History of the Oakley and White Families
The union of two families, Oakley’s & White’s, that established the reunions we know today.
We will begin with the Oakley Family. William and Loucinda Oakley were the parents of ten children; James, Willie, Tom, Toby, Mannie, Roxie, Anna, Matilda, Loucinda, and Maxine Oakley.
Ben and Alvinea White were the parents of eight children. John, Albert, Robert, Son, Alice, Rosa, Daisy, and Betty White. Out of the two families a young man and a young woman, James Oakley and Rosa White fell in love and married.
To this union fifteen children were born. Bertha, Walter, William, Curtis, Millicent, Clevland, Clarence, Felma, Nathan, Charley, Rosa Bell, Samuel, Jessie, Murdis, and the other died at birth. Rosa White Oakley, died, and my father remarried Lou Ella Antione, and to this union two children were born. Emma Lee, and the other died at birth. The other sisters and brothers were also united in holy matrimony, and the Oakley-White Family was blessed with many offspring.
In 1981, Felma Oakley Franklin, decided to visit her oldest brother William Oakley in Kansas City, Mo. There William’s son, Gerald Oakley, and Felma decided to get the Oakley and White Families together. Gerald asked Felma to send him everyone’s address. Once Gerald received the information he mailed cards to all of the family asking what they thought about having a family reunion. Everyone agreed that it was a great idea.
Gerald worked very hard to get the first reunion together and on July 2nd-3rd 1983 we held our first Oakley-White Family Reunion. While there all family members agreed that we should meet and form a closer bond other than during the time of bereavement. We have been planning and hosting family reunions ever since.
