 19, 1891 in the State of New York, and that the parties continued to live in that State in the relation of husband and wife from the date of marriage until the date of soldier’s death, June 2, 1916.

It further appears that this claimant had a somewhat checkered career in her early life; that she was more or less immoral, and sustained a relation with one Thomas E Harbottle, who was the father of an illegitimate child born to her; that she evidently lived with other men, and eventually with the soldier from about 1889, and that the relation she sustained with the soldier subsisted principally in Omaha, Nebraska, where they went from the State of New York, evidently to avoid the consequence of a relation of that character in that State, as at that time the soldier had a lawful wife living and undivorced. They however, returned to the State of New york in 1891, and the soldier and the claimant entered into their ceremonia marriage as above stated, on July 19th of that year; and it is evident , both from the claimant’s statement and from the testimony of the case, that she was legally competent to contract marriage with the soldier at the date of her ceremonial marriage to him.

On the part of the soldier, it is shown that he was first married to one Maria Bartlett, in 1866, and that said marriage was dissolved throught Maria’s death, September 18, 1881. It further appears that about three months after the death of Maria he began to live with on Elizabeth Canfield, and it is represented the he was married to her in the State of Pennsylvania, and the testimony further shows the he continued to live with said Elizabeth until 1887, when she became insane, and was confined in the County Poor House, where she continued as an inmate evidently until her death. That said Elizabeth was held in restraint until her death is clearly evident, but the specific date has not been determined, nor is it possible to do so, for the reasons stated by the special examiner, in that the records of the institution where she was confined were not properly kept during the period of her confinement, and none of her relatives appear to have been enough interested in her welfare to make any inquiry whether she was dead or alive, or the date of her death, if deceased. The preponderance of the evidence, however, leads to the conclusions that said Elizabeth is dead, and that she died either in February 1890, of February 1891, prior to the soldier’s marriage to the claimant.

Further, we have no direct evidence showing the fact of the soldier’s marriage to Elizabeth, or its validity if entered into, and it is doubtful whether we could legally presume an impediment by reason of the relation he sustained with her, even had she survived his marriage to the claimant. It is competent, however, under the facts and circumstances in the case to assume that said Elizabeth died as a fact prior to the soldier’s marriage to the claimant; and as the latter marriage subsisted until the soldier’s death, the claimant became his lawful widow upon that event, following in this conclusion the decision of the Department in O’Brien, (12 P.D., 32)

Respectfully,
T. F. Dennison, Law Clerk

Census: Date: 1930
Place: New York, Chenango, Oxford, district 30