Lafayette Vincent Oxley, Jr. was born on April 30, 1923, near Corwith, Iowa to Lafayette Vincent and Rose Willodson Oxley. He graduated from the Corwith High School in 1941 and then attended a sheet metal technical school in Des Moines, Iowa. Lafe served his country during World War II in the U.S. Navy, where he spent time in the Pacific. Lafe was married to Stella Duska on January 22, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. The couple farmed southeast of Corwith on a farm that was awarded the Century Farm Award in 1996. He retired in 1988, the same year that his wife Stella preceded him in death.
On January 29, 1992, Lafe was married to Deloris Kennedy Moon in Las Vegas, Nevada. The couple lived in Corwith.
Lafe attended the St. John Lutheran Church and the Corwith United Methodist Church. He was a 60 year member of the Elmer Wilson American Legion Post #229 in Corwith. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards and gardening. He also enjoyed spending winters in Quartzsite, Arizona.
Lafe and Deloris moved to Webster City, Iowa in September of 2005. He became a resident of the Crestview Nursing Home in Webster City in October of 2005. Lafe died on Thursday, May 4, 2006, at the Hamilton County Hospital in Webster City. He had just celebrated his 83rd birthday.
Lafe is survived by his wife, Deloris of Webster City, Iowa and his children; Steven Oxley and wife, Carol, State Center, Iowa, Mary Fjetland and husband, Dennis, Clarion, Iowa, 7 step children; Howard Moon and wife, Marcia, Kamrar, Iowa, Muriel Knudsen and husband, Brad, Tuscon, Arizona, Bill Moon and wife Theressa, Story City, Iowa, LuAnn Jackson and husband, Dennis, Anita Witte and husband, Dennis and Jean Ewing and husband, Bruce, all of Webster City, Iowa and Janet Pierce and husband, Keith, Corwith, Iowa. Also surviving are 5 grandchildren, 35 step grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and 38 step great grandchildren.
Lafe was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Stella, an infant son and an infant daughter.