Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power with Augustine Sedgewick
The concept and practice of fatherhood is key to the study of family history and one of the most meaningful aspects of human culture. In this book discussion, we will view parenthood through the lens of past generations, including the families of Thomas Jefferson, Henry David Thoreau, Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, and Bob Dylan. Don’t miss this enlightening evening, which will reveal the standards set for all families by these famous fathers, from ancient times to the U.S. Cold War era. Learn More
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
The Future of Your Genealogical Research
Share your thoughts about the survey! Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
63%, Yes, at least one of parents practiced a needlework craft.
77%, Yes, at least one of my grandparents practiced a needlework craft.
50%, Yes, at least one of my great-grandparents practiced a needlework craft.
31%, Yes, at least one of my earlier ancestors practiced a needlework craft.
12%, At least one of my ancestors received recognition for their needlework (such as a ribbon at a fair or coverage in a magazine or newspaper).
68%, I practice (or practiced) a needlework craft.
12%, I have received recognition for my needlework.
1%, I plan to begin practicing a needlework craft.
27%, One type of needlework craft has been practiced by multiple generations of my family.
7%, I don’t know.
Readers Respond
S. Walsh, Newport, New York: When I was in elementary school, my mother sewed my clothes on a treadle machine from fabric remnants and used clothing. She made me a beautiful dress from my cousin's Navy uniform. She also crocheted fancy doilies for gifts and knitted blankets for everyone in the family. When everyone had more blankets than they knew what to do with, she began crocheting small comfort blankets for the Humane Society.
Sarah Johnson, Shirley, Massachusetts: My great-grandmother Julia Empie had a bakery in Three Mile Bay, New York. When the bakery closed, Julia used the string they used to tie boxes to crochet a beautiful lacy bedspread that my mother, Shirley still has. I love touching the bedspread and feeling the care Julia put into each stitch.
Shannon Watts Michael, Bothell, Washington: My great-grandfather William H. Porter was a captain in the early 1900s for the Canadian Pacific Railway steamships. After his retirement in 1917, William enjoyed tatting. I have a photo of William from the early 1950s showing his work at the Clallam County Fair in Port Angeles, Washington. I am currently finishing a hand-sewn quilt top my great-grandmother Annie Elizabeth Kraemer Watts began for my father after he was born in 1937. I, too, am finishing it by hand rather than using a sewing machine.
Catherine Wathen, Arroyo Grande, California: My grandmother Mary Brose won many Los Angeles County Fair awards for her crochet work. She was named “Lady Nimble Fingers” from 1950 through 1953. After recovering from a heart attack and stroke, she won again in 1957. After taking a fifteen-year break, she won again in 1975, and 1976. I have several items she created, including a bedspread that, according to a 1957 article, took her “less than five months of spare time work for completion.”
Mary Platt, Chandler, Arizona: My grandmother Anna Hilma Pierson worked for Hart, Schaffner & Marx in Chicago in the early 1900s making buttonholes in men’s suits. One of owners of the company told her she did the best buttonholes of anyone in their employ. She was very proud of this accomplishment. I have her buttonhole scissors and treasure them.
Laurie Sisson, Alexandria, Virginia: My grandfather Clarence Hollingsworth (1894-1970) ran a tailoring business in Palm Springs, California. “Holly the Tailor” costumed Sammy Davis Junior and his backup singers and made a similar “backup singer” outfit for me to take to college.
Carolyn Hall, Amston, Connecticut: In his retirement, my grandfather Alfred Chamberlain Sturgis of Auburn, Maine, was encouraged by my grandmother to "get out of her kitchen." Alfred took up rug hooking as a hobby. Everyone had to be careful about clothes worn in his presence—he was always on the lookout for more material and the right colors for his rugs. Now many of Alfred’s grandchildren own and cherish the rugs and wall hangings he created.
What We’re Reading
Filles du roi: the Founding Mothers of New France “Today, two-thirds of all Canadians of French descent can trace their lineage to one of these women, widely known as the filles du roi or the King’s Daughters.”
The city of Denver, seat of Denver County, islocated in northeastern Colorado. The Denver Public Library has made an index to the sexton’s records for the Fairmount Cemetery (1891-1953) available on its website. According to the cemetery’s website, it is Denver’s second oldest cemetery, founded in 1890. Click the link to access the database and begin your search. The more than 85,500 records are sorted alphabetically by last name. The data fields include name of the deceased, age, sex, race, date of burial, and other information. The other information fields include aliases, place of death, where deceased was from, cremation, and military service.
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
