Josephine Frances James was the granddaughter of the outlaw Jesse Woodson James and the daughter of Jesse Edwards James. She lived from 1903 to 1964, married Ronald Munro Ross in 1925, had at least one son and died at the age of 60 or 61.
Her name attracts attention for one reason: her family. Jesse James is among the most recognized figures in American history, and curiosity about his descendants has never faded. Josephine, however, was not a public figure. She left no speeches, books or interviews. Her story survives in genealogy records, a cemetery listing and a few family history posts, and that is exactly why accurate information about her is scattered and often confused with other people.
This guide brings the verified facts together in one place. It covers her birth, parents, marriage, child, death and the details that are simply not on record. If you searched for her age, husband, net worth, height or weight, each topic has its own section with a direct answer.
The table below lists the core facts at a glance. Where records disagree, both versions appear.
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Josephine Frances James |
| Married Name | Josephine Frances James Ross or Josephine Frances Ross |
| Lifespan | 1903 to 1964 (1902 appears in some records) |
| Birthday | April 20 |
| Age at Death | 60 or 61 years |
| Death | 1964, with March 19, 1964 noted in a family history post |
| Nationality | American |
| Grandfather | Jesse Woodson James |
| Father | Jesse Edward "Tim" James (also written Jesse Edwards James) |
| Mother | Stella Frances McGowan (also spelled McGowen) |
| Husband | Ronald Munro Ross (1904 to 1958) |
| Wedding Date and Place | September 2, 1925, Jackson, Missouri, United States |
| Children | At least one son |
| Net Worth | No public or recorded estimate |
| Height | Not publicly documented |
| Weight | Not publicly documented |
Josephine Frances James was born on April 20. The year is listed as 1902 in some places and 1903 in others. The more common version is 1903, and it appears in the title of the FamilySearch ancestors page that records her life as 1903 to 1964.
Differences like this are very common in genealogy. Records from the early twentieth century were often handwritten, and details were copied from one document to another by clerks, census takers and later by volunteers building online trees. A single slipped digit or a family memory that was a year off can spread across many websites. Instead of picking one year and hiding the other, careful writers present both and explain the gap.
The April 20 birthday is the steadier detail. If you search archives, you can use the birthday as an anchor and test both years around it. This simple approach often turns up records that a single year search would miss.
Her age at death is given as 60 or 61 because of the two possible birth years. If she was born on April 20, 1903 and died in March 1964, she was 60. If she was born on April 20, 1902, she was 61. Both numbers come from the same record set, and neither one is a mistake.
When a website says only "she died at 60" or "she died at 61," it has quietly chosen one birth year. That is not necessarily wrong, but it is incomplete. A reliable source mentions that the year is uncertain, which is the approach used here.
The James family is closely connected to Missouri. Her grandfather was born in the state, her father is remembered in connection with the Kansas City area, and her own marriage took place in Jackson, Missouri. These ties suggest that Josephine remained linked to the region even as the century moved forward. Public archives do not describe her school years, hobbies or daily routines, so this article does not invent them.
Carrying the name James meant carrying a legend. Newspapers, dime novels, stage plays and early films kept the outlaw's story alive for decades after his death. Some descendants of famous people lean into that attention. Josephine's record points the other way. There is no trail of media interviews or public statements, which suggests a private family life.
Jesse Woodson James was born in Missouri in 1847. After the Civil War he became associated with a string of bank and train robberies that made his name known across the country. To some people of his time he was a defiant folk hero, and to others he was a violent criminal. Historians and filmmakers still debate that image.
He was killed on April 3, 1882, in St. Joseph, Missouri. The shooter was Robert Ford, a member of his own gang who was tempted by a reward. His death ended his criminal career but cemented his legend.
Josephine was born about twenty years after the outlaw died. She could not have known him. Her connection to him came through family stories, the public image created by the press and the surname she carried. Readers who wonder whether she knew her famous grandfather can be given a firm answer: the dates make it impossible.
Jesse James married his cousin, Zerelda Mimms, known as Zee. Among their children was a son, Jesse Edwards James, who was very young when his father was killed. That son became Josephine's father.
