Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

John Wesley Oakes[1, 2]

Male Cal 1838 - 1890  (~ 51 years)


Personal Information    |    Media    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name John Wesley Oakes 
    Born CALC 27 Dec 1838  Brockville, Leeds Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 4, 5, 6
    Gender Male 
    FindAGrave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151155010 
    Occupation tinsmith and merchant 
    J. W. Oakes store in Hawkesville
    J. W. Oakes store in Hawkesville
    image from Waterloo Region Museum
    Residence 1869  Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Occupation 1871  Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Tinsmith 
    Residence 1871  Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Free Thinker 
    Occupation 1881  Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Merchant 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-30627 
    Died 29 May 1890  Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Buried Hawkesville Union Cemetery, Hawkesville, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I30627  Generations
    Last Modified 30 Sep 2024 

    Family Catharina Spies,   b. CALC 17 Nov 1845, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 31 Aug 1895, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 49 years) 
    Married 16 Feb 1869  , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Children 
     1. Annie "J. Oaks,   b. 27 Nov 1870, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1 Mar 1892, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 21 years)
     2. Elizabeth Oakes,   b. 6 Jul 1872, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1959  (Age 86 years)
     3. Charles Michael Oakes,   b. 1 Sep 1874, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1 Mar 1894, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 19 years)
     4. Lillian M. Oakes,   b. 1876, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Dec 1969, Ottawa, Carleton Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 93 years)
     5. Frederick Henry Oaks,   b. 18 May 1879, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     6. Bertha "Bertie" Oakes,   b. 7 May 1881, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Jun 1970, Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 89 years)
     7. John Wesley Oakes,   b. 7 Jul 1883, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Feb 1960, Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years)
     8. Edna Cora Oakes,   b. 6 Jun 1886, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 May 1940, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 53 years)
     9. Clive Stanley Oakes,   b. 25 May 1889, Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1974, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 84 years)
    Last Modified 1 Oct 2024 
    Family ID F8049  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    Oakes,JohnWesley-CatherinaSpies-0001a-FindAGrave.jpg
    Oakes,JohnWesley-CatherinaSpies-0001a-FindAGrave.jpg
    John Wesley Oakes - Catarina Spies - Find A Grave

  • Notes 
    • F. S. Spies.

      In the largest brick business block in either Woolwich or Wellesley Tp., is where this gentleman holds forth. This massive building is 40 x 45 feet in dimensions and is over three stories in height; at a great distance viewed from every direction it looms up conspicuously above all the surrounding structures of the village. It was erected in the years of 1868-69 by John Wesley Oakes, who died after a brief yet repeated illness of the lungs on May 29, 1890. He was a prominent figure in the business interest of this section, and his death was a lamentable event and a serious loss not only to his family, but to the entire community. Mr. Spies was born near Winterbourne, Woolwich township, 1856. He was the only son of the late Michael Spies of this place and brother of the late Mrs. Catharine Oakes. He came with his parents when but one year of age to "Queens Bush" about 1 mile south of the village, Heidelberg road, where he enjoyed a quiet farm life until 1877 He finally became dissatisfied with his position, assured he might be of greater usefulness somewhere else he concluded to go to Naperville, Illinois, 30 miles west of Chicago, where he attended the North Western College for a term of about 4 years, with a view of increasing his knowledge store. After completing a general course of study in German, English and some Greek, he entered the ranks of the ministry of the Canada Conference, Evangelical Association, in which active capacity he was engaged 8 years at different points throughout the province. Since then he has not been in active work as a Minister of the Gospel but has frequently occupied pulpits in a local way, and even at present while following his business pursuits he is occasionally compelled to decline to conduct services in different churches. The cause of his abandonment of the ministry was partly owing to the urgent request of his sister, Mrs. J. W. Oakes, to assist her in settling up the estate of
      her deceased husband, who very unfortunately left his heirs without a will.

      To undertake this critical task he finally consented, and after considerable litigation the many wearisome and trying affairs of the estate were by the assistance of kind friends in spite of opposition, in a way settled up, and Mr. Spies was induced by their legal authorities to purchase the remaining unsold portion of the real estate, a part of which be now occupies. He was married in Holland, Grey County in 1886, to Sophia, daughter of Louis Joseph Privat, of near Hanover, Grey Co. They are blessed with three healthy boys and girls and live in connection with the main building. Mr. Spies is an enterprising business man and has a very extensive mercantile establishment occupying nearly the entire lower flat of the two capacious stores and part of the upper stories. He deals in dry goods, groceries, hardware, stationery, wall paper, crockery, glassware, tinware, stoves, binder twine, etc., in fact, everything usually found in the general mercantile line. To look over the endless variety of articles necessary and useful in the household or on the farm displayed in his establishment leads me to designate him the Wanamaker of Hawksville. He pays the highest market price for farm produce, which he takes in in marked quantities throughout the year in exchange for his goods. He has his full share of the public patronage and has bad fairly good success since he commenced business here. His motto shall ever be, ever to do good through his business deals in administering to the wants and necessities as well as Iuxury of his customers. H. N.

      Waterloo County Chronicle 23 Jun 1898, p. 8

  • Sources 
    1. [S3002] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 016156-00.
      Freeman L. Cornell, 23, occ. Carpenter, b. Beverly, res. Sheffield, son of Thomas Cornell and Annie Book Married Lily M. Oakes, 23, b. Hawksville, res. Sheffield, daughter of William Oakes and Catharine Spies, Witnessed by: Marcus M Donald and Bertie Oakes Both of Berlin, 12 September 1900 in Berlin

    2. [S3108] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 020542-09.
      Thomas Adam, 33, occ. Farmer, res. of Peel Twp, son of Alex Adam and Janet Stewart Married Edna Oakes, 23, res. of Hawkesville, daughter of John Oakes and Catherine Spies, Witn: Alexander Cooper of Peel Twp and Esther C. Spies of Hawkesville, 17 November 1909 in Hawkesville

    3. [S113] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley Twp. - 1881, Division 2 Page 22.

    4. [S269] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley Twp. - 1871, p 37.

    5. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register.
      John W. Oaks, 29, res. Hawksville, b. Ontario, son of Henry and Jane, married 16 Feb 1869 Catherine Spies, 23, res. Woolwich, b. Woolwich, daughter of Michael and Catharina

    6. [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151155010.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - CALC 27 Dec 1838 - Brockville, Leeds Co., Ontario Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1869 - Hawkesville, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 16 Feb 1869 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Tinsmith - 1871 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Free Thinker - 1871 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Merchant - 1881 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 29 May 1890 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Hawkesville Union Cemetery, Hawkesville, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth