March is International Women's History Month

Group of women photographed walking along a street, 1920-1930. Wikimedia Commons. Item is held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Historically, women were cast into the shadow of their fathers, husbands, and sons, leaving little or no record of their existence or of their life experiences. Many women of the past have fought inequality and championed causes for the benefit of society, allowing future generations of women to reap the benefits of their work.

Harris & Ewing, Washington, D.C. [Pennsylvania on the Picket Line-- 1917]. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/item/mnwp000212/>

The first Women's Day was celebrated on February 28, 1909 in New York. Women's Day was celebrated annually for the next 68 years, mainly in socialist countries.   The United Nations officially recognized March 8 as International Women's Day in 1975 to honor our women. This was extended to include all of the month of March as International Women's History Month. Throughout the month, various community events and television presentations will be staged to look back on women's achievements.

Du Bois, W. E. B. , Collector, photographer by Askew, Thomas E., 1850?-1914. [Four African American women seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, Georgia]. [or 1900] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/item/95507126/>.

Not all achievements are world changing. The struggle to feed and clothe their children, as most of our ancestors did, is praiseworthy. President Trump issued a proclamation on March 1, 2017, proclaiming March as Women's History Month. The proclamation states, in part:

America honors the celebrated women pioneers and leaders in our history, as well as those unsung women heroes of our daily lives.  We honor those outstanding women, whose contributions to our Nation's life, culture, history, economy, and families have shaped us and helped us fulfill America's promise.

We cherish the incredible accomplishments of early American women, who helped found our Nation and explore the great western frontier.  Women have been steadfast throughout our battles to end slavery, as well as our battles abroad.  And American women fought for the civil rights of women and others in the suffrage and civil rights movements.  Millions of bold, fearless women have succeeded as entrepreneurs and in the workplace, all the while remaining the backbone of our families, our communities, and our country.

He calls upon all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. Here are a few ideas on how you can celebrate Women's History Month:

1. Explore the Library of Congress' Women's History Site (https://www.loc.gov/). 
2. Write stories about a few of the women in your family tree. Share the story with others in your family, or publish it on a blog, in Facebook, or in your online tree.
3. Learn more about how to find your female ancestors by watching Judy G. Russel's class Mothers, Daughters, Wives: Tracing Female Lines on RootsTech 2017's Thursday session (https://www.rootstech.org/videos/judy-russell).
4. Read a book about the social history of women to gain a better understanding of what your female ancestors' daily lives were like (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Women+social+history).
5. Read a book about a woman or group of women that impacted your ancestor's, and your, lives. The presidential proclamation mentions many of those women by name (https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/01/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-march-2017-womens-history-month).

If you have other ideas on how to honor our women, post them in the comments below.

He's Back! Thomas MacEntee Speaking at FHSA Seminar March 10-11

Did you miss seeing Thomas MacEntee when he was in Green Valley on February 4? Or do you wish you could have seen more of him while he was there? Don't despair! We are getting a Do-Over! The Family History Society of Arizona is bringing him back to southern Arizona and adding a special Friday evening session to the line-up.

The Family History Society of Arizona annual seminar will be held at the Mesa Inter-Stake Center, 830 E. 2nd Avenue, in Mesa, Arizona. Thomas will speak on The 15 Habits of Highly Frugal Genealogists at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 10, 2017.

The seminar continues on Saturday, March 11, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. with  a new topic that was not presented in Green Valley. The day ends at 2:40 p.m. and includes these 4 topics:

1. Mapping Your Genealogy from A-Z and In-Between
2. After You're Gone: Future Proofing Your Genealogy Research
3. Building a Research Toolkit
4. Genealogy Do-Over^TM: A Year of Learning from Mistakes

Click here to visit the Family History Society of Arizona's seminar webpage for details and to register. But hurry! Lunch is not guaranteed after Monday, March 6.

Tracing Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors Seminar

Emigrants Leave Ireland by Henry Edward Doyle 1868
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt of the Ulster Historical Foundation will be presenting a two-day seminar on March 3 and 4, 2017 at the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library in Phoenix, Arizona.

Many Irish records were destroyed in 1922, making researching your Irish ancestors very difficult. But many other records survived and have recently come online.

Different topics on Irish and Scots-Irish research will be presented each day of the seminar. Advance registration is required and must be made for each day separately. Click here to visit the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library website for details and to register.

Free access to all UK records at Ancestry.com this weekend

Ancestry.com is giving FREE access to more than 1 billion UK & Irish records this weekend only. Free access to these records is starting at 2:00 p.m. ET (12:00 noon Arizona time) today, February 17, 2017, and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET (9:59 Arizona time) on Monday, February 20, 2017.

Click here to visit their UK & Irish Records page to see a full list of the records in the featured collection and get started finding your ancestors.

NOTE: After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry Worl Explorer or All Access paid membership.

Spotlight on Wills and Probates in February

We are welcoming a special guest speaker for the February meeting. Suzanne Young Brayer will speak to us on one of her most popular topics: Wills and Probate - What a Buried Treasure!

As genealogists, we depend on clues to aid our trek along the ancestral trail. Wills and probate records can be a motherlode of clues. Decedent’s date of death, names of spouse and children, in-laws, places of residence, land ownership, religion, and military service are just a few of the juicy tidbits these records can reveal. Suzanne will provide strategies and sources to help analyze probate records and reconstruct family relationships.

Suzanne Young Brayer is an educator, researcher, and avid genealogist. She graduated with degrees in history and education from Arizona State University.

Her involvement in researching her family history began in the early 80s when she and her father worked together gathering the pieces of their ancestry puzzle. From Mayflower ancestors to Revolutionary War patriots to 19th-century German immigrants and a few criminals along the way, she, like most of us, represents the “melting pot” of American culture.

She is past President of the Family History Society of Arizona, a member of the West Valley Genealogical Society, The Federation of Genealogical Societies, The Indiana Historical Society, The Arizona Council of Professional Genealogists, and the National Genealogical Society. She has taught genealogy classes and spoken to numerous groups in Arizona.

The February general meeting will be held from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 18, 2017, at the Hardesty Multi-Service Center, 1100 S. Alvernon in Tucson, AZ. The meeting is open to the public and parking is free.

Registration for Family History Conference in Glendale is now open

The Mesa, Arizona, FamilySearch Library is sponsoring a FREE Family History Conference in Glendale. The conference will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. at the Glendale Arizona Stake Center, 8602 N. 31st Avenue in Phoenix/Glendale.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Duane Roen from ASU, a respected guru in family history writing. Attendees can choose from multiple classes each hour. Register online at http://mesafsl.org/MyExpo/Conference2017/GSC/homepage.html.

2017 Arizona-New Mexico History Convention April 20-22

This year's annual Arizona History Convention will be a joint convention with the Historical Society of New Mexico. The three-day convention will be held in Flagstaff, Arizona from Thursday, April 20 through Saturday, April 22, 2017. The convention has many well-known speakers and topics that will be of interest to anyone interested in Arizona or New Mexico.

In addition to the many lectures and workshops offered throughout each day, participants may choose from three tours to take on Saturday afternoon.

This convention is open to everyone. Visit the Arizona History Convention website for a detailed program, convention registration, and to book a room at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff.

Parade on Back Street, Flagstaff All-Indian Pow Wow.
NAU.PH.2011.21.1.VRN30. Northern Arizona University,
Cline Library, Vorih, Marcelin and Lillian Collection.