In honor of International Women’s Day
Raised by the women who are stronger than you know
A patchwork quilt of memory only women could have sewn
The threads were stitched by family hands, protected from the moth
By your mother and her mother, the weavers of your cloth.
— Mary Chapin Carpenter, Family Hands
Yesterday was International Women’s Day — a day to celebrate the achievements of women around the world.
And in recognition of that day (a little late since the Forensic Genealogy Institute in San Antonio is taking a lot of time…), The Legal Genealogist celebrates the women in her direct maternal line.
My mother
Hazel Irene Cottrell Geissler
born TX 21 Mar 1926, died VA 23 Apr 1999
My grandmother
Opal Eileen Robertson Cottrell
born TX 21 Aug 1898, died VA 15 Mar 1995
My great grandmother
Eula Baird Livingston Robertson
born AL 24 Oct 1869, died VA 13 Mar 1954
My great great grandmother
Martha Louise Shew Baird Livingston
born AL cFeb 1855, died NM 9 Apr 1909
And here’s to the daughters, granddaughters and ggreat’s. Women who go on achieving, making these beautiful ladies proud!
Thanks, Stan!
Judy,
I’m lucky enough to have photographs of two great great grandmothers, one as a child–it took me a long time to identify her. I also have a photo of a step great great grandmother. I know very little about her, because she was my g g grandfather’s first wife and I descend from his second wife. She died in early 1850, of “African fever,” probably malaria or scarlet fever, or some other disease she had no immunity to. She was a very brave woman, I know, because she accompanied her husband and toddler to Monrovia, Liberia where her husband was a missionary. Their son died almost immediately. She was a teacher, so put her skills to work as the first trained teacher to teach women in Africa. Though I don’t descend from her, I’m very proud of her. My family is full of women who served as teachers, librarians, and nurses, among other professionals. They also served as mothers, those hardiest of souls.
We should all be so proud of the strong women who went before us.
I honor those beautiful women who gave us beautiful you. Sharon
Awww… what a nice thing to say. Thank you.