Several years ago, Elizabeth Klise inherited a framed, hand-painted family tree (not her family) dating back to the 1700s. Curious, she asked a friend to help trace the (Smith) family’s ancestry. Their hunt resulted in learning that an ancestor of the family depicted in the painted family tree signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620. (Her friend reported, “Usually, we’re excited to get a leaf … this time, we got a ship!”)
Elizabeth’s primary interest is the genealogy of objects, or family history as represented by the things we inherit and pass along. She is interested in why certain items are passed down from one generation to the next (and others are not), why people (women, in particular) find meaning and “value” in such objects, and how the things we save can help tell the stories of our past.
Her concentrations include old Peoria; Civil War-era Springfield and Jacksonville, IL; personal memoirs (especially illustrated ones); and portraiture. Elizabeth has an MFA in writing, and she is particularly interested in how we preserve our stories for future generations.
Please contact Elizabeth at pcgssecretary@gmail.com