March 29...

March 29 - Create a free Footnote Page or a Genealogy Trading Card at Big Huge Labs for a female ancestor. Some of you may have created your own card back in September 2009 following Sheri Fenley's post over at The Educated Genealogist. This time, the card is for your female ancestor. Tell us about who you've selected and why and then post a link to what you've created.

Mary Alice (Coleman) Johnstone

Johanna "Jennie" (Felt) Borgreen

I originally posted these on Feb. 9 2011 here.They were a gift for my mom for Christmas. They're part of a set of 12 or so, cards featuring all my maternal grandparents and and great grandparents.

March 27....Fresh off the boat

March 27 - Do you know the immigration story of one or more female ancestors? Do you have any passenger lists, passports, or other documentation? Interesting family stories?

I could tell you the Titanic story, but since I really don't believe that one, I'll tell you what I DO know.

On 4 Jun 1913, Mary Alice Johnstone arrived in Quebec along with her two children, Steven and Ellen and her mother, Mary Coleman. They were on their way to B.C. Canada to meet up with Mary Alice's husband  William Johnstone, who had arrived more than a year earlier.

They traveled on the Laurentic, most likely as one of the 1,000 third class passengers. Four years later the Laurentic would meet a fateful end when it was sunk by a mine on 25 Jan 1917 off the coast of Ireland, killing 350 passengers.

The Johnstones would remain in B.C. until 1916, when they emigrated to MT, where they would live the rest of their lives.

March 24....Is Your Mother Home?

March 24 - Do you share any physical resemblance or personality trait with one of your female ancestors? Who? What is it?


The one thing thing that has followed me around, since about the age of 12, is my mother's voice. I've always been told that I sound just like her and was always confused with her on the phone, as a teen. Fast forward to my adult years and now my girls are mistaken for me on the phone and I'm still asked, "Is your mother home?" when I answer the phone. I can barely tell my girls' voices apart on the phone and my poor son went through an awkward time, before his voice changed, where he was also mistaken for me or any of his four sisters when he answered a call. Fortunately for him, when he hit the age of 13, his voice promptly dropped an octave and saved his sanity.

March 21...Tender moments

March 21 - Describe a tender moment one of your female ancestors shared with you or another family member.


I will never forget the times spent at Grandma Nell's house. We would have sleep overs and it was always so much fun. Grandma loved to have the kids come to visit in her tiny little yellow house. She had very little room, so she'd get creative. Snacks were kept in the dryer in the kitchen. We had free run of the place and could have whatever we wanted without asking. She always had little metal snack trays for us to use in front of the TV. They had little foldable legs and we'd sit on the floor, watching cartoons and snacking away. Then Grandma and I would snuggle on the couch and she'd pat my hand or my leg. We would sit like that for hours. 


Many years later when I had children of my own, we'd go visit and she'd sit with them the same way and pat their legs or hands. It was so sweet to see that tenderness passed on to the next generation. 

March 20....Brick by Brick

March 20 - Is there a female ancestor who is your brick wall? Why? List possible sources for finding more information.


My Brickwall is Johanna "Jennie" (Felt) Borgreen. She and her husband Gust never spoke of Sweden. As far as I can tell they never told anyone anything at all. I ordered death certificates in hopes of finding a town of origin or a parent's name. NOTHING. I ordered a marriage certificate for the same reason. NOTHING. I have scoured every document that I can find for any clue as to where they may have come from. Here's what I know of Johanna so far...
Born 22 May 1868 Nävlinge, Kristianstad, Sweden   The name of her town and parish came from Swedish Emigration Records found on Ancestry.com. She left Eljaröd, Nävlinge, Kristianstad, Sweden in 1891 to move to North America with her final destination being Rock Springs WY. This information came from the Swedish church records at Ancestry.com. She married Gust Borgreen on 5 Dec 1891 and a gentleman named A. Felt was a witness. This found on the marriage certificate. We then lose track of the family until we can pick up the trail again in MT on the 1900 census where they live with their four oldest children and surprisingly, they live right next door to an Andrew Felt and his family. This is where I decided to pick up the trail of Andrew. Who is he and how is he related to my family? The 1900 census shows that Andrew, his wife and oldest child came to WY in 1890, just one year before Johanna. We know that Gust was already in WY at that time. Several of Andrew's children were born in WY according to the census. So I tracked the whole family back and forth through time and found that those WY births had occurred in Rock Springs. I have yet to find Andrew and his family's immigration papers. But I continue to search. I also continue to search for Johanna in Swedish church records. Hopefully, one day I'll find the birth register I'm looking for. I'm also searching forward in time. I'm looking at Gust and Johanna's children, along with Andrew's children, and their children hoping to find a living descendant who might know just a bit more than me. I still don't know if Andrew is actually related. It would seem that he must be and based on their ages, I suspect he's a brother. But until I have proof in hand, I can only speculate. Come on Johanna. Give it up. 

March 19.....HOLD THE PRESSES!!!!

March 19 - Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out?

 

Gust and Johanna Brogreen were married on Dec. 5, 1891 in Rock Springs WY. We have th document to corroborate this fact. So imagine my surprise, when I'm skipping through the pages of the Rock Springs Miner for 19892 at  The WY Newspaper Project and I come across this little tidbit.

Title: Rock Springs Miner. no. 26. June 29, 1892, page 4

"Gus Borgreen is the father of a fine boy. Dr. Murray, the attending physician informs us that the mother and child are doing nicely."

