WikiTree LiveCast Secret Santa Challenge 2021

+40 votes
2.5k views

What happens with the weekly LiveCast collides with the WikiTree Challenge?

Introducing 

The WikiTree LiveCast Secret Santa Challenge!

With the success of the Challenges this year, we couldn't resist slipping in one more challenge as we move from 2021 into 2022.  We couldn't think of a more appropriate way to honor The Year of Accuracy while moving into The Year of Family than helping our own WikiTree family members with their wishes.

We will be fulfilling genealogy wishes for Wikitreers by our very own Wikitreers!  We have collected over 30 wishes as voiced by our own members!

WANTED:  

--Elves, we need generous Wikitree elves who are willing to give their time and resources to help fulfill some of these wishes.  Elves will also answer this post and state that they are willing to help.  

ELVES: Please post all hints/answers/responses to wishes on the space page and try to wait until after kick-off.  The G2G is for wishes and Elf sign-up only please.

--Santa's Bag of Wishes is overflowing with great genealogy wishes.   There are so many great ones.  Join as an Elf to help!

Kickoff for the Santa Challenge is 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 22nd.   The final reveal will be 10 a.m. EST on January 8th on the first Saturday weekly LiveCast of the New Year with Mags!

Important pages for Elves to bookmark when working on wishes:

Here is the template for the elves to put a sticker on their profile {{Secret Santa|2021}}
Which gives you this:

 image

in The Tree House by Donna Baumann G2G6 Mach 5 (57.5k points)
reopened by Mindy Silva

73 Answers

+15 votes

I would like help in furthering my namesake Kellett family line. I have been stuck with a brick wall for my second great grandfather Thomas Kellett. I know that he left Liverpool, England in 1853 and travelled to Ballarat, Australia in 1853 then travelled to Dunedin, New Zealand in 1862 and started a family there. He was supposed to speak with a Northern Irish accent according to his wife's testimony in a court case in 1876 (after his death). 

by Darren Kellett G2G6 Pilot (412k points)
Thank you Darren, your wish has been added!
+15 votes

Mine is a super long shot. I would love to find out the name of my great-great grandmother's first husband, and when and where they were married. It took 26 years for me to finally find her parents (and Melanie McComb's analysis and suggestions helped so much with that).

Emma was born in Manchester, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1863. By 1888, she was in Middleboro, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States, and married to her second husband. Who was the first husband (the elusive Mr. Reagan), when and where were they married, and what became of him?

The name of her first husband is the last mystery remaining when it comes to Emma Anna Murphy herself.

by Wendy Callahan G2G6 Mach 2 (20.5k points)
Great Wish, it has been added to the list.
+15 votes

For Christmas love to find the Byers daughter who married Callahan. This probably a Christmas miracle instead wish. Charles B Callahan Mom which was A Byers. Is so mysterious but love to know more about this family.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beyer-1429

Billie

by Billie Keaffaber G2G6 Mach 4 (41.0k points)
Good Morning, your wish is on the list!
+14 votes
I wish I could learn more about the parents of [[Benjamin F Dyer|Dyer-9384]].  This was my first brick wall as a new genealogist.  Ten years later, it is my oldest.
by Judith Brandau G2G6 Mach 1 (17.3k points)
The list has been updated with your wish!
Thank you for the help!  This was the best of Christmas gifts!
+15 votes
I'm in as an elf. Thank you!!
by Susan McNamee G2G6 Mach 7 (76.2k points)
Perfect, Susan and thank you!
+14 votes

Dear Santa and Elves,

I would like for Santa's Elves to help me locate a maiden name and parents for my mtDNA Ancestress, [[Unknown-373087|Barbara Bowman]]. Barbara was born before 1759- location unknown and lived her adult life in Virginia with her last known residence in Shenandoah County, Virginia in 1822. I have recorded what I know about her life on her WikiTree profile and will be glad to send any document to the Elf(Elves) who would like to work on her case.
Barbara Bowman
Merry Christmas,

