Lecture Hall: Women’s Work: Tracing Your Ancestor’s Occupations and Volunteer Work - March 2025

Thursday, March 13, 2025 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Grandma was a housewife? Well maybe, but there’s a chance she may have worked for pay or as a volunteer. Learn more about women’s occupations and volunteer work and how to trace what your female ancestor did.

It’s a mistake to assume that our female ancestors didn’t work. Women historically have had to work because of poverty, widowhood, enslavement, and war. This work is often forgotten, but you can better tell the story of her life if you know what to look for and where. Join us for this live webinar! You'll learn more about women's occupations and how to trace the work life of your female ancestors.

In this Webinar You'll Learn:

• Where to find records online for women’s work
• Where to look for records in libraries and archives
• How museums might help your research
• What types of work women have done historically
• Clues to women’s work in genealogical records
• Women’s work during war time.

About the instructor:

Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master’s degree in Religion. Presenting on various subjects involving genealogy, women’s studies, and social history, Gena has spoken to groups throughout the United States and virtually to audiences worldwide. Gena is the author of hundreds of articles published online and in print. Her books include Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra (Arcadia Publishing, 2007) and From the Family Kitchen (F+W Media, 2012). Her current research interests include social history, community cookbooks, signature quilts, and researching women’s lives.