The Invisible WomanBy Connie LenzenAn article published in the 29 June 2005 issue of the Vancouver Columbian. |
A friend is writing the story of his grandfather. David, the grandfather was
an interesting character, and the story is entertaining. It’s almost
finished, and my friend would like to write the story of Margaret, his grandmother.
Margaret’s story is not going to be an easy one. She lived during a
time when women did not work outside of the home or own property or do any
of the public activities that would define her as an individual. My friend
knows what she looked like, and he has two stories about her. But, that is
all. She was always grandpa’s wife, and that is how she is remembered.
To tell Margaret’s story, my friend will need to write about the men
who surrounded her, the church that she attended, the neighborhood where she
lived, the fashions of the day, the house where she lived, and all of the
other things that defined her life. And, with all beginnings, start with census
records and obituaries.
The 1900 census shows Margaret with her husband and children. She was born
in December 1860 in Massachusetts, had been married for 24 years, had given
birth to eight children with all still living. The oldest child was 20, and
the youngest was a six-month-old infant. The two oldest children, both sons,
were working. The next four children, all daughters, were attending school.
This is a brief picture of her life. She had a house full of people. Someone
had to prepare meals for them and make sure their clothes were ready and work
with the children on their schoolwork and keep the house clean. All of this
was a woman’s career.
Margaret died at age 77 in 1933. Her obituary named her children. One son
was in Oakland, California. One son was at Fort Lewis, Washington. One daughter
was married, and the other daughters were at home. A funeral cortege was to
leave the house and proceed to the family church. When we take a closer look
at the obituary, we see the grandmother was religious, and we know the name
of the church where we may find additional records. We see that the family
felt patriotic for one son was in the army. We see that only one girl was
married. All the rest were single. There may be a story there.
Cyndis List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet has a “Female Ancestors” section, online at www.cyndislist.com/female.htm. This is a good place to find ideas about other sources to search.
© 2006
Connie Lenzen, CG
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