Time for Weekend Chat - All Members Invited! (Oct 23-25 2015)

Question

 

"Weekend Chat" - All Members are Invited!

 

This is an ongoing "Chat" post that can be added to throughout the weekend.  All members of WikiTree are encouraged to join in, especially first-timers!

 

 

Say Hello and introduce yourself... where are you from and what are your interests?

 

Leaders, Mentors, Greeters, Pilots - What tips can you share with us today?

 

What improvements can we make?

 

What do you enjoy most about WikiTree?

 

Do you have any stories to share about famous or notorius ancestors?

 

What projects are you involved in, and how are they going?

 

What's the weather been like in your neck-of-the-woods?

 

Any interesting plans or costumes for Halloween?

 

... anything that you want to talk about!

 

 

Post answers here, comment on answers, up-vote things you like or agree with and have fun!  To receive notice when future Chats are posted, add Weekend_Chat to the list of Tags you follow.  You can edit your list by clicking on "My Feed" on G2G, then click to "add or edit".  Seperate words with and underscore.

Comments

I have been working on the CW project for Arkansas CSA soldiers. Paula J, Terry Wright, and I discovered the horrors of the POW camps. So they built http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Camp_Butler_Prisoner_of_War_Camp  This started as the 3rd AR Inf Co E enlistees. I had 3 uncles and 5 cousins serve in the 3rd Co E.  Finding others of my associated families served in other Units, 2 step uncles died at Camp Butler. So it became who else from AR died at Camp Butler? Who escaped from or who died at Ft. Donelson, TN?  I found two commanding officers at Ft. Donelson that I'd thought seriously about putting in as Blacksheep, simply for the way they handled their commands.  The hard part has been identifying these unknown people in the census. The hardest one, emotionally, was 3 sons of one family, 1 killed at Ft. Donelson, and his brothers dying within days of each other at Camp Butler. Their mother died also between 1860-1870 census years.

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A wonderful page you've created to honor and remember  your ancestors and all victims of that camp Lynette !

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Bea, Thank you, but I didn't create it. All the work for that page belongs to Paula and Terry. I'm just adding names to it.

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Well in that case you all did a great job creating this !

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I will pass it along.

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It is a beautiful page and a great place to honor those who died in that camp.

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We are calling it a joint effort because Lynette definitely inspired it. She also inspired us to try to create pages for many of the other camps. They are yo honor all WikiTree profiles. Here is one for Elmira. I will do Anderson next.

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Elmira_Prisoner_of_War_Camp

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Wow! Everyone looks like they're having so much fun!

I love genealogy, and I think the "idea" behind WikiTree is great, and everyone is so nice.

What I've REALLY found out is what I don't know about my family tree. I have a lot of dates, but when I'm asked to write a bio, I want to include as much 'personal' information as I can.

One very wise 'online cousin' wrote: Why do we do this? To find out the dates?... or what goes on between the dates? Isn't that what's important?

Yep, the philosophy of WikiTree is making me find out which ancestors I have with no information between the dates!

:D

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On most of my family, I have no information between the dashes, except a marriage and the kids.

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I know what you mean, Lynette! I hear ya...

Answer 1

OK Gang.....time to get this party started!

What's new?

 

This week I spent some time writing bios, adding sources, adding new members to the One Name Studies Project & answering some G2G questions.

Anybody find any new ancestors, break down any brick walls, decorate for Halloween?

Our guys are getting ready...

 

Comments

Great picture , the black cat sure is a nice finishing touch ! Same here, some PPP ing for the project merging , writing Bio's , awarding some of our great members, adding sources and now helping my mum painting and decorating upstairs and than we're finished . Have a great weekend everyone !

Answer 2

It is hard to type like this

Comments

Poor Dale. You just have to hunt and peck like my hubby.

 

Betty

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hey Dale.  I'm sorry to see you all busted up and hope you have a speedy recovery.

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oh Betty...."hunt and peck" sounds good.  We call it seek and "seek and destroy"  Lol

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Sorry for your injury Dale. I hope you are right handed. My balance is also bad at times and I know what it is like to be "accident prone".

