Category: Female Ancestors

Beyond Rosie: Women in Wartime

Women can do it...because they always have! From the Revolutionary War to WWII, learn the various, surprising ways women in wartime served our country.

5 Genealogy Activities to Do in March

This March, observe Women’s History Month by paying extra attention to your female forbears! Try these 5 tasks to get to know the females on your family tree.

Best Records for Finding Female Ancestors

Looking for the women in your family tree? Start your search for female ancestors in these genealogy records.

DNA Q&A: The Case of Mom’s Missing Surname

A reader has many DNA matches on her maternal side, but not one of them shares her mother's maiden name. What? Our DNA expert weighs in on the case of the missing surname.

How to Learn About Working Women in Old Family Photos

Did your female ancestors work outside the home? In this article, the photo detective, Maureen Taylor, demonstrates how you can find clues to your great-grandma's occupation in old photographs.

Remembering the Ladies

Discovering women's' identities can be tricky as they were often listed under their married name, or not at all. Here are clues to help identifying them.

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Your Searchable Guide to Female Ancestor Nicknames

Can't find your female ancestor in a database? This nicknames list will provide you the clues you need to identify them.

Using Women’s Collars to Date Old Family Photos

The last two images blog reader Kimble DaCosta sent me are from the same period, but show off two different collar styles: one from the mid- to late 1870s and the other from the late 1870s to early 1880s. Both photos are tintypes. You can read the first two installments...

Big Hats in Family Photos

Ronnie O'Rourke's great aunt Mary (Mamie) Smith (b. 1892) wears an enormous hat in this family portrait. Her grandson identified her in the image, but now the family wants to know who's standing with her. Her hat and dress are quite stylish for this outdoor event. The presence of the...

Clothing Clues for Women in Old Photos: Bloomers

In 1849, a group that advocated reform dress for women advised them to wear "Turkish dress." That meant a billowy pant that ended below the knee, worn beneath a shorter dress. This illustration is from sheet music composed by William Dressler in 1851. He called his piece "The Bloomer...

Solving Old Photo Mysteries: Clues in Curls

Eunice Amelia Paulk (1842-1913)Jana Last knows a lot about her ancestor Eunice. She was born in Ohio, lived in Washington, Iowa, and eventually moved to California. At 19, she was a teacher in common school, a job she likely held until she married in 1876. You can read...

WWI Genealogy Websites and Books for Tracing Female Ancestors

Use these resources to start exploring the experiences of your female ancestors who served in World War I, whether as a nurse, volunteer, or on the home front.

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