Oxley - Wretha Darling
Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review 9-Oct-1980 page 1
WINGATE -- Wreatha Darling Oxley, 96, a Journal-Review correspondent for 62 years, died Wednesday in Culver Hospital at Crawfordsville. She had been ill for the past week and hospitalized for three days. She resided at Wingate from 1903 until 1977 when she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Fred (Dorothy) Radcliffe at 2007 Country Club Road. Mrs. Oxley was a telephone operator in Stone Bluff and Wingate. She became involved in writing shortly after moving to Wingate and was the main writer for the now-defunct Wingate News for many years. For that paper she wrote features, poetry and a column called, "On The Corner." She served as the Journal-Review's representative in Wingate for 62 years, retiring in 1972. She was a correspondent for the Lafayette Journal-Courier for 49 years and also wrote for the Danville (Ill.) Commercial-News. Mrs. Oxley was active in the Wingate community for many years. She was a member of the Wingate United Methodist Church for 67 years. During these years she sang in the choir, played the piano, was a Sunday school teacher and an organist. She was a member of Juno Temple 333 Pythian Sisters, Shawnee Mound Home Missionary Society, Women's Society of Christian Service and American Legion Auxilary Unit of 174. She was born July 4, 1884, at Williamsport, a daughter of Jay and Caroline Belle Slack Darling. Her mother died when she was seven months old and she was reared by her maternal grandparents, John and Mary Conover Slack of Stone Bluff. She was married to Austin Oxley of Wingate on Aug. 9, 1903, in her grandparents' home. He preceded her in death Nov. 9, 1958. Mrs. Oxley is survived by her daughter; a grandson, John Wayne Oxley of Louisiana; a granddaughter, Mrs. Argyle (Erwilli Mary) Jackson of Indianapolis; five great-grandchildren, Jennifer, Lisa, Jeffrey, David and Benjamin Jackson, all of Indianapolis; and five half-brothers, Merle and Robert Darling of Florida, Paul V. and Philip Darling of Michigan and Richard Darling of New Market. A son, John Lowell Oxley, preceded her in death. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the New Hope Chapel at Wingate with the Rev. Tom Stark officiating. Burial will be in Green Lawn Cemetery at Wingate. Friends may call at the Thomas Funeral Home at Waynetown after 3 p.m. Friday.--waw