#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.

#48 - Wednesday's Child #1: James W. Bagby

Wednesday's Child #1: James W. Bagby

"Wednesday's Child" is a genealogy blogging prompt where you post photos of gravestones of children and give life to the young soul's story. In my inaugural post using this prompt, I am writing about James W. Bagby, my wife's 1st cousin twice removed.

 

Back on February 4, 2020, I wrote a brief biography of Josiah W. Bagby (1835-1913) who is my wife's great-granduncle.  In preparing to write that post, I visited Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, where he was buried.  While at the cemetery I found a total of three family plots for the Bagby family.  

Oakwood Cemetery Sign from https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/51498/oakwood-cemetery/photo downloaded 2021.12.21.

#38 - Power: Newton McAllister Lee

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-08)

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 February 21 is "Power." It took me some time to gather some research on the Davidson family line for Newton McAllister Lee.  

#27: Ada "Sweet" Dandridge Ball (1880-1971)

Ada as a young girl.  Scanned images from a family scrapbook.  Enhanced by MyHeritage.com  ©Edward R. Olsen 2020

Ada and her early life with her parents

Ada Dandridge Ball was born in Richmond, Virginia on Sunday, May 23, 1880.  Her parents were Augustus William Ball (1848-1929) and Isora Lee (1848-1929).  She was their only child.  Ada has two very unique names.  Those names appear elsewhere in the family tree, so I assume that she was named after those others.  She was likely named Ada after her mother's sister Ada Wilson Lee Davidson (1858-1935) and Dandridge after her paternal grandfather Dandridge Ball.

Tombstone Tuesday #1: Lula and John Bagby

Today, let's make a virtual cemetery visit.

Riverview Cemetery was initiated by the city of Richmond in 1887 and is immediately west of Hollywood Cemetery on the James River. Riverview was laid out in a curvilinear design, with six roundabouts amid winding avenues, all overlooking the picturesque falls of the river.