Margaret Tull Meredith

by M. Meredith G2G6 Pilot (133k points)
Thank you, your wish is included on the list!
Thank you so much!
+15 votes
What a wonderful idea! For over 50 years now (I started doing genealogy when I was 17, back in 1970) I've been trying to find the parents of my adoptive dad's great-grandfather, Neill Munn [Munn-1609], born 1792 in Fayettevlle, Cumberland, North Carolina and died 20 NOV 1842 in La Grange, Fayette, Republic of Texas. Unfortunately, my adoptive dad died before I was able to give him a DNA test, and he had no living siblings or other close relatives, but a distant cousin of his, also a Neill Munn descendant, tested and learned that our branch of the family has a connection to Alexander McAlpine Munn [Munn-984], something I have always suspected. This Alexander had a son named Neil, but from all indications he was a separate person from my Neill Munn. Other researchers have assigned different parents to my Neill Munn, but with no documentation and I've been unable to find any. Decades ago, a Munn genealogist claimed that Neill's parents were an Alexander Munn and his wife Flora, but I have been unable to verify this or even find any likely candidates, although there were several Alexander Munns around at the right place and time (none with a wife named Flora, though, as far as I know). This seems to be one of those cases in which we're so close to finding the answer, and yet so far away. I think that DNA might provide the answer. It also doesn't help that all the Munn families in the same vicinity followed the Scottish naming tradition and gave their children the same first names. Thanks for any help anyone can provide!
by Debra Munn G2G3 (3.5k points)
Your wish is included on the list!
+13 votes

I would love to know what happened to my great-grandfather, James Beckett. He married my great grandmother in Clay County, Missouri in 1879. They appear together in the 1880 census in Daviess County, Missouri. They had two kids, Jesse, born 1884 & Charley, born 1881(estimated from census). I found the birth record for Jesse, my grandfather but not Charley. My great grandma Jennie married her third husband, Charles Ball on 13 Mar 1889 in Marionville, Lawrence Co. Missouri. We have no idea what happened to James. Did they divorce or did he die? I have been unable to find any proof of when or where he died. This has been a mystery I've been trying to solve since 1994. I hope someone can finally solve what happened to him. Thank you in advance for any answers you might be able to provide.

by Lori Zukerman G2G6 Pilot (151k points)
You wish has been added!
i CHEKED mISSOURI DEATH RECORDS FOR PRE 1910 AND NO BECKETT LISTINGS CAME UP  CHECKED ON SECRETARY OF STATE WEBSITE
I know and there in lies my problem. But thanks for looking.
aDDed SOURCED 1890 vETERANS SCHEDULE   SEE PROFILE
I'm extremely doubtful this is my James Beckett. You have him serving in the Civil War? He was born around 1857, much too young to have been involved in the Civil war. You are also showing a burial in 1865 in South Carolina? Again, pretty positive this is not my James Beckett. Thank you but you are not really helping.
+15 votes
I would be happy to be an elf as many people on wikitree and else where have helped me with my research ( still very incomplete)

Happy Christmas
by Anon Sharkey G2G6 Pilot (114k points)
Welcome Anon and Thanks!
+13 votes
I have a brick wall with my 2x great grandmother. Eva  Weber-5077. Would love to find her birth record and parents
by Laura Bozzay G2G6 Pilot (823k points)
Your wish has been added!
Thank you.
SHE IS NOT SHOWING IN THE COMPILED LIST
+15 votes
I am happy to lend some elf magic to hopefully fulfill some wishes
by Laura Bozzay G2G6 Pilot (823k points)
We would love to see your elf Magic!  Thank you!
+16 votes
I'll be an elf ! Sign me up!
by Greg Clarke G2G6 Pilot (109k points)
We are happy to have you!
+14 votes
My husband's GGGrandfather (Schmidt-8963) emigrated from Germany and lived in the area around Edwardsville, Illinois the remainder of his life. We have a (cut out and pasted) copy of an obituary in a scrapbook which we think is from either the Edwardsville or St. Louis paper but it is undated and we've never been able to find the obit online or establish a date of death (we think it's about 1905). And although the obit says he was to be buried in Woodlawn cemetery, we've not been able to find a gravesite (I "invented" a FindaGrave with what little I know). the pandemic has prevented us from traveling to that area to try and research further. Anything more we can learn about him will be much appreciated.
by Pam Smith G2G6 Mach 2 (28.0k points)
Your wish has been added!
+14 votes
My great-great grandmother Margaret Preece (née John) - John-2584 - is mentioned as being a cousin of Jeffreys-668 and Evans-34840, but I have never been able to find the common ancestors. I'd really like to find out how they are connected!
by Thomas Preece G2G3 (3.3k points)
That sounds like a fun one... it is on the list!
Thanks! :) I've written up some notes on what I already know and what needs solving, which I've posted here: https://familytree.thomaspreece.net/notes/margaret-john - and I've added that link to the list page as well.
+14 votes

