Genealogy Symposium Offers Clues to Trace Female Ancestors
Many of our female ancestors are “lost” to history in the shadows of fathers and husbands. A symposium on Finding Female Ancestors will provide clues and sources for where to look to trace the women in your past.
The symposium is Saturday, March 9, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium.
The schedule:
- 9:30-10:30 a.m. Dower Rights in Missouri. Christina Miller, senior reference archivist with the Missouri State Archives, will look at the laws and records related to dower and land ownership for women in Missouri.
- 11 a.m.-noon. DNA Illuminates a Woman Hidden in the Shadows of Her Father and Husbands. Certified Genealogist Patti Hobbs will discuss the process used to identify a nameless female ancestor using DNA and traditional evidence.
- 1-2 p.m. Women’s Social Resources. In attics and basements, repositories and museums are postcards, photo albums, autograph books and scrapbooks of newspaper clippings – all resources generally kept by women and telling the stories of women’s lives. Local History Associate Konrad Stump will discuss what these sources can tell and where to find them.
- 2:30-3:30 p.m. Grandma Wasn't a Cherokee Princess: Exploring Cherokee Genealogy. Tracing Cherokee roots is easier than you think. Jami Lewis, archivist with the State Historical Society of Missouri, will discuss the unique aspects of researching Cherokee genealogy. Topics will include Cherokee census rolls and how to find and use them, enrollment criteria for the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes and the myths associated with Cherokee heritage.
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