This year, I’ve decided to do something different for Women’s History Month. In the past, I’ve usually shared resources or books telling the stories of women who have made notable contributions to history.

While most of us don’t have famous women in the family, we wouldn’t be who we are minus not only our maternal genes, but also minus the love and life lessons that each mother taught to the next generation.

Therefore, I am starting a new series of maternal family sketches, told from the woman’s point of view. Beginning with my great grandmothers and working backwards, I’ll be looking at life through her eyes.

For my greats, several of my 2X greats and a couple of my 3X greats for whom I have photos and know a bit about their personalities, I will focus on those traits plus life events.

When I’ve moved back far enough in the family tree, life events will be noted, but I will also search out any further records, such as land deeds and probates, to find new tidbits.

It will also be interesting to learn how many of them were literate – could they, at the least, sign their names or did they use a mark?

Did their names appear in town records for other reasons – neighbor disputes, economic need, church attendance, business transactions?

This will be a multi year project, since for the time being, only two women will be featured per month.

In addition to sharing the maternal branches on the family tree, it also provides me with an opportunity to determine if new records have become available since I last researched each lady.

I just hope it doesn’t lead to another major branch pruning like I discovered with my two Judith Haskells!

How about you? How many of your ancestor stories have been shared from the woman’s point of view?

It will be a few months before the first of my maternal sketches publish online because I’ve got other posts in the queue, but I’ve already started the project and I’m looking forward to seeing where all of my mothers’ stories take me.