Her Name was Not Unknown: Finding Female Ancestors – 18 May 2023

“What’s her maiden name?” “What happened to her after her husband died?” “How do I start researching my great-grandmother?” We’ve all felt the disappointment of seeing the word “unknown” to describe a female ancestor’s name. How do we go from “unknown” to finding a name? This presentation will explain techniques, methodology, and resources vital to family history research. Enhance your research skills using a 5-step approach to researching (and finding) female ancestors.

Webinar Abstract: “What’s her maiden name?” “What happened to her after her husband died?” “How do I start researching my great-grandmother?” We’ve all felt the disappointment of seeing the word “unknown” to describe a female ancestor’s name. How do we go from “unknown” to finding a name? This presentation will explain techniques, methodology, and resources vital to family history research. Enhance your research skills using a 5-step approach to researching (and finding) female ancestors.

Presenter: Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, researcher, and instructor whose focus is genealogy, social and women’s history. She holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Women’s Studies) and a Master’s degree in Religion. Her published works include two books, numerous articles published in magazines and online, as well as six editions of the Tracing Your Ancestors series from Morsehead Publishing. Her writings can be found on her blogs, Gena’s Genealogy and Food, Family, Ephemera as well as the GenealogyBank and Legacy Webinars blogs. She has presented to diverse groups worldwide including the Legacy Family Tree Webinar series. Her current research includes women’s repatriation and citizenship in the 20th century, foodways and community in fundraising cookbooks, and women’s material culture.

Registration: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAoceGhqzgtGNLgrvzxPq7KblOMmns7qJjL

Handouts are available to FSGS members only and are generally available a few days before the webinar. Videos are accessible to members within 3 days following the webinar. Members must log in to access the handout and video.