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Well guess we all have our ''handicaps'' eeh ;) I'm known for my sometimes ''absentmindedness actions'',  just the other night when we were leaving my mum.. I already sat in the car and was waiting, while my husband was getting our son from the playground .(at least that was what I thought he was doing). 

It was early in the evening and quite dark already, and while I was waiting for them and sitting in the car, I was wondering why my seat all of a sudden seemed to be adjusted different by someone (felt like a totally different seat) , so I was trying to adjust it back the way it was , and noticed a box that for sure wasn't there when we left home , so was checking what was in the box and wondering how on earth it got there...when I heard a car honking. 

My brother who was visiting my mum as well and who was standing together with my mum by the open window to wave us goodbye , yelled something like : "Eeh did the paint affect your brain ?!'' and I saw them cracking up for laughter , didn't quite understand what was so funny, about me sitting in the car and waiting, but than looked back and noticed a car with the lights on , honking and ...my husband and son sitting in it also laughing . Than it hit me...I was sitting and waiting for them in my brothers car :P 

I'm  not only walking to the wrong cars , I actually sit down in them, this wasn't the first time, I stepped in a car and sat down next to a total stranger , now that's really awkward eeh ...hahaha

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Bea, at least it was still a family member's car and not a total strangers.

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Yes lucky this time :P

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Oh Bea!  That is a worry.  I do hope your family gives you lots of good natured teasing about that.  Stay safe though!

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Hahaha well it's mostly because I don't pay attention or remember where we parked our car exactly and because I'm so ''absentminded'' sometimes, I just stop at the first car that looks similar to ours and try to get in :P They all have a lot of fun of course when it happens , so yes a lot of good natured teasing here ;)

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Excellent!  Good to hear!

Answer 3

{{Image|file=WikiTree_Images-5.png
|caption=Enjoy Genealogy
}}

Comments

I love it Mags! I added it to my profile page.

Answer 4

I have had a week for sure.

Enjoy Genealogy!

Mags

Comments

Do you deserve more bluberry pie?

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EVERYONE deserves more Blueberry Pie!

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I made Blueberry Muffins and Garlic and Onion Muffins this morning/

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Nice smell mix in your kitchen?! Enjoy!  You know Blueberries are a superfood!  Mags

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I made a LOT of sugar cookies shaped like Halloween stuff. I also made full moon pancakes for the kidlet. He said "Those are just round pancakes." Hmph. Ungrateful children.

Here is the recipe for sugar cookies. My mother in law got it off a flour package once. These are the best sugar cookies. Not too soft, not too hard.

4 1/2 cups of flour    (from a flour company so you know it has a lot of flour)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

3/4 cup shortening

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon flavoring

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

Throw your shortening, sugar, and eggs in the bowl and mix up thoroughly (about a minute).

Combine your flour, salt, and baking powder.

Combine your buttermilk and baking soda (it will get all fizzy)

Alternate adding your dry mixture and your milk mixture.

This is a big batch so use a mixer with a lot of power. I broke two already on this recipe. The stand mixer works best but I'm still saving up for that.

You can put icing on them or not. My family likes the icing and sprinkles. I like 'em plain.

Betty

Answer 5

My name is Guy.  The French Guy for some :)  

I am involved in a few projects including the Rangers project.

Who are they ?  What are they doing ?

Rangers are like you and me.  Volonteers who care about all the information that wikitreers add every day, every minutes to the tree and give a small part of their time for the security of the site.

Rangers are like the guardians of a treasure.  We watch for intruders and help Wikitree be a great global tree.

I have read that they are like police officers.  No, The rangers team is not a police squad.  I would say we are like a security agency.  We watch the property specially for intruders. We watch what is going on and when we see people doing mistakes we refer them to help files, honor code or we ask mentors to help them.

I like being a Ranger and since I joined this group, I realized what is Wikitree... just the best genealogy site on Internet !

Comments

Guy, your comment about the Rangers reminded me of a camping trip I took this summer. My family spent a night at Glacier National Park in British Columbia, and they've got a lot of bears near the campground. The rule is that you can't go hiking there without four adults in your party, so the Parks Canada worker sits at the trailhead and has a bulletin board with notices about recent bear sightings. So, to me, Rangers are a bit like the parks worker: checking in on collaboration and making sure someone has bear bells on them before they hit the trail!

