This is a copy of a letter written by Frank T. Gray to Leota Oxley: (complete with abbreviations and typo errors)

Marion Iowa Apr 7 1928

Miss Leota Oxley

Although some sime has passed since your interesting letter as to Oxley Genealogy. We will tell you something of our forefathers as we heard it. First they were originally from England. We begin with Clare Oxley, birth place and date we have no record of. His son Everett Oxley was born in Maryland Sept 29, 1781. Died in 1824. His wife Celia Scott was born in Virginia Oct 1 1781. They lived near Lexington Ken and five sons were born in Ken. John S., Everett, Oliver Hazzard Perry, William Clare, Micahah Simpson, James Milbon, the youngest was born in Ind. The family moved from Ken to Crawfordsville Ind between 1825 and 1826. Perry, the first to come to Iowa came Mar 8 1838. John S, My mothers father came in 1841. John S, Perry Everett and Jas Milbon all reared their families and died here in Linn Co. William Clare moved to Wawshington Co Iowa. Micajah Simpson to Seaward Co Neb, where he died in 1901. Of my mothers family, only three brothers are left. Jas, who should he live until Apr 29, will be 90 years old, blind and deaf and for last six months only seems to know at intervals. Still can sit up some. John Taylor Oxley was 77 last October. He is about after a ------attack this winter, his son J. T. Oxley was killed by a train killing him near Morrison Ill Oct 1926. His daughter Dorothy was shot and killed by a schoolmate who committed suicide Feb 1927.

Robert S. Oxley, my mothers youngest brother is past 70-My mother Emeline eldest daughter of John S. Oxley was born in Ind Dec 13 1835. Married John W. Gray 21 Apr 1853 and died Dec 9 1909. I am the third eldest grandchild of John S. Oxley & was born six miles east of Marion June 2 1869 in a house my grandfather built and lived in during the war and moved to where he died Nov 28 1878. Grandmother Oxley, whose maiden name was Jane Hally was born in Kentucky and died in Aug 1893. In Sept 1913, the Oxleys met at Beaver Park, Cedar Rapids, and have held a picnic and reunion every year since, last year at Thomas Park, Marion Ia. A number of the Iowa City Oxleys have been over to our reunions. Their family came from Ohio. Will send you word before we meet this year as to where either here or at Cedar Rapids. But the date is set each year as the last Saturday in Aug as it seems to be the most convenient time for all comcerned to meet. We would like to have you talk with this 89 year old grandmother and ask her if she ever heard of a tradition coming down through the Oxley's as to Mary Everett, a young woman who was disembowelled by the Indians in an attack on whites, either in Virginia or Kentucky. The story we have is she crawled into a hollow log after being left for dead and after being thus for some hours noticed a wounded deer run by, so she crawled out and an Indian came alng tracking the deer, she by motions asked him to kill her, but he took her to their camp and they cared for her and sewed up her wounds and she lived to be married and before she died had a large number of descendents. We think Mary Everett was perhaps the wife of Clare Oxley as he had a son Everett and the given name Everett has come down from the family name of Mary Everett. Would be glad to have any of your people call here any time they should be up this way and come to our reunion. Hoping to hear from you soon.

419 12th St

/s/ Frank T. Gray