March is Women’s History Month and Grand Rapids is honoring the fairer sex and its role in making Grand Rapids the city it is today with several events.
Legacy Landmarks Walking Tours: Walking with Women Who Left Their Mark on Downtown Grand Rapids
This walking tour gives participants the chance to view 16 important landmarks where women have left their impression on the city.
* Walking Tour Map
From the Words of the Soldiers: The Story Of Annie Etheridge, Civil War Nurse
Bruce and Bernadette Butgereit will be sharing from their research on the life of Annie Etheridge, a Civil War Nurse. This presentation will chronicle the story of a woman from Michigan whose tales as a Civil War Nurse did not live on through her own words, but through those of the soldiers she assisted.
* Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 7:00 pm
* Free and open to the public
* Ryerson Auditorium, 3rd Floor, Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids,
MI 49503
* http://www.ggrwhc.org/
Single Dutch Immigrant Women and their Work in Grand Rapids, 1880-1900
The account of Dutch women immigrating to Grand Rapids from the Netherlands will be shared by researcher Janet Sjaarda Sheeres as she explains not only who these women were but what struggles they faced in their new homeland and the indelible mark they have left upon our community.
* Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 7:00 pm
* Free and open to the public
* Gerald R. Ford Museum, 303 Pearl St, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
* http://www.ggrwhc.org/pdfs/events/SheeresPoster2011.doc
Ladies of the Lights: Michigan Women in the U.S. Lighthouse Service
Patricia Majher, author of Ladies of the Lights: Michigan Women in the U.S. Lighthouse Service, will discuss the joys, perils, and experiences of 10 of the more than 50 women who served as lighthouse keepers in Michigan from 1849 to 1954.
* Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 7:00 pm
* Free and open to the public
* Ryerson Auditorium, 3rd Floor, Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids,
MI 49503
* http://www.ggrwhc.org
An Eye to the Past/An Ear to the Future
The Greater Grand Rapids Women’s Council will present its Finale to Women’s History Month Finale by featuring Kent Country Commision women of the past and present, including the first woman to be elected to the post in 1930. There will also be complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine ticket bar ($5/ticket).
* Thursday, March 31, 2011 5:00-7:00 pm
* Free and open to the public
* Women’s City Club , 254 E. Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
* http://www.ggrwhc.org