#58: What the Story Means to Me - Josiah W. Bagby (1835-1913)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-03)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts created by Amy Johnson Crow to encourage reflection on our ancestors’ lives. The prompt for the week of January 12 is “What the Story Means to Me,” so let me introduce you to Josiah W. Bagby.

Josiah W. Bagby’s life can be traced almost entirely through census records, which follow him from a rural farming community into the city of Richmond over the course of seventy years. Taken together, these records tell a story of mobility, skilled labor, and endurance across changing economic landscapes.

#57: An Olsen Record That Adds Color — Laurits Olsen

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2025-02)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of January 5 is "A Record That Adds Color" so let me introduce you to Laurits Olsen.

#56: An Ancestor I Admire - Johann Phillip Kräher III

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-01)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the first week of 2026 is "An Ancestor I Admire" so let me introduce you to my 3X great-uncle Johann Phillip Kräher III (1829–1911).