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Hi Erin, I was at Glacier National Park this summer too, only I was at the Montana, US, end. We could have sent smoke signals to each other, except when I was there a wild fire was going on it the middle, and our signals would have been lost in the other smoke. I didn't see any bears, but there was a really cool moose in the river near the road, being photogenic.

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Well said Guy thanks ! Like being a ranger as well and indeed Wikitree for sure is the greatest genealogy site on Internet ! :)

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hey guy!

Can I ask how much time and work is involved in being a ranger each week?

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Our schedule is made for 1 hour shifts.  Some do one hour, others two or three.

We always make sure ALL hours of each day are covered.  If there is an open hour where no ranger is scheduled, there is always a ranger to cover.

Rangers are a great team.

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Thanks Guy.  I will look into joining this when I have finished inputting my branch of the tree (as it stands for the moment) one person at a time.  Lol.

Sounds like a good thing to be involved in.

Answer 6

We are going to get started on making these for Christmas. It's a doll cradle that I get to woodburn on. It's made of Cherry wood and it measures about 15 inches high and 18 inches long. This will be our fourth year making them. I love it. I make little quilts to go in them as well.

`

Comments

Oo soo cute these doll cradles !!

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That's beautiful, Betty!  Wow!

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I like that stoof. You must put a pot of warm coals inside.

Thanks for all the compliments. I love the wood burning most.

Betty

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Oh Bea, what a story!  Glad it worked out OK in the end though.

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I remember those rocker/steps from Sunday School!

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I wasn't the only one then. We would always try to tip it over. We never succeeded.

Betty

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Yes Dale we all were really glad about that and that he didn't break any bones of course , and of course because it had a good ending they all could laugh about it after they ''delivered'' him home safe and sound and it was of course a story that was told many many times . Grandpa's adventures or in Fries ''Pake's avontoeren'' :P

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Aaah, Bea, these are the stories and moments that make the family history come alive though.  They add so much character to the names and dates and allows us to really connect to our ancestors.  I hope that this story is never allowed to be forgotten.  Good for you for keeping it alive!!

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Thank you Dale , you are right, I'm always thinking of what to add to the Bio's , but guess it's these personal stories and moments indeed , so will reorganize and personalize some of the Bio's when I have some time :D

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I'm sure the Bio's will look even more awesome than they do now, Bea.  Enjoy reliving those memories and sharing them with the community and all the distant cousins.  Lol

Answer 7

I go to the needs bio/narrative category occasionally and have discovered

1. that if I copy/paste the data section into the bio, thus:

William Tuttle

Born before December 26, 1607 in Ringstead, England

Son of Symon Tuttle and Isabel (Wells) Tuttle

Brother of Richard Tuttle, John Tuttle, Henry Tuttle Sr and John Tuttle

Husband of Elizabeth (Mathews) Tuttle — married 1631 in England

Father of John Tuttle, Hannah (Tuttle) Judson, Thomas Tuttle Sr., Jonathan Tuttle, David Tuttle, Joseph Tuttle, Sarah (Tuttle) Slawson, Elizabeth (Tuthill) Edwards, Simon Tuttle, Benjamin Tuttle, Mercy (Tuttle) Brown and Nathaniel Tuttle

Died June 1673 in New Haven, CT

2. Rearrange the sentences and add a few words, thus:

William Tuttle, son of Symon Tuttle and Isabel (Wells) Tuttle, was born before December 26, 1607 in Ringstead, England.

He married Elizabeth (Mathews) Tuttle in 1631 in England.

They had Children: John Tuttle, Hannah (Tuttle) Judson, Thomas Tuttle Sr., Jonathan Tuttle, David Tuttle, Joseph Tuttle, Sarah (Tuttle) Slawson, Elizabeth (Tuthill) Edwards, Simon Tuttle, Benjamin Tuttle, Mercy (Tuttle) Brown and Nathaniel Tuttle. {you can put # in front of each to make a list}

He died June 1673 in New Haven, Connecticut {this was CT in the data so I know I should go spell it out in the data section..

3. Then I put in sources.

William Tuttle, son of