OXFORD – Charlotte Stafford, the much-loved scion of one of Oxford’s oldest families and the village’s long-time historian, passed away on Friday, at the age of 91.

In the words of Steve Behe, Stafford was “a wonderful lady who loved Oxford,” and who epitomized the definition of a lady.

“It was an honor and a privilege to know and work with her,” said Vicky House. As caregiver, companion and friend, House worked alongside the lady historian in her historical research for close to a decade. “Her work here is done, but it will be treasured for years to come.”

Stafford was uniquely qualified to document the village’s history, as she was a piece of that history herself. Until her death, the Oxford native lived in the same State Street home in which she was born. Built by her grandfather Richard Lewis Stafford in 1870, the stately white home was also the birthplace of the Oxford Review. The newspaper was founded by her father, George Lewis Stafford, who installed one of the town’s first printing presses in an upstairs bedroom. In 1915, he acquired the Oxford Times and joined the two newspapers into the Oxford Review-Times. He owned the paper for more than 40 years.

Stafford chose not to follow her father into the newspaper business, however. Instead, she studied History and French at Elmira College, earning her undergraduate degree in 1941. Two years later, she earned a master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Albany.