At our July 10 monthly meeting, one of our favorite presenters, genealogist and WMGS member John Putnam will join us to present “Teaching Grannies: Changing Farm Girls into Schoolmarms.” John’s talk chronicles five of his six grandmothers and great-grandmothers from their rural upbringing into the Massachusetts Normal Schools, a process that continued in late 19th-century America as many farms no longer employed women.

John’s presentation will address many of the issues and challenges that our female ancestors faced during that time period. We’ll also learn the research process that John
undertook to learn about his grandmothers and to tell their stories.