Was there a female teacher who made a big difference in your life? Do you know a mom or grandmother who went to work every day to keep her family fed? Did some hard-working lady in your past manage a business, large or small? These are the kinds of women we are going to focus on in the 2016 Merrill Historical Society Cemetery Tours held this year in October. If you know a woman who would be a good candidate we invite you to do some research yourself for the Women at Work and in Business Essay contest, sponsored by Merrill Historical Society’s Cemetery Tour committee.
Your Woman at Work and in Business needs to be buried in Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery or St. Francis Catholic Cemetery. She could be someone who ran her own business, a teacher who influenced your life, or maybe someone who went to work in a factory to provide for her family – if you can make a case for her, we want to read about it.
The finished story of your candidate should be at least one single-spaced 8.5 x 11 page. We need you to cite your sources in case we have to do further research. Photos of the woman, her work or her business, something she made etc., in hard copy or digital, are a bonus.
If your person is one of those selected, she will be featured in the 2016 Cemetery Tour and you will receive a small cash prize. As a bonus, you will be recognized as a local historian during the cemetery tours and invited to attend select tours as a guest expert on your person.
The deadline for submitting your essay package (cover letter which includes your contact information, essay and photos) is Saturday, April 30. Snail mail can be sent to Merrill Historical Society ATTN: Essay Contest, 100 E. Third Street, Merrill, WI 54452.
Email can be sent to [email protected] with Essay Contest in the subject line.
Winners will be contacted in early May.
If you have questions, please contact Jane at [email protected].
The Merrill Historical Society’s mission is to educate the public about our heritage using the unique historical and cultural resources we collect and preserve. For further information on the programs and activities of the Merrill Historical Society, or to become a member, please contact the Society at 715-536-5652 or [email protected], or see the website at www.merrillhistory.org.