Josephine's father appears in records as Jesse Edward "Tim" James. He is also written as Jesse Edwards James. He was the son of the outlaw and grew up in the aftermath of his father's violent death.
He is generally remembered as a lawyer connected to the Kansas City area, and he is also known for appearing in an early film that dramatized his father's life. Building a legal career while carrying such a famous surname shows an effort to move his family into a different kind of life.
Her father is the link that proves she belongs in the James family tree. Whenever you see a page about Josephine Frances James, check that it names him as her father. That single detail helps separate her from other women with similar names.
Her mother was Stella Frances McGowan. Josephine shared her mother's middle name, Frances, which was a familiar naming custom in that era.
Some listings spell the surname McGowen. When searching archives, try both spellings, because a different letter can send you to a different set of results.
Detailed biographies of Stella are not widely published. Most of what is known comes from family tree entries that connect her to her husband and children. As with many women of her time, her life is recorded mainly through family relationships.
Family tree websites list siblings and other relatives, and the numbers can differ between pages. Because many of these sites rely on user submissions, always compare more than one source before treating a sibling list as complete.
According to the Find a Grave memorial, her husband was Ronald Munro Ross. He lived from 1904 to 1958, which makes him about a year younger than Josephine if she was born in 1903.
They married on September 2, 1925, in Jackson, Missouri, United States. Josephine was in her early twenties, and Ronald was around twenty one. The wedding took place in the middle of the 1920s, a decade of economic growth that was followed by the Great Depression.
The marriage lasted from 1925 until Ronald died in 1958, a span of about thirty three years. Josephine lived roughly six more years as a widow.
After marriage, women of that period generally took their husband's surname. That is why Josephine appears as Josephine Frances Ross or Josephine Frances James Ross in some records. A search using only her maiden name can miss entries filed under her married name.
Records show that Josephine and Ronald were the parents of at least one son. The words "at least" are important. They tell us a son is confirmed, but they do not rule out other children. Since the sources do not list every child, this article does not offer guesses about names or numbers.
Through her son, the line from the outlaw continues: Jesse Woodson James, then Jesse Edwards James, then Josephine, then her son. This chain explains why genealogists and Wild West readers keep returning to her name.
Privacy laws and family choices limit what can be published about more recent generations. Because of this, public writing about the James family tends to concentrate on earlier generations, where records are open.
Josephine Frances James died in 1964. A post on the Jesse James Farm Facebook page marks March 19, 1964, and describes her as Josephine Frances James Ross, granddaughter of Jesse James and daughter of Jesse Edwards James. A social media post is not an official record, so treat the date as a strong pointer and confirm it with an obituary or death certificate if you need certainty.
Her memorial is on Find a Grave under the name Josephine Frances Ross. Memorial pages often include cemetery names, photographs and links to relatives, so check nearby entries for her husband and parents.
Her legacy is quiet but real. She was a daughter, wife and mother in a family whose name had already become folklore, and she helped carry that family into the modern age.
Josephine Frances James did not have a public or recorded net worth. Historical financial records and public net worth estimates do not exist for her. Net worth numbers are usually produced for celebrities, business leaders and officials whose finances were reported. Josephine was a private individual, so any website that claims a specific dollar value for her is guessing.
Specific height records are not publicly documented or available for Josephine Frances James, the daughter of Jesse E. James. Without a published description or medical record, no accurate measurement can be given.
Historical records do not contain verified or public information about her adult weight or birth weight. Researchers who want to ask about additional records can visit the WikiTree profile and check its sources or discussion tools.
Private individuals from the early twentieth century rarely had their finances or physical measurements preserved. Such details usually exist only for people in the military, certain professions or documented medical settings. Their absence here is normal and should not be filled with invented numbers.
The name is not rare, and search results sometimes blend different people. A common error is attaching a university teaching career or a state supreme court appointment to her name. Those details belong to other individuals and have nothing to do with the granddaughter of Jesse James.
To make sure a page is about her, look for these markers: parents Jesse Edward James and Stella Frances McGowan, husband Ronald Munro Ross, a 1925 wedding in Jackson, Missouri and a lifespan of 1903 to 1964.
Ronald Munro Ross was her husband, not her brother. Mistakes in relationship labels are common on websites that anyone can edit, so always read them closely.