What happened to great aunt Nellie?  Can anyone with experience of finding Canadian records help me complete the story of Nellie (Wilson) Patrick, Wilson-11116? At the least I would like to add a death date.  If any detail can be added from the latter part of her life, all the better!  My mum was fond of her aunt Nellie and one of Nellie's paintings always hung in her lounge. It would be nice to make this profile more complete.  I think she is an interesting person to research and I have accumulated a fair amount of date to "hook into".  Thank you!!!

by Chris Orme G2G6 Mach 2 (27.3k points)
Aunt Nellie  is added to the list
+15 votes

I would so appreciate any info on this gentleman.  I am stuck.  

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Calahan-284

Thank you

by Susan O’Callaghan G2G6 Mach 1 (14.1k points)
Our second Canada wish... it is added!
+14 votes

Nice! I have a wish! I would like to find out what happened to my great-grandfather Josef August Hilbert, at least a date and place of death. Also I haven't been able to access his marriage licence in New York City, and a census record for that city that places him in the island of Manhattan (they're on Ancentry I think and I don't have a subscription). I would wish to know if he really married a third time to an 18-years-old, if they had issue, and if he really died working on the electric chair frown.

I'd love to volonteer as elf, but I just don't have the time this year, being occupied with taking care of a beloved elder of the family (and organizing stuff, cooking, for the rest). 

by Cristina Corbellani G2G6 Mach 7 (75.3k points)
Our first Prague, Czech wish has been added!
For branches of descendants would be very grateful if you find anything new! Thank you!
+14 votes

Please add me to the wish list. My ancestor I would love more information on is Hanasak “Hannah” Maupin. She was my fourth great grandmother. I no idea who her parents and siblings were. 

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Maupin-580 

Please note Familysearch and Ancestry have mixed up with another Hannah, Mine never left Kentucky. She married and had several children and passed away there. 

thanks in advance, 

by Pam Fraley G2G6 Pilot (150k points)
edited by Pam Fraley
Your Kentucky wish has been added!
Thanks!
+14 votes
My most intriguing ancestor is Thomas McGrath, McGrath-3553, who was the first in his family to immigrate to the US from County Longford, Ireland, in 1879. He settled in New York City, got married and had 3 or 4 kids, but he seems to have kept himself secret. I can't find a wedding record or birth records - just the 1910 census. The only record from New York that I can find is that his son, Joseph McGrath, died in a car accident in 1915, only 25 years old. Was Thomas into something illegal? Why didn't any other family members settle in New York? Please, Santa, find me a story!
by Pilla Leitner G2G6 Mach 1 (14.1k points)
Your Intriguing wish has been added!
+13 votes

It would be great if there was a Christmas miracle that could unearth the parents (or siblings) for my gg grandmother Eunice Salsbury and her brother Rev Nathaniel Salsbury. This is good for someone who wants to look in Vermont and Rensselaer County, New York around 1800.

I also have an unknown great grandmother Emma and her husband Robert. All the information I have about them is on their profiles, but I have no experience researching in Germany. They were Catholic and probably immigrated to the United States about 1853.

Would you like to tackle a dead end with over 12,000 descendant profiles on WikiTree? John Scranton is Project Protected as part of the Puritan Great Migration and nothing is known about his birth, parents, or siblings probably in England.

by Kay Knight G2G6 Pilot (593k points)

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