52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-35): A Spot on the Map
The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. For this week's prompt I immediately thought of a very specific, physical location that holds deep ties in my wife's family history: Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.
This is the first in a series of three planned posts about the Bagby's buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.
Back on February 4, 2020, I wrote a brief biography of Josiah W. Bagby (1835–1913). As part of writing that post, I visited Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, where he is buried. While at the cemetery, I found three family plots for the Bagby family. I thought I would highlight the Bagby family and their multiple family plots located in Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, in a series of posts.
Oakwood Cemetery is located at 3101 Nine Mile Road. Originally, the cemetery was located in Henrico County, but due to annexation, the area later was included as part of the City of Richmond. The cemetery traces its origins back to a purchase of 66 acres in 1854, with the first burials occurring in 1856. During the Civil War, Oakwood was one of three Richmond cemeteries where Confederate dead were buried, and there is a large Confederate section.
Without having the 1890 census, we have a hard time determining the movement of many of the Bagby families from Fluvanna County to Richmond. What may have caused so many to leave the country and move to the city? Again, without being able to determine exactly when between the 1880 and 1900 U.S. censuses the families moved, we can only speculate. Many of the men in the family groups had their occupations listed as carpenters. It may have been difficult for them to earn a living in the county when they were not farming. Also, did the 1893 depression contribute? You can read more about it on The Depression of 1893.
The second Bagby family plot in Oakwood was purchased on September 26, 1908, by James Edwin Bagby. He and his wife, Annie E. Bagby, needed the plot to bury their infant son, James W. Bagby. At this time, I am unable to find any other documentation about this child to know how old he was when he died on September 23, 1908. The cemetery records only identify him as "Infant," but he does have a tombstone that identifies him by name. My guess is that he was very young, or even possibly died soon after birth.
It is interesting in looking at the dates that the date written in the cemetery records indicating when James purchased the plot is actually two days after their son was buried. Their son died on a Wednesday, he was buried on a Thursday, and it appears that James was able to finalize the purchase of the plot on a Saturday.
Unfortunately, it appears that James and Annie did not have any other children.
Oakwood Cemetery, Plat B, Section 5, Lot 11, Part 2. © 2020 Edward R. Olsen
When I visited the plot on January 31, 2020, I was deeply touched to find that Martha had ensured her husband’s final resting spot was marked with a tombstone bearing the simple, profound inscription: "My Husband."
Just four months after Josiah’s death, Martha completed an application for a Civil War veteran widow's pension. In it, she reported owning no real property and possessing a mere $20 in personal property. It is heartbreaking—and fiercely moving—to realize she spent a portion of those scarce funds to give him a proper marker.
Yet, the story carries a heavy sorrow. When Martha passed away in 1922, her estate lacked the funds to purchase a headstone for her. Most quietly painful of all, her surviving children—including their son James, in whose household she and Josiah had lived for over two decades—did not secure one for her either.
Looking across the plot, a final twist of irony lingers: both James and Annie rest beneath tombstones that appear to have been provided not by the family, but by their Sunday School classes.
The last person buried in the plot is not related to the Bagby family, but I assume she must have been a close family friend and companion to Annie after James passed away in 1943. India was a widow, and we see her living with James and Annie as a boarder in the 1930 U.S. Census. On January 29, 1947, Annie left instructions with the cemetery noting that she had "...given permission for Mrs. India Waddell to be buried in this lot."
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Josiah W. Bagby | World Cancer Day Feb 4, 2020
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#48 - Wednesday's Child #1: James W. Bagby, Dec. 22, 2021
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#50 - Sunday's Obituary #2: Martha A. Kidd Bagby Jan 1, 2023
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#67 - A Turning Point | Josiah W. Bagby Civil War Service March 12, 2026
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