It would appear that Gt. Grandma was already expecting at the time of the wedding. This did surprise me until I buckled down to do some Swedish research and found it was perfectly acceptable and quite common for young people to co-habitate before the marriage, as long as they had made their intention to marry public. Its not uncommon to find the births of children entered in the church register before the actual marriage date of the parents. It would seem that Gust and Johanna simply brought this tradition to the states with them.

I do have to make one correction to the newspaper bit, though. The oldest child of Gust and Johanna, who was actually born in June of 1892, was their daughter, Esther.

March 17.....It's What You Can Do For Your Country

March 17 - Social Butterfly? What social organizations or groups did your mother or grandmother belong to? Sewing circle, church group, fraternal benefit society or lodge? Describe her role in the group?



Red Cross Sewing Club 1917


Katherine Marxer and her daughters, along with many other area women belonged to the Pleasant View Red Cross Sewing Club.

The Red Cross Sewing Club was organized during WWI to aid the war effort. Knitting socks, sweaters and mufflers for soldiers and rolling bandages were the main projects. The club disbanded at the end of the war.

This photo was taken outside the Joseph Marxer home.

March 16...Ladies Who Lunch

March 16 - If you could have lunch with any female family member (living or dead) or any famous female who would it be and why? Where would you go? What would you eat?


This was a topic of a scrapbooking project I participated in last year. I'll share the layout I did for that challenge. As for where we'd go and what we'd eat? That's a family joke. We can never decide where to go or what to have. And no one will ever start the buffet line. I always say, "You'll find out skeletons at the end of the buffet line. We all starved to death because no one would go first."

 

Journaling reads:

Grandma, please tell me all you remember of your life as a child. Tell me how you met Grandpa, and what was Mom like as a child? Ms. Burnett, I've idolized you since before I can remember. Where did that wicked humor come from? What was it like to be a pioneer of women in entertainment? Teach me how to do the Tarzan yell. Mrs. Woody, I've studied what I can of your life, but I need to know more. Tell me everything. Mrs. Obama, how do you stay so poised 

and balanced and approachable? Mother Teresa, your spirit and capacity for love is awe inspiring. Where does that come from and how can I be more like you?

Women's History Month

In honor of National Women's History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women's History Month.

"March 1 - Do you have a favorite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would... like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

March 2 - Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

March 3 - Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you've come across in your family tree.

March 4 - Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

March 5 - How did they meet? You've documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?

March 6 - Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don't have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

March 7 - Share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother's kitchen. Why is this dish your favorite? If you don't have one that's been passed down, describe a favorite holiday or other meal you shared with your family.

March 8 - Did one of your female ancestors leave a diary, journal, or collection of letters? Share an entry or excerpt.

March 9 - Take a family document (baptismal certificate, passenger list, naturalization petition, etc.) and write a brief narrative using the information.

March 10 - What role did religion play in your family? How did your female ancestors practice their faith? If they did not, why didn't they? Did you have any female ancestors who served their churches in some capacity?

March 11 - Did you have any female ancestors who died young or from tragic or unexpected circumstances? Describe and how did this affect the family?

March 12 - Working girl: Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation.

March 13 - Moment of Strength: share a story where a female ancestor showed courage or strength in a difficult situation.

March 14 - Newsmakers? Did you have a female ancestor who made the news? Why? Was she famous or notorious? Did she appear in the social column?

March 15 - Write a six-word memoir tribute to one of your female ancestors.

March 16 - If you could have lunch with any female family member (living or dead) or any famous female who would it be and why? Where would you go? What would you eat?

March 17 - Social Butterfly? What social organizations or groups did your mother or grandmother belong to? Sewing circle, church group, fraternal benefit society or lodge? Describe her role in the group.

March 18 - Shining star: Did you have a female ancestor who had a special talent? Artist, singer, actress, athlete, seamstress, or other? Describe.

March 19 - Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out?

March 20 - Is there a female ancestor who is your brick wall? Why? List possible sources for finding more information.

March 21 - Describe a tender moment one of your female ancestors shared with you or another family member.

March 22 - If a famous director wanted to make a movie about one of your female ancestors who would it be? What actress would you cast in the role and why?

March 23 - Create a timeline for a female ancestor using your favorite software program or an online timeline generator such as OurTimelines.Post an image of it or link. 

March 24 - Do you share any physical resemblance or personality trait with one of your female ancestors? Who? What is it?

March 25 - Tell how a female ancestor interacted with her children. Was she loving or supportive? A disciplinarian? A bit of both?

March 26 - What education did your mother receive? Your grandmothers? Great-grandmothers? Note any advanced degrees or special achievements.

March 27 - Do you know the immigration story of one or more female ancestors? Do you have any passenger lists, passports, or other documentation? Interesting family stories?

March 28 - Do you remember your mother's best friend? Your grandmother's? How and where did they meet? How long were they friends? What activities did they share?

March 29 - Create a free Footnote Page or a Genealogy Trading Card at Big Huge Labs for a female ancestor. Some of you may have created your own card back in September 2009 following Sheri Fenley's post over at The Educated Genealogist. This time, the card is for your female ancestor. Tell us about who you've selected and why and then post a link to what you've created.

March 30 - Did you receive any advice or words of wisdom from your mother or another female ancestor?

March 31 - Pick one female ancestor and write a mini-profile (500 words or less).

BONUS: Take all of your postings and turn them into a memory or tribute booklet for future generations."


I know I won't be able to do them all, but I will do some of these prompts. Thanks, Lisa, for a great list.