Sarah Olivia was born at West Randolph, Vermont, September 28, 1837. Until the age of sixteen her education was supervised at home by her father, (Judge Edmund Weston) who being a remarkable scholar and having the utmost regard for the mental development of his children, followed his own ideas for their education. He provided private instructors for their studies of English, classic and modern languages and music. She continued her studies in Boston, devoting her attention principally to classics and history under the direction of several professors at Cambridge, she being the second of the few female students to whom the privilege of Harvard University were granted. Her thorough knowledge of the ancient languages was a great service to the late Professor Elliott Coues in his famous work on ornithology, "The North American Birds," in which a glowing tribute is paid to her attainments. The author of the original list has received invaluable assistance from Mrs. S. Olivia Weston-Aiken, who cordially shared with him the labor of the philological investigation, and to whose scholarly attainments he is so largely indebted, that it is no less a duty than a pleasure to recognize the co-operation of this accomplished lady."

After her marriage, in Randolph, to Mr. Frederick A Aiken, of Vermont, a lawyer who had studied law in her father's office, on June 1 1857, she settled in Burlington, Vermont, where her husband edited a newspaper. Mrs. Aiken had been from her earliest years a writer of stories and poetry, some of which had so attracted the attention not only in New England but of London publishers, as to be copied in magazines and papers. At the time of her removal to Burlington she wrote continually reviews of books in association with John G. Saxe as well as original matter. At the opening of the Civil War, Mrs. Aiken removed with her husband to Washington, D. C, where the latter established himself as a lawyer, a profession in which he soon attained distinction, having been the attorney for Mrs. Surratt, one of the Lincoln conspirators. He entered the army and served on General Hancock's staff, with the rank of Colonel (ed: he actually served on the staff of William F Smith and Hancock and had the rank of Captain), throughout the War of the Rebellion. At the close of the war he became managing editor of the Washington Post, the Chronicle, and other papers of the capital city, and was engaged mainly in journalism until his death in 1878. Mr. Aiken was also interested in national politics and was at one time the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee. After her husband's death, Mrs. Aiken was obliged to enter the Government service and held the position as clerk in the Treasury Department until her death, on May 25, 1900.

The announcement of the death of Mrs. Sarah O. Aiken. The friends of Mrs. Sarah Olivia Aiken will learn with regret of her death in this city yesterday afternoon after a very brief illness. She was the daughter of Judge Edmund Weston, of Vermont. Mrs. Aiken was well known for her scholarly attainments, having been the first female student permitted to attend regularly the classes in languages and the classics at Harvard University. She was the widow of Frederick A. Aiken, counsel for Mrs. Surratt and afterward a prominent newspaper man. Mrs. Aiken also being a contributor to literary work. She was a member of the Theosophic Society of this city and a clerk in the office of the Auditor for the Treasury Department. She left no children.