Finding Almira Fifield (1833-1863) of Valparaiso, Indiana
Barbara Brandt discovered her ancestor, Dr. Almira Fifield, “the Lost Heroine of Porter County,” buried in an unmarked grave in Indiana.
Barbara's presentation describes how she unlocked Almira’s story: acquiring research skills in new fields, joining lineage and genealogy societies, consulting with scholars, looking in distant cousins’ attics and basements, visiting rural history museums and cemeteries. As a result of Barbara’s efforts the Indiana Historical Bureau will honor Almira in June 2025 with a state marker, and local organizations will lay wreaths in a military ceremony in the newly refurbished Old City Cemetery.
Finding Almira Fifield, MD (1833–63)
Wed, Apr 2, 2025, 10am
UMRA member Barbara Fifield Brandt discovered her ancestor, Almira Fifield, MD, the “lost heroine of Porter County,” buried in an unmarked grave in Indiana. As a result of Barbara’s research on her ancestor’s work during the Civil War, the Indiana Historical Bureau will honor Dr. Fifield with a state marker on "Almira Fifield, M.D., Day," June 21, 2025; and local organizations will lay wreaths in a military ceremony in the newly refurbished Old City Cemetery in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Born in Paducah, Kentucky, in 1833, Dr. Fifield was one of the first female physicians in the U.S. and was barely 30 years old when she died in 1863. Her story has a Minnesota twist and is intertwined with the story of her brother, who is buried in Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul.
Barbara's presentation will describe unlocking the story: acquiring research skills in new fields, joining lineage and genealogy societies, consulting with scholars, looking in distant cousins’ attics and basements, visiting rural history museums and cemeteries, and successfully applying for a state marker and funding.
Contact Lynn Anderson or Craig Swan to get the link for the FHIG meeting via Zoom from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2. Newcomers are welcome!
Upcoming Events
Kayaking at Lake Bde Maka Ska.
UMRA Book Club I will discuss The Silent Patient, a psychological thriller and debut novel by Alex Michaelides, when it meets via Zoom on Friday, July 17.
Two major conferences, one organized by the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) and the other by the Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA), will take place this year. The AROHE conference will be held in Florida and the BTRA conference will be hosted by UMRA on the UMN campus.
The AROHE conference invites all interested retirees and university faculty and staff to reimagine retirement. You are invited to register if interested at https://www.arohe.org/2026-Conference.
The BTRA is being hosted by UMRA this year. Leadership of retiree organizations around the US will convene to share competencies. Attendance is restricted.
Bev leads the Nokomis walk to Minnehaha Falls.
Nanette leads a trail of two cities hike.
10:30 a.m. check in; 10:45 boarding; cruise from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Join UMRA friends and colleagues for a summer cruise and lunch aboard the Paradise Destiny II on beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Paul Maravelas, sailor, historian, and author of The History of Big Island, Lake Minnetonka will join us to share stories from 200+ years of lake-dwellers. Come early or stay after the cruise to explore Excelsior, a charming small town on the big lake.
Ticket price includes lunch: chef's sandwich, garden salad, fruit, chips, and cookies. Coffee, iced tea, and lemonade are complimentary and there will be a cash bar for other beverages. A vegetarian sandwich can be selected during registration.
The theme for September is "Monuments."
Bev leads a Lake of the Isles hike with Bun Coffee afterwards.
Critical issues facing detained immigrants and their families will be discussed.