Advocates of "herstory" (as opposed to history) point out how infrequently the contributions of women are recorded for future generations to learn from. Anyone who has searched for female ancestors in their family tree would likely agree.
Prior to the 20th century, many records (such as bank transactions or land deeds) were recorded in the husband's name. Women changed their name with marriage, and with higher death rates (and even some divorce) may have changed their names several times over their life. Whether out of social convention or personal taste, many newspaper articles and even gravestones will refer to a woman only by her married name, "Mrs. John Doe."
These wrinkles can be frustrating to any historical researcher or archiver.
The January 2008 issue of Family Tree Magazine, available at the Jasper County Public Library, offers several tips and solutions for tracking down your feminine side.
Stumped by a vague gravestone? Chances are the woman may have been buried near her family. Contact the cemetery caretaker or the church office for the burial record, which could provide more clues, including who purchased the stone and surrounding plots.
For more tips, check out this and similar magazines at your library, or check out our two genealogy databases (Ancestry Library and Heritage Quest) available in Research Resources at any of our patron computers or online catalog machines.
Heritage Quest is also available to our patrons at home through our website at http://www.jasperco.lib.in.us. You must be a JCPL patron and have a PIN number for home use of your account. (This may be different from the password you have to use Internet at the library.) Contact your local library if you would like to use this service and don't already have a home PIN.
