march is women's history month
brenda kellow
march 23, 2014
I have not heard much about this locally, but March is national women’s history month. Searching females is certainly not an easy task which any researcher will confirm. Therefore, I thought listing a few interesting websites covering this topic might help the beginner as well as the more advanced genealogist find those women who change their names and seldom appear on census records before 1850. If the husband dies first, and the wife follows her parents or siblings as they travel across the country in search of opportunity, often she dies and is buried in the plot with other family members. If she is lucky enough to have a tombstone, it usually gives her married name without any clue as to her birth surname or clue to her parents. Sharon Carmack’s, “Discovering Your Female Ancestors” should help you, but do not forget to examine the following.
GenealogyBlog: 8 Genealogy Tips for Tracing Female Ancestry, http://blog.genealogybank.com/8-genealogy-tips-for-tracing-female-ancestry.html.
Useful English: Women’s Names and Nicknames: http://usefulenglish.ru/vocabulary/womens-names.
Cyndi’s List of general resources for finding females: www.cyndislist.com/female/general/.
Genealogy Insider: More resources for finding females: http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2011/05/05/ResourcesForFindingYourFemaleAncestors.aspx.
The In depth Genealogist: http://theindepthgenealogist.com/three-ideas-for-tracing-your-female-ancestors/.
GenealogyWise, Special issue on finding females: www.genealogywise.com/profiles/blogs/tracing-your-female-ancestors-special-issue.
Five Ways to Find Your Female Ancestors: www.archives.com/experts/alzo-lisa/five-ways-to-find-your-female-ancestors.html.
FamilySearch Wike, Telling Her Story: http://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/User:National_Institute_sandbox_13U.
To verify through bloodline, you might consider having a look at your DNA results. I did, and found a match to my female bloodline in the ancient past or at least to 1654 in England. Several companies collect DNA, but FamilyTree DNA and Ancestry are two companies that are readily available and trustworthy. Whatever obstacles you encounter hunting the females in your family tree, you should benefit from the sites listed above because of the wealth of information they contain and the ideas you get from them. You need only to apply it.
FREE SEMINAR BY TRESA TATYREK: Tresa Tatyrek shows genealogists how to organize their data digitally and in other filing methods. Hear her tips on Saturday, April 19, at 10:30 at the Haggard Library Program Room on the first floor, sponsored by Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc. Come hear Tresa and network with other genealogists, and afterwards join others for lunch at TGI-Friday’s on Preston Road between Park and Parker Roads.
SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (SAR) DINNER AND MEETING: On April 1, a representative from the French Embassy in Houston will present the French perspective on the Revolutionary War, at 7 p.m. at Outback Steakhouse on Central and 15th Street. The men may bring their wives and treat them to dinner at 6 p.m. before the talk. Anyone interested is welcome.
COMPARING GENEALOGICAL STANDARDS OF 2000 WITH THE UPDATED ONES OF 2014: The comparison between these new versus old standards is certainly worth examining to become familiar with the new changes. I saved these comparisons electronically for future use (remember, I’ve gone paperless). The comparisons are on the Internet respectively at www.bcgcertification.org/brochures/ConversionNewtoOld.pdf and at www.bcgcertification.org/brochures/ConversionOldtoNew.pdf. The books are in the Genealogy Center on the Reference Shelf.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: bbkellow@verizon.net.