Search for Josephine Frances James, Josephine Frances Ross, Josephine Frances James Ross, Josephine F. James and Josephine F. Ross. Databases do not always connect these automatically.
Her father may appear as Jesse Edward James, Jesse Edwards James or Jesse Edward "Tim" James. Her mother may appear as Stella Frances McGowan or McGowen. Trying all combinations can reveal records that a single search would miss.
Google also has a knowledge panel for Josephine Frances James. Panels combine information from several sources, so treat them as a starting point and verify details elsewhere.
Begin with family tree pages and write down names, years and relationships. Record the source beside each fact so you can spot conflicts later.
Cemetery listings are useful because burial records and grave markers tend to be consistent. They help confirm names, years and family groupings.
Missouri newspapers from the 1920s and 1960s may contain a wedding announcement and an obituary. Local libraries and historical societies often hold archives. Search under her husband's name too, since some notices were filed that way.
When two sources disagree, keep both and look for a third. When two or three independent records agree, the fact can be considered reliable.
Jesse James remains a symbol of the American frontier. Readers naturally wonder what happened to his family afterward and whether the notoriety followed his descendants.
Many searchers are hobby genealogists who suspect a connection to the James family. Well sourced pages about each generation help them test their ideas.
Most people ask simple questions about her age, husband, parents, net worth, height and death. This article answers each one in plain language so readers, search engines and AI assistants can find accurate information quickly.
She was the granddaughter of the outlaw Jesse Woodson James and the daughter of Jesse Edwards James. She lived from 1903 to 1964 and was married to Ronald Munro Ross.
She was 60 or 61 years old. Sources give her birth year as 1902 or 1903, and her birthday as April 20.
She was born on April 20, in either 1902 or 1903 depending on the source.
Her parents were Jesse Edward "Tim" James and Stella Frances McGowan.
Her husband was Ronald Munro Ross, who lived from 1904 to 1958.
She married Ronald Munro Ross on September 2, 1925, in Jackson, Missouri, United States.
Yes. Records show that she and Ronald had at least one son.
Her marriage lasted about thirty three years, from 1925 until her husband died in 1958.
Yes. Jesse James was her paternal grandfather, and her father was his son.
No. He was killed in 1882, around twenty years before she was born.
He was shot on April 3, 1882, in St. Joseph, Missouri, by Robert Ford, a member of his own gang.
No public or recorded net worth exists for her. Historical financial records and estimates are not available.
Her height is not publicly documented, and no reliable measurement exists.
No verified public information exists about her adult weight or birth weight.
She died in 1964. A family history post gives the date as March 19, 1964.
Her memorial is listed on Find a Grave as Josephine Frances Ross. Check that page for cemetery details.
She took her husband's surname after marriage, so records may list her as Josephine Frances Ross or Josephine Frances James Ross.
No. That detail belongs to a different person. Josephine Frances James, the granddaughter of Jesse James, was a private woman, wife and mother.
She is known mainly because of her family connection. She did not hold a public career, and interest in her comes from genealogy and Jesse James history.
Start with family tree pages, confirm details in cemetery records and search Missouri newspaper archives. Use name variations and compare at least two sources.
Early records were handwritten and copied many times, so small errors spread. Both 1902 and 1903 appear, and the April 20 birthday is the steadier detail.
Josephine Frances James was born on April 20, 1902 or 1903, and died in 1964 at the age of 60 or 61. She was the daughter of Jesse Edward "Tim" James and Stella Frances McGowan and the granddaughter of Jesse Woodson James. In 1925 she married Ronald Munro Ross in Jackson, Missouri. They had at least one son. Ronald died in 1958, and Josephine followed six years later.
Her life shows what happens to a legend once the headlines fade. There was no outlaw trail for her, only a family, a home and a name known around the world. No net worth, height or weight is recorded, and honest writing leaves those gaps open. What remains is a clear outline built from parents, a husband, a son, a wedding date and a lifespan that stretches from the early twentieth century into the 1960s. If you are tracing the James family tree, use the linked sources, compare each detail and keep notes on where every fact came from.
Last Updated: October 19, 2026
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