30 Records that Document Female Ancestors, with speaker Gena Philibert-Ortega

Emily Sienkiewicz

“Women can’t be found in genealogical documents.” “They are difficult to research.” While these statements can be true, there are records out there that document their lives. We will explore 30 records to consider as you research female ancestors from the colonial period to the 20th century in the United States. This program will take place on Zoom. Register in advance for this meeting . For details see saclibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=383164&lib=1000&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2024/05/01

Finding Females: Research Strategies to Discover More about Women in Family History by Kristin Wenger

Emily Sienkiewicz

This virtual program will start at 10am (Central Time). For more information or to register, contact Preston Petermeier at ppetermeier@slpl.org or 314-539-0385. Women represent half of our ancestors; yet, their identities and life stories often prove much more difficult to find than those of men. In this engaging and interactive session, we’ll learn why females can be challenging to research and walk through a step-by-step plan to uncover more information about the mysterious ladies in your family tree. Full of interesting record examples, photographs, and methodology demonstration, this presentation will equip and inspire you to find the stories of your female ancestors! Kristin Wenger joined Legacy Tree Genealogists in 2021 after several years of working …

Before Rosie: The Women of the Great War

Emily Sienkiewicz

From raising funds at home to serving as “Hello Girls” and nurses, women stepped up to support, fight in, or fight against the war effort with as much patriotism as their male counterparts. Explore women’s participation during the Great War and the records that can help with genealogical research. This class will be held in person as well as virtually via Zoom simultaneously. Registration is required and closes one hour before the start of the program. Please indicate whether you will be attending in person or virtually when registering. An email address is required when registering to attend on Zoom. All start times are Central Standard Time. For details see www.mymcpl.org/events/94362/rosie-women-great-war-hybrid

Maiden Names and Dower Right: Documenting your Female Ancestors

Emily Sienkiewicz

In countries with English influence, marriage historically resulted in women giving up their maiden names and losing many of their legal rights. This program will introduce the concepts of couverture, dower right, and other legal principles that may influence records of your ancestors. It will also guide you through navigating those records to learn more about your female ancestors’ lives. For details see southwindsorlibrary.libcal.com/event/11596438

Project Recipe: Weaving a Grandmother’s Letters into a Story

Emily Sienkiewicz

Insight from a published author about a book in progress This very special event features Kathryn Graven, acclaimed author of “Memoirs of a Mask Maker” as she discusses a new project in progress. This is a bit of a diversion from our usual Project Recipe events that focus on completed projects. There’s a special reason. Kathy’s recently published “Memoirs,” honors the women who helped her stitch her life back together after tragic loss. This deeply personal book pulls a narrative thread from Kathy’s personal story to share insight about tending grief and reclaiming joy. With decades of experience as a journalist to inform her process, Kathy is a pro. As you’ll read in “Memoirs of …

The Index of Suffragettes Arrested – Secrets of the National Archives

Emily Sienkiewicz

At the turn of the twentieth century, Votes for women was one of the biggest domestic political issues of the day. Suffrage supporters, frustrated with the lack of progress, turned to increasingly militant methods, from heckling politicians to arson attacks. The government was constantly struggling to keep up with their innovative, evolving campaigns. In response, the Home Office created an index of arrested Suffragettes to keep tabs on the activities of individuals, record aliases and link convictions. Through this single iconic document, it is possible to gain an insight into a vibrant national movement. It records the leaders of the movement, alongside the everyday foot soldiers who were the backbone of suffrage activism. The index …

Researching Your Female Ancestors

Emily Sienkiewicz

Researching your female ancestors can be a difficult task. The largely standard practice of changing their surnames after marriage can make women hard to track, and many historical records focus on men with women being listed only under their husbands’ names. This class will offer some guidance for researching female ancestors including information about sources that you may not have thought to check. Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom. For details see bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/65b2f17d1b80e24800af3402

Beyond Names and Dates: Filling in the Stories of Our Female Ancestors with Pam Vestal

Emily Sienkiewicz

Register Free (Virtual or In-Person): gsbcfl.org/eventListings.php?nm=71 For most of recorded time, women didn’t leave much of a paper trail, but they have remarkable stories to tell. Deeper research into underutilized records often lead to a better understanding of the women in our family trees. In this talk, we’ll explore a variety of records, and also look at local history, the law, politics, and the cataclysmic events that confronted women to help us bring their hidden stories to light. Speaker, Pam Vestal, is a Portland-based genealogist at Generations Genealogy. Published in top genealogy journals, including the National Genealogical Society Magazine, Pam specializes in Family History Research, and she’s a seasoned speaker at conferences nationwide. Formerly a …

Earning Their Wings: The WASPs of World War II and the Fight for Veteran Recognition

Emily Sienkiewicz

Established by the Army Air Force in 1943, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program opened to civilian women with a pilot’s license who could afford to pay for their own transportation, training, and uniforms. Author Sarah Parry Myers will discuss how, despite their highly developed skill set, rigorous training, and often dangerous work, the women of WASP were not granted military status until 1977 and denied over three decades of Army Air Force benefits as well as the honor and respect given to male and female World War II veterans of other branches. Myers not only offers a history of this short-lived program but considers its long-term consequences for the women who participated and …

Finding Her: Our Female Ancestor

Emily Sienkiewicz

Though our female ancestor may be elusive, by understanding her role in other people’s lives and the community, we can find a variety of records documenting her life. Melissa Tennant Rzepczynski, with extensive experience in family history instruction and research methodologies, offers her knowledge and strong customer service skills to those interested in exploring their family roots. Founder of Branch Discoveries, LLC in 2022, she provides consultations, document retrievals, research services, and presentations. With over two decades in the genealogical field, Melissa’s expertise spans various areas, including Midwest and Southeast U.S. families, immigration, migration, property records, probate records, African American, and female ancestors. Melissa initiated her genealogical career at the Hillsborough County Public Library in …