Hi everyone!
It's time to get to know another one of our wonderful WikiTreers. This week's member is Judy Bramlage.
Judy became a Wiki Genealogist in June 2018. She is quite active with the Alabama US Black Heritage Team, US Civil War Project, and the Rowley One Name Study.
When did you get interested in genealogy?
1) My 2nd mother-in-law was trying to put me down (compared to herself and her 1st daughter-in-law (my husband's ex-wife) by impressing me with her membership in DAR, so I went to my mother and asked her if I hadn't heard some of her cousins talking about being members. The answer was yes, so we just had to collect the information. So we sat down, did a rough outline, and then I started looking things up and writing letters. Soon I had the proof for four lines plus two Mayflower lines. I didn’t mention the multiple DAR lines to her nor the Mayflower ones.
2) A friend was involved with National Genealogical Society (NGS) and had volunteered to xerox all their records before the LDS church came in to photograph them. So, having been laid off, I volunteered to help him. We spent over two months working at night when no one else was there. So we made sure they were alphabetized correctly and got them all copied as a backup. That and browsing their library at night cemented my interest.
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I swim, read science fiction, and am a member of Red Hat Society (a social club for women over 50 - but now open to all ages). The purpose of the organization is to have fun. We wear purple attire and red hats. I also take classes at the local senior center like SmarterMemory by Goodwin---and now do the exercises.
What is your genealogical research focus?
As with most, I started with my personal family research. Through that research I made friends, two of whom were getting on in years and wished someone to pass their research to. So I inherited many records, their databases, and a website, RowleyResearch.org. Since then I've added to the website and database as well as moved the website to the Guild of One Name Studies. I also sent the 46 boxes of records to the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) for permanent archiving. Then I joined WikiTree in 2018 and have been joining projects and participating in events ever since.
Are you interested in certain surnames or locations?
My long-standing interest is the Rowley surname but also Eastman, my mother's family names. With WikiTree I focus mostly on Alabama with USHB because I was living there at the time. I am currently focused on the Plateau Cemetery in Africatown. We just finished the 2024 Alabama Challenge where we made sure all the pre-Civil War Alabama Governors, U.S. Senators, and U.S. Representatives had profiles including family members, accomplishments, connects to the main tree, and good CC7s. Then we finished off the year by entering profiles for the 1961 Freedom Riders that were in the first two buses or were killed or badly injured.
Do you have a favorite ancestor?
My Grandmother Estelle MacDonald Flamer because I loved her so much and I admire her achievements. She entered nursing school at 16, was a nurse during the 1918-9 Flu and both World Wars, serving in the Army in WWI, and much more.
Do you have a favorite genealogical discovery?
My father's father gave me a tree that his brother had brought over from Norway while on a visit between the two world wars. Using good sources, I was able to prove the tree back to 1600 and extend the family lines.
What is your toughest brick wall currently?
Two actually:
1) 2nd great grandmother Amanda Melvinia Smith/Schmidt Eastman
2) my maternal-line (mitochondrial) 3rd great grandmother Ruby (Foster) Babcock
How long have you been on WikiTree?
2018. And I don't remember why I came on once I found it. I wanted a free site that would be around for a while and that I could navigate. It also made much more sense for a single world tree than a lot of stovepipes. I also liked the completeness of the profiles.
What do you spend the most time doing on WikiTree?
1) Alabama US Black Heritage because it is interesting, not many others are doing it, and it needs doing by people who can get at the records.
2) Rowley One Name Study (which really manages itself) because I still work on the Rowley site at RowleyResearch.org bringing families into WikiTree.
Which projects are you most involved in?
Alabama USBH (Held 2024 Challenge, starting 2025 Alabama challenge, and entering slave profiles), Civil War Project (work on profiles on military holidays and during Connect-A-Thons), co-captaining Little Team on the Prairie for the Thons, odd projects during the year such as Santa Wish Elves.
Can others help?
YES, Alabama USBH can use volunteers. Our challenge in 2025 will focus on Cemeteries and we want to complete the 2,000 burial sites in Plateau Cemetery as well as add cemeteries for the 23 counties that don't yet have a Black cemetery. I also have many Wills containing slaves that need to be transcribed then entered along with the slave owners and their families.
What inspires you to contribute so much of yourself to WikiTree's mission?
I consider WikiTree’s mission as having a significant impact on other genealogists and I want to be part of them discovering their heritage and how they fit within history.
What is your favorite feature or function on WikiTree?
Making biographies using the Sourcer because it is so easy and so satisfying.
What feature or function would you most like to see added or improved?
Make WikiTree pages more printer-friendly.
Do you have a story about how someone was helped through your participation on WikiTree?
I have received a lot of feedback on how my Rowley work has helped others find where they fit and to make application to different societies.
Do you have a story about how you were helped through the work of others on WikiTree?
Yes, of course. The transcriber group has helped me with transcriptions when I can’t make out the words. Most of all, I believe that the critiques on G2G and the Paths have improved my genealogical skills. So many have helped me in so many ways that I even have trouble summarizing: mentors, wonderful tools, great examples, praise, kind criticism, recognition of work accomplished, interesting debates, and learning history from a person perspective.
Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get more involved in our community?
Include “Volunteer” and “Challenges” in your Tags, then participate in the events that interest you most, scheduling them into your day.
What could we do to inspire more people to participate in our mission?
1) Continue to encourage people to add WikiTree as a source on other tree sites such as Ancestry, FamilySearch, and Geni.
2) Cite the social-ness of doing genealogy on WikiTree with Discord.
3) Offer speakers to local genealogy clubs or senior centers with a few prepared presentations.