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
The UMRA Photo Club will next meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony branch library in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards in St. Anthony, just north of the Twin Cities. For those interested in lunch, meet at the nearby Great Dragon Buffet at 11:30 a.m.
Please join the UMRA Family History Interest Group meeting on Wednesday, March 11, via Zoom, when Michelle Casey will present “DNA Testing and Analysis Using 23andMe, Ancestry, and MyHeritage.”
Public health is extremely important—and right now it is very confusing. Join us to ask questions and share your thoughts and concerns about the current state of our public health system.
UMRA’S March workshop will explore how to transform your memories, including those that have faded with time, into lively true stories. It will also show you how to reflect on them, how to express how you felt, and how to connect your stories to the values and beliefs you want to pass on.
Join fellow UMRA members for “Third Wednesdays in the West Wing" lunch at the Campus Club in Minneapolis. This is a pilot program for spring 2026.
UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss The Bohemian Flats by Mary Relindes Ellis when it meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 20. Jim Lewis will lead the discussion.
University of Minnesota General Counsel Douglas Peterson will be the featured speaker for UMRA’s March 24 luncheon forum. He will speak about how the University is addressing its latest challenges and opportunities involving law.
'Seabiscuit' by Laura Hillenbrand
Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Monday, April 6.
Chris Gade, VP for University marketing communications, will join UMRA members on Tuesday, April 7, for the first in a new series of informal “Campus Conversations” to be held at the Campus Club in Minneapolis.
This month's theme is mountains, valleys and canyons.
"Third Wednesdays in the West Wing" is a pilot program for spring 2026.
UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean when it meets via Zoom on Friday, April 17. Diane Madson-Kay will lead the discussion.
Bev leads a hike along Old Cedar Avenue.
Under Terry Straub's leadership, Hennepin County/UMN Extension has created the most ambitious master gardener program in Minnesota. His visit with us will feature the topic of lifelong gardening and how gardens can evolve with us and our life cycles.
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Ever wonder what goes on behind the shiny walls of the Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus?
Family history with Craig Moody. A tale with many dead ends.
Pete leads this hike at the Arboretum.
Third Wednesdays in the West Wing" is a pilot program for spring 2026.