candacie billingsley pace
1897-1994
Life Story
A Life Rooted in Family, Faith, and Migration
The life of Candacie Billingsley Pace offers a powerful example of the “Quiet Architects” who sustained Black community life through faith, family, and perseverance. Born on January 19, 1897, in Decatur, Newton County, Mississippi, she was the daughter of Henry “Tab” Billingsley and Crossie Barks Billingsley.
Her life spanned nearly a century—from the segregated rural South of the late nineteenth century to the expanding urban opportunities of the American West.
A Foundation in Mississippi
Candacie grew up in a large farming household in Beat 4 of Newton County, where agricultural labor shaped daily life. Her father worked as a farmer, and like many children in rural Mississippi, Candacie contributed to the work of the family farm from an early age.
Despite these responsibilities, education remained an important part of community life. Census records show that by childhood Candacie was attending school and had learned to read and write—an important achievement in an era when educational opportunities for African Americans were limited.
The combination of schooling, farm labor, and church life formed the foundation of her upbringing.
Family Connections and Maternal Lineage
Records related to Candacie’s mother reveal the complex family structures common in the Reconstruction-era South.
Early records—including the 1900 census and Candacie’s later California Death Index —identify her mother as Crossie Barks. However, Candacie herself later reported her mother’s maiden name as Whitehead.
This identification aligns with local Newton County history, which recognizes longstanding kinship ties between the Billingsley and Whitehead families.
The appearance of Louis Barks as the head of Crossie’s childhood household in 1870 suggests that Barks may have been a stepfather, while the Whitehead surname likely represents the deeper maternal lineage. Supporting this interpretation is the presence of Manerva Barks, age fifty-eight, living in the Billingsley household in 1900, most likely Candacie’s maternal grandmother.
These records reflect the fluid and layered family relationships that developed during the decades following emancipation.
Marriage and Family Life
At the age of nineteen, Candacie married David King Pace. Together they established their home in Newton County, where they raised two daughters:
- Undinen Pace
- Vestulon (Vistula) Pace
For many years Candacie managed the responsibilities of household and farm life alongside her husband. Like many Black women of the Jim Crow South, her work combined domestic leadership, agricultural labor, and the steady guidance of family life.
Migration to California
Later in life, Candacie and David joined the broader movement known as the Great Migration, when millions of African Americans left the rural South seeking greater economic opportunity and social freedom elsewhere.
By 1950, the Pace family had settled in Los Angeles, California, living on East 18th Street. At that time, their daughter Vistula Pace was married to Tommie L. Graham, and the family included their son Robert Graham, Candacie and David’s grandson.
This move reflected a broader generational shift—leaving the agricultural landscape of Mississippi for the expanding opportunities of urban America.
Legacy of a Century
Candacie Billingsley Pace lived an extraordinary life of ninety-seven years, witnessing dramatic changes in American society—from the aftermath of Reconstruction to the closing years of the twentieth century.
She passed away on March 10, 1994, in Los Angeles, California. Her funeral services were held at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park, officiated by Elder Kays.
Her journey—from the rural fields of Newton County to the neighborhoods of Los Angeles—embodies the resilience of generations who carried the values of faith, literacy, and family across regions and decades.
Candacie’s life stands as a testament to the strength of Black families who sustained their communities through education, migration, and perseverance. Through lives like hers, the foundation of future generations was quietly built.
Resting Place
Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park, California
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 – 1950 Federal Censuses
- California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
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