I was talking to a friend the other day about family history. She was telling me she does not know a lot about her ancestors, and wanted to find out more. It struck me then how lucky I am to know as much about my family's past as I do. You see, my maternal grandfather was a professional genealogist. He worked for the LDS church for a long time, and directed the church's huge family history library for a while. After he retired, he would consult for people, give talks at family history conferences, do individual's history, etc. He wrote a book. There is even an association for genealogists that now has a scholarship in his name so others can learn how to do this kind of research.
Anyway, letting you know how awesome my Grandpa was is not the point of this blog post.
As I was thinking about my family history, I realized how many strong and amazing women I have in my past.
The first that comes to mind is obviously my mom. She rocks, but you all know that.
My 5th (?) great-grandmother's name was Elizabeth Panting. Some of you will recognize her story from the movie 17 Miracles. She left her abusive, alcoholic husband in England with her two young children (a boy, Chris who was 8 and a girl, Jane who was 1 or 2). She got on a boat and came to America all by herself because she knew it was what would be best for her and her children. She pulled a handcart with all her belongings and her two kids in it across the continent...by herself...in the freezing cold winter. Even after she made it to Salt Lake, her life was hard. I could relay story after story about her faith and her strength.
Her daughter Jane was my 4th great-grandmother. She learned all about natural healing from the Native Americans in Logan, and helped a lot of people in her town.
My great grandma Ruth, who I get my middle name from, raised her children in the poor, rural south with an alcoholic husband. She is a tough and resourceful lady. But probably the coolest thing about her is that she always took care of of other people. In her small town, everyone loves and respects "Miss Ruth." I am proud to carry her name.
My great grandma Helen's family came over from Europe and made successful lives in California. My Grannie Helen was my kindred spirit...she and I both love to read and write, we both love nice things. She was so classy. I remember her love of cashmere sweaters, and she always read the newspaper. She was in many ways a rebel, but you would never know it by looking at her.
My great grandma Byington was also a character. She loved to laugh, and laughed loud! She wouldn't hesitate to tell you what she really thought, and often swore like a sailor. She 'planted' plastic flowers in her front yard, with a sign telling them to "grow, damn it!"
There are many, many more that I could tell you about. They all came from different countries, classes, and religions. The one thing all these women have in common is that they all had very strong wills and personalities. All of them did hard things and came out stronger for it. Many of them had to take care of themselves and their families during times when women did not have the opportunities they have today. I can't help but feel like they gave me some of that strength. Maybe that's why I have taken the path that I have taken. I do know that at the very least their stories have taught me that it is ok to be strong and opinionated as a woman. They have also taught me to do my best to live up to my ideals and values. I am so grateful that I know their stories and have their strength to draw on.
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