James Josiah Cheatham (1863 - 1945)

Born 12 Sep 1863 in Chesterfield, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Junietta (Pinchbeck) Cheatham — married 6 Dec 1886 in Chesterfield, Virginia

Husband of Mary Giles (Fuqua) Cheatham — married 20 Mar 1932 in Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Jul 1945 at age 81 in Midlothian, Chesterfield, Virginia, United States

Descendants of Thomas Cheatham of Chesterfield County, Virginia By Lucille Cheatham Moseley Chapter IX

My grandfather, James (Jimmy) Josiah Cheatham, was born in Chesterfield County during the War Between the States on 12 September 1863,^[1] the second child of Richard Marcellous and Obedience Bailey (Rudd) Cheatham. He was, undoubtedly, named for his two grandfathers, James Henry Cheatham and Josiah Bailey.

At the age of twenty-three he married Etta Thomas Pinchbeck, daughter of John W. and Rosa Belle Cheatham Pinchbeck of "Adventure Hill" at Winterpock on 6 December 1886.^[2]

They received 149 acres on Goode's Bridge Road (now Route 360) from his father's estate on 31 May 1888^[3] and farmed there for their livelihood. They built a small home on the property, later adding to it as the family increased. Seven children were born to them, namely: Richard Marcellous II, Wallace Clyde, Eva Gertrude, Leslie, Clopton, Obedience, and Guy Milton.

"Jimmy" assumed posistions of responsibility in Tomahawk Baptist Church early in life, serving as Sunday School Superintendent from 1896-1898 and again in 1907 as well as being church treasurer from 1921-1933.^[4]

In addition, he served as a Chesterfield County school trustee from 13 April 1896 -12 August 1918, being one of three citizens from Midlothian District who supervised the operation of the schools in the area.^[5] (In 1907 there were reported 90 small schools in the county, most of them one-room, one-teacher schools.)^[6]

Grandmother Etta died of diabetes on 13 May 1918^[7] and had the dubious distinction of being the first to be buried in the new Tomahawk Church Cemetery.

On 20 March 1932 "Jimmy" took a second wife, marrying a childhood sweetheart, Mary 'Molly' Giles Fuqua, the daughter of William Giles Fuqua and Mary Frances (Wood) Fuqua.^[8] This was Molly's third marriage. She had first married a Mr. Rogers and secondly, Mr. Lewis Edgar Dunn. She had lived in Kansas and Texas. Upon the death of her second husband she returned to Chesterfield and lived with her brother, Cornelius Wood 'Neelie' Fuqua and his wife, Mary Lucinda Bailey. There she reconnected with "Jimmy" and renewed their acquaintance of many years before. He was 68 and she was 70 when they married.

They had 12 years of companionship before she died on 25 February 1944 at the age of 83 and he the following year on 23 July 1945 at the age if 82. They, too, are buried in the church yard at Tomahawk; he lies between his two wives.

The first of "Jimmy's" children, Richard Marcellous (Mac) Cheatham, II who was born 14 January 1888, married (1) Bessie Virginia Owen and had three children: Earl Marcellous who married Birginia Ann Belcher, Ruby Christine who married Clarence Woodrow Hicks, and Mildred Eva who married Robert Branch Bellamy. Following Bessie's death on 17 January 1959 Mac married (2) Ellen Goode, the widow of Fitzhugh Ashbrook.

Wallace Clyde, born 3 June 1889, married Peach Virginia Brownley, a teacher in Midlothian who came from Matthews County. Their children are: Elizabeth Thomas who married Maxwell Rock Schools of Richmond County, Wallace Clyde, Jr. who married Margaret Minor Lester of Midlothian, and Mary Brownley who married Richard Sherwood Dance, also of Midlothian.

Eva Gertrude, born 12 June 1892, married Harry Basil Horner, a brother of the aforementioned Nellie Horner Ellett, and they had tow children: James Basil who married Florence Cornelia Beasley, and Iris Gertrude who died of diptheria at age 5.

The next three children, Leslie, Clopton and Obedience all died in infancy.

Guy Milton, my father, born 22 April 1899, married Anne Butler Mason of Chase City, Virginia, a teacher at Swift Creek School who boarded with his family. Their children are: Mary Lucille who married Augustus Moseley, Fr. of Hallsboro and Guy Milton, Jr. who married Mary Louise Davis of Pulaski, Virginia.

Death & Burial

On 23 July 1945 in Midlothian, Chesterfield, Virginia, James (Jimmy) Josiah Cheatham died. He was 81 years old. His remains were laid to rest in Tomahawk Baptist Church Cemetery, (Lat: 37.4232191, Long: -.6354272), Chesterfield County, Virginia.

A Find-A-Grave memorial has been created for him. There is a description of the cemetery and grave site with photos of the tombstone. If you want to you may access it here: Find A Grave: Memorial #7691434.

Sources

1. ↑ Cheatham Family Bible.
2. ↑ Chesterfield County Marriage Register
3. ↑ Chesterfield Deed Book 76, p. 231
4. ↑ Smith, Helen D. and Smith, Joyce Lee. "Tomahawk Baptist Church, 1776-1976". Dietz Press. 1976.
5. ↑ Minute Book of School Electoral Board, Chesterfield County.
6. ↑ Cox, T. B. "Chesterfield County", Williams Printing Co. Richmond, 1907.
7. ↑ Death Certificate, Virginia Bureau of Vital Records.
8. ↑ Chesterfield County Marriage Register

Access To the Book

Source citation: The Descendants of Thomas Cheatham of Chesterfield County Moseley, Lucille Cheatham. A copy of the book has been digitized by FamilySearch and may be accessed here:. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/481815-descendants-of-thomas-cheatham-of-chesterfield-county-virginia?offset=