Homage to Homemakers (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 27 theme: "Family Business")

More of my ancestors were homemakers than any other occupation. Even when they had other employment outside the home, census records often cite something like "keeping house" or "housewife" or, most often, "homemaker". What occupation could relate more to family business than that of the person tasked with keeping the home and family functioning?

Women over the generations have been the unsung heroines. Their unpaid work is often undervalued (not part of the calculation of GDP in any country, for example) and often seen as unskilled and of low status--probably because it has been a "pink" job. Although more men are taking on responsibilities for home and family, studies consistently show household duties are not equally shared and very few men would be identified on a census as "homemaker". Some women are not really cut out for the role either, but fully half my ancestors were de facto homemakers. Without their tireless efforts we simply would not have survived.

It would be impossible to name all my homemaker ancestors and identify their specific accomplishments. The occupation comes with a challenging job description requiring a vast number of skills (as I well know from my own personal experience in the occupation!) Requisite skills have varied with the times but may include:  infant and child care, home nursing, gardening, cooking and preserving food, soap and candle making, spinning and weaving fabric, knitting and sewing the family wardrobe, quilt-making, cleaning and organizing the home, providing chauffeur services, maintaining the family calendar of events, and most importantly, providing love and comfort for the other family members. Homemakers often received little of that love and comfort themselves. They were frequently involved in the family business as well, whether that meant assisting in planting and harvesting crops, bookkeeping, or working in a family shop or cottage industry.

My father Ken Bardahl acknowledged in his memoir written in 1991 some of the  challenges faced by the women when his parents homesteaded in Saskatchewan circa 1910: 

On talking of homesteaders, I must give full marks to the wife, who undoubtedly ran into many problems of her own.  To me, I would think that perhaps it was harder for her than her mate.  Many died at childbirth and of course visiting doctors for pre-natal was an unheard of thing.  They usually all had large families and to try and diagnose problems must have been very worrisome.  When we remember that there was no phone, no cars and perhaps miles from help, it must have been a terrible thing when someone became sick or hurt.  Then too, all the clothes had to be washed by hand, perhaps hauling the water first.  I can recall mother telling of when the telephone came to this area in 1917.  The crew needed a place for meals and they offered to build her a clothesline if she would oblige.  This they did and a very good line was built for her.  At that time she would have had 5 youngsters, as if that wasn’t a job unto itself.  

Here are just a few of the homemakers from my own family tree:

• My Dad's mother, my grandma Louise (Nelson) Bardahl (1881-1985) homesteaded with her husband, first in North Dakota, then in Saskatchewan. She and husband John had 8 children: first came 6 daughters and finally 2 sons. She gave birth to my Dad when she was almost 45. 

When the couple arrived in the Leinan area of Saskatchewan in 1910, they had to build everything from scratch - house, wash shanty, barn, shop, pig and chicken houses, granaries. Trees were planted to surround the buildings. The virgin prairie sod needed to be broken to enable planting crops. Grandma took an active part and was in charge of the home; she was an excellent cook and homemaker. The Ladies Aid group (of which she was a founding member) fund-raised to enable the construction of the local Lutheran church. Her children and grandchildren adored her. 

And yet the 1921 Canadian census indicated she had no occupation at all!  

                

But that was improved by the 1931 census recognizing her true occupation: 

 

John and Louise (seated) surrounded by their 8 children; my Dad Ken about 8 years old standing centre (colorized)

• My maternal grandmother Idella "Della"  (Edwards) Anderson (1897-1976) was an intelligent, capable and fabulously creative woman who ran a well-ordered home and was a very good mother. She was also a school teacher, boarding house operator,  motel owner/operator and floral arranger during her life. Not a single census could be located where she was listed as anything other than "homemaker". Perhaps when more recent ones become available they will identify other of her occupations but, in the end, being a homemaker was by far  her most important role.

Della and neighbour with children on the Saskatchewan homestead c.1926 (colorized)

• My 3rd great grandmother Mary (Green) Hoover (1812-1907) in the 1870 US census is listed as "keeping house".  The Kansas Board of Health Annual Reports for various times between 1868-1898 indicate that she was a midwife who was listed in their records as a "physician". Although she was registered as having delivered nearly two dozen babies, she certainly would have expended even more efforts in her homemaking role raising 9 children as she and husband Christian Hoover migrated from one place to another (Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas). She took on an extra load when Christian signed up for the Union army during the American Civil War; sadly, he returned an invalid and eventually died by suicide leaving her almost blind and destitute after all her years of hard work.

Mary (Green) Hoover

• Mary's daughter, my 2nd great grandmother Barbara (Hoover) Edwards Payton (c1834-1890) was "keeping house" in the 1880 US census. As the mother of 4 of her own children (3 still living with them) plus stepmother to 3 of her husband George's, she would have had her hands full.

1880 US census, Howard, Elk County, Kansas

Still, once again, the census categorization does not do justice to the full extent of Barbara's actual occupations. She was very much an active partner with third husband George Payton in many hotel and restaurant business dealings in Howard, KS. At first, only George was listed although, given the nature of the hospitality business, she would have been very involved indeed; over time, "Mrs. Payton" was listed and in the end "Mrs. B.E. Payton" was duly recognized by her initials as being the business person in charge. This can be evidenced from a couple  of the numerous newspaper advertisements and stories for businesses in which she was involved.  

The Howard Courant Thursday 2 June 1881

The Citizen, Friday 1 December 1882, p.3

The Howard Courant 16 September 1887

Barbara (Hoover) Payton c.1890 (colorized)

When she died of a tumor (cancer) in late 1890, one of her obituaries indicated that "she was a good hearted and very ambitious woman".  (No mention is made of her mothering or homemaking skills!)

Their accomplishments often overlooked, forgotten or minimized, the homemakers in my family were doubtless like those in most others. They did what was expected of them to keep their homes functioning and their families thriving without expecting much in the way of acknowledgement or appreciation in return. Many went far above that to achieve satisfying and useful lives in their communities as well. Their efforts are worthy of far more recognition than they have generally received.