For the Writing Family History Unit, we had to write and post each week on a Uni Discussion Board over 6 weeks a 250 word short narrative. The major assignment was a narrative in one of the genres we had been exploring in the unit. I found my "comfort area" in the Creative Non-Friction genre. The discipline of writing 250 words each week was a valuable one. It made me choose words carefully and really think about what was important to the telling of the story.
I chose to write my final assignment on my paternal Great Grandmother.
A JUMP THROUGH TIME 1915-2017
Time travel. It doesn’t exist, does it?
My head says it can’t be, but looking out of the church windows and doors at dusty roads and historical street facades, tells a different story. The heat is oppressive with the threat of rain on the distant horizon. This is definitely 1915, Gunnedah.
This is really happening, I am not asleep. I am standing in front of a congregation of mourners. Could these people be my ancestors from another century?
I look out on the sea of faces in the congregation and come to the realisation, something is required of me.
They are waiting for me to give the Eulogy. Holy crap!
I am accustomed to winging it in many situations, but can I do this? I suppose I do know a fair bit about Louisa, but it may not be what they want to hear.
The coffin is carried in by six burley men in woolen suits. I notice the sheen of sweat around their beards and moustaches and dripping from their brows. These men are sons from Louisa’s first marriage and her two sons-in-law. Wow! They look different to how I imagined.
“My name is Marcia Moon. I am the Great Granddaughter, of Louisa Engstrom. I have travelled through time from 2017. I am not sure why I am here or if I am the right person to be doing this, but I will give it a go.”
This announcement is met with a chorus of gasps and looks of disbelief from the family and snickers from the younger generation. Luckily no one is making a move to escort me from the building, to the nearest asylum!
“ Louisa was born sometime around 1850.[26] If anyone could confirm the names of her parents with any degree of certainty and with references, I would be forever grateful.”
Well that went over like a lead balloon! They are staring blankly back at me. Obviously my attempt at Family History humour has gone over their heads.
“My story starts with Louisa having her first son with my Great Grandfather, Alfred Louis Brandt in Tasmania in 1870.[27] Alfred was a gold miner. [28] Success in this field saw them moving north to Gulgong, New South Wales, within two years. They eventually settled in Gunnedah, where they became the owners of the Sugarloaf Inn. Over the next ten years another six children joined the family. [29]
“Now here is where my story gets interesting.”
From the looks on the faces in front of me, they are thinking...nothing out of the ordinary here... they moved from Tasmania after the birth of their first born. What is she talking about?
“Twelve years later after the birth of their seventh child and first daughter in 1882, Alfred and Louisa made a little trip back to Tasmania, in January of the following year.
“Gunnedah to Tasmania? How is that even possible in 1883, with seven children? Did the children stay with neighbours? Can any of the family confirm this?
“Anyway, I digress.
“A second honeymoon you ask? No. Try their marriage!
“Alfred and Louisa were married in 1883, in Launceston, Tasmania.[30] Why go back to Tasmania to get married? Was it to cover up the fact that for over twelve years they had been known as Mr & Mrs, which wasn’t the case at all!”
I have their attention now. If I am going to get any information from this crowd today, I need to keep going. But how much information is too much?
“After the wedding Alfred and Louisa returned to Gunnedah.
“Life was hard with both of them running the bar and lodging house of the Inn, with a large family in tow. The bulk of the rearing of the family was left to Louisa, who cleaned, cooked and schooled them all. She often wondered why her only girl was born last, at least if she was the eldest she could have helped with the childminding and chores. The older boys all worked around the Inn. The two youngest boys were especially helpful with the baby.
“Tragedy struck within six months of their return. While out the back with his cronies getting water, Alfred slipped and fell down the well to his death.[31]
“You would be forgiven in thinking Louisa went to pieces at this time. Although devastated at the loss of her husband, her thoughts turned to her children and how she would support them. Ever resourceful, Louisa decided to take over the Publican’s Licence and manage the Sugarloaf Inn, on her own.” [32]
I hope this leads to some interesting conversations after this service.
“But being a single mother in the nineteenth century still had a certain stigma attached to it. When she found love again a couple of years later, she grasped it with both hands. She married August Engstrom and they had one child together, before August died in 1888 leaving her single again.[33]
“She chose to remain single until her death. This time she wasn’t letting the stigma of being on her own, rule her life. She had proven before she could provide for her children. It wasn’t a lonely life, she had eight children after all. She went on to become a successful business woman, running another two pubs and a Lodging house, up until the early 1900’s.”[34]
“Alfred and Louisa were married in 1883, in Launceston, Tasmania.[30] Why go back to Tasmania to get married? Was it to cover up the fact that for over twelve years they had been known as Mr & Mrs, which wasn’t the case at all!”
I have their attention now. If I am going to get any information from this crowd today, I need to keep going. But how much information is too much?
“After the wedding Alfred and Louisa returned to Gunnedah.
“Life was hard with both of them running the bar and lodging house of the Inn, with a large family in tow. The bulk of the rearing of the family was left to Louisa, who cleaned, cooked and schooled them all. She often wondered why her only girl was born last, at least if she was the eldest she could have helped with the childminding and chores. The older boys all worked around the Inn. The two youngest boys were especially helpful with the baby.
