On March 5-7, Salt Lake City hosted the annual conference of RootsTech during which people from all over the world came together to discover their family history. Learning about and finding connections with the women who have influenced family history can be a way to make Women’s History Month more meaningful.
Two Weber State University students have done just that. Saurav Neupane and Lukas Vanderlinden have made Women’s History Month more meaningful to them by remembering women in their family whose influence left a lasting impact on the course of their lives.
Neupane said that his life would’ve been very different if it weren’t for his mother. He probably wouldn’t even be attending Weber State if she hadn’t made the difficult decision that ultimately provided him with the opportunity to leave Nepal to pursue an education in the United States.
“When she was barely 18, she was the first one to move out of the house … then she started doing her bachelor’s degree,” Neupane said.
Opportunities for women to pursue higher education or a career outside the house were minimal at best at this time in Nepal, according to Neupane. The decision his mother made was very uncommon and brought her a lot of hardship.
“She was like 110% sure about herself, but the only thing that troubled her was the financial part because her brother … joined her when he was like 14. So now she does not have just the financial load of herself but also her brother,” Neupane said.
At times, they only had five rupees to live on, which Neupane said was equivalent to four cents. Despite their poverty, his mother and uncle persevered until she finished her degree and was able to earn a stable income.
“She made a lot of bold decisions and a lot of sacrifices … it helped our family a lot, and not just us, her family too,” Neupane said.
In reference to women in general, Neupane said that their sacrifices, strength and courage might go unrecognized, but this doesn’t change the impact they make on our lives. Women’s History Month is the time to notice and celebrate the contributions of the women, said Neupane.
Lukas Vanderlinden shares this sentiment with Neupane as he reflects on one of the women of his family history, Oma Gellerson.
Vanderlinden said that the term “Oma” has a Germanic origin, just like his family, that means grandmother. The story that impacted Vanderlinden the most in Oma Gellerson’s life took place in Germany during World War II.
At this time in Nazi Germany, the German people didn’t have access to truth, said Vanderlinden, and propaganda flooded all media platforms. Outside sources of information were strictly prohibited and anyone caught listening to them could be imprisoned.
However, this didn’t deter his Oma Gellerson. She listened to BBC radio and would openly share her critical opinions about the ongoing war.
“She was firm in her convictions, although she knew that it was dangerous. She maintained her faith and she stood up for truth,” Vanderlinden said.
One afternoon, his Oma Gellerson was gardening outside and she heard a loud war plane flying overhead, Vanderlinden said. She commented to a stranger walking past that she thought the war was pointless and wished there was peace.
The stranger revealed to her that he was a Schutzstaffel, or SS officer, and could make sure she never saw her family again for saying such comments. She stood firm nonetheless. Out of respect for her conviction he let her go.
“It’s something I always look up to, to just stand up for what you believe to be true,” Vanderlinden said.
Regardless of the differences between you and your ancestors such as gender, religion or life experiences, according to Vanderlinden, you can still connect with and learn from them.
