JOHN F. RAGLAND DIES IN HOSPITAL

Funeral Services for Grace Street Building Pioneer Thursday

John Fendall Ragland, 85, long well-known in business and church activities in Richmond and a member of an old family in this state, died early today at Grace hospital after a brief illness. He was the father of B. W. Ragland, chief of the Richmond city bureau of weights and measures. The funeral services will be held at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon from the Bennett funeral home and interment will be in Hollywood cemetery. Mr. Ragland was born Dec. 25, 1848, at Beaver Dam, Louisa county, and was a son of the late John Shelton Ragland and Mrs. Anne C. Ragland. The family is one widely related in this section of the state. In his youth he was a student at old Richmond College. He resided for some years in Chesterfield county, but in 1906 made his home in this city, where he was already well known as a business man and citizen. Mr. Ragland at one time was engaged in the tailoring business here and later was in the real estate business. He was a pioneer in the business development of Grace street, being the first to erect a store on that street. He was the founder of the Randolph-Street Baptist church and was a former vice-president of the Ministers' Relief Association. In late years he had been a devoted and active member of Grace Baptist church, Boulevard and Grove avenue. Mr. Ragland was twice married. His first wife was Miss Alice Taylor Walden and of that marriage there are two surviving sons, Rev. George Ragland, of Lexington, Ky., and B. W. Ragland, of this city. His second wife, who survives her husband, is Mrs. Lillie Overby Ragland. Also surviving is a son of the second marriage, J. Shelton Ragland, of this city.

Published in The Richmond News Leader (Richmond, Virginia) on Wednesday August 15, 1934 p2