“Tragedy struck within six months of their return. While out the back with his cronies getting water, Alfred slipped and fell down the well to his death.[31]
“You would be forgiven in thinking Louisa went to pieces at this time. Although devastated at the loss of her husband, her thoughts turned to her children and how she would support them. Ever resourceful, Louisa decided to take over the Publican’s Licence and manage the Sugarloaf Inn, on her own.” [32]
I hope this leads to some interesting conversations after this service.
“But being a single mother in the nineteenth century still had a certain stigma attached to it. When she found love again a couple of years later, she grasped it with both hands. She married August Engstrom and they had one child together, before August died in 1888 leaving her single again.[33]
“She chose to remain single until her death. This time she wasn’t letting the stigma of being on her own, rule her life. She had proven before she could provide for her children. It wasn’t a lonely life, she had eight children after all. She went on to become a successful business woman, running another two pubs and a Lodging house, up until the early 1900’s.”[34]
Eyes are starting to glaze over in the congregation. I better wrap this up. Thank heavens I have all my research questions I want to ask on my iphone for reference. Maybe an Oral History Interview and recording might be on the cards.
Will they be able to knock down my brick wall, giving me some information on her early life and how she arrived in Australia? Hopefully not in a row boat as I am prone to moan after another unsuccessful search at midnight. Boy! Have I some questions for them.
“Enough of my ramblings. Let’s get this service underway. I am looking forward to meeting you all over a cuppa.
“Rest in peace Louisa, I am proud to call you Great Grandmother. I just wish you had kept a diary!”
26 NSW Death Registration Transcription, Ref No 1915/15291, Louisa Engstrom,Ref No 879450 Printed 27 September 2016, http://nswtranscriptions.com.au
27 Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 Index Reg #44 Alfred L BRANDT [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, http://www.ancestry.com.au
28 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12. (1870, January 13). Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), p. 3. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39672718,
28 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12. (1870, January 13). Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), p. 3. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39672718,
29 Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 Index Reg #135592 Magnus BRANDT, Index Reg #14877 Peter BRANDT; Index Reg #15707 John BRANDT; Index Reg #22850 George BRANDT; Index Reg #25169 William BRANDT; Index Reg #17610 Ethel BRANDT; [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010 accessed 12 August 2015 http://www.ancestry.com.au
30 Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 Index Reg 685 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Accessed 12 August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com.au
31 Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, Index Reg#8157 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 18 August 2015 , http://www.ancestry.com.au
30 Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 Index Reg 685 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Accessed 12 August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com.au
31 Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, Index Reg#8157 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 18 August 2015 , http://www.ancestry.com.au
32 Government Gazette Notices (1884, August 29). New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), p. 5884. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225588522
33 NSW Marriage Registration Transcription, Ref No 1886/7445 Louisa Engstrom, Ref No 8938233 Printed 30 January 2017, http://nswtranscriptions.com.au
33 NSW Marriage Registration Transcription, Ref No 1886/7445 Louisa Engstrom, Ref No 8938233 Printed 30 January 2017, http://nswtranscriptions.com.au
Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922, Frances Engstrom (Provo, UT, USA,,Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), http://www.ancestry.com.au
Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, August Engstrom, (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), http://www.ancestry.com.au
34 Advertising (1900, May 26). The Worker (Wagga, NSW : 1892 - 1913), p. 6. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145904515
For this Assignment I received a mark of 70% and received the following feedback:
Hi Marcia –
This was an interesting piece. Thank you.
This is clearly a well-researched piece. You’ve really done your homework on your family, and it shows. Louisa sounds like a fascinating character, and you’ve given a clear, concise outline of her life. You have a clear, easy to read writing style, and I enjoyed the creative approach you took.
You have the bones here of a really interesting story, but you’ve fallen into the trap of trying to do too much. There are a lot of stories crammed into this 1000 word piece! I know this is meant to be a eulogy, but for someone not familiar with Louisa, there’s a lot here to keep track of. I’d recommend a tighter focus to keep from overwhelming your reader.
There’s a lot of potential here, so I’m confident that if you work on this, you can make this a very engaging narrative.
Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, August Engstrom, (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), http://www.ancestry.com.au
34 Advertising (1900, May 26). The Worker (Wagga, NSW : 1892 - 1913), p. 6. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145904515
For this Assignment I received a mark of 70% and received the following feedback:
Hi Marcia –
This was an interesting piece. Thank you.
This is clearly a well-researched piece. You’ve really done your homework on your family, and it shows. Louisa sounds like a fascinating character, and you’ve given a clear, concise outline of her life. You have a clear, easy to read writing style, and I enjoyed the creative approach you took.
You have the bones here of a really interesting story, but you’ve fallen into the trap of trying to do too much. There are a lot of stories crammed into this 1000 word piece! I know this is meant to be a eulogy, but for someone not familiar with Louisa, there’s a lot here to keep track of. I’d recommend a tighter focus to keep from overwhelming your reader.
There’s a lot of potential here, so I’m confident that if you work on this, you can make this a very engaging narrative.
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