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When the children were small Jane was an ardent Methodist and ran Sunday School classes on the verandah of their house. In about 1918 she became a Jehovah's Witness, much to the annoyance of her sisters and brothers. She expected her husband and children to join her in the sect and could not believe it when they did not. She spent much of the rest of her life proselytising and her daughters' suitors were often subject to long lectures about her religious beliefs. Clifford always ignored her religion and tolerated an extraordinary succession of visitors, fellow Witneesses, to the house, many of whom stayed for long periods. One in particular stayed, Jane called her "Sister", he called her "Nurse".

Wyn and Nancy participated in the social life of Fairfield West with enthusiasm as they grew older. They played tennis, took part in amateur theatricals, attended the local cricket matches and went to many dances and socials in the King's Hall. Wyn was pursued by many suitors and eventually married Jackson Haynes and they lived in Fairfield where their children, Douglas Barry, Brian Charles and Suzanne Marion were born. Nancy married Hector Alexander Bull and lived on the vineyard in Thorney Road, Fairfield West. Jean Elizabeth, Nancy Margaret and Mary Christina were born.

During the Depression, Allan, who had married Edith Shanks, lost his job, so he and his family came to live with his parents. The land at Fairfield West was subdivided and Allan built a very small house for his family, now including Audrey, Julie Roslyn and RObin Leigh, on part of it. During the war he enlisted and spent most of the war in the Northern Territory. His army pay enabled him to pay of the mortgage on his house.

During his last years, Clifford drove the horse and sulky around Fairfield West delivering mail, occasionally giving his small granddaughters, Jean and Nancy (Nancy's children), little rides. They often visited their grandparents and stayed on occasions when their mother was ill. There they enjoyed the company of Audrey, Julie and Robin (Allan's children) and Jean remembers a most memorable birthday party given to her at the house in Rawson Road.

Clifford became irritable and difficult particularly after he had smashed his hip when he fell while mounting his horse which moved on as he did so. He had come to help his son-in-law, Hector Bull, in the Thorney Road vineyard when the accident happened and he was in pain for the rest of his life. It is ironic that such a good horseman should have suffered such an accident. He was so well known for his abilit to manage horses that he never needed to buy a horse - people would give him their uncontrollable ones and he would make them docile. He knew so much about horses and took such an interest in them that he even knew all the racehorse's names and details of their form.

In 1944 a function was held in the King's Hall to honour Clifford Oakes. He was presented with a framed affress and a wallet of bank notes which
"shoes the high regard in which Mr Oakes is held in the community, and sincere appreciation fot eh great work he has done to the progress of the district".
Speakers at the gathering, chaird by Mr P.O Burd, included old friends Hughie Duncan, Mr Thorpe, and Harry Godfrey who said that Mr Oakes had
"richly deserved the compliments and presentations bestowed upon him; he had helped his neighbours, worked hard for the preogress of the district, and had never been late with the mail."
Mr C. Moore played the piano, Mrs Hetherington recited a humorou poem, the assembled company