 By 1850 the Oke family was operating a tavern in the Portugal Cove section of the St. John's election district, which was used as a voting booth location for residents.After a long illness, Oke's wife, Ann (57 y), died in Portugal Cove in 1853.On 23 July 1855, Oke married Harriet Grace Furneaux (1805–1899) and by 1864 they were living on Rennies Mill Road in St. John's, now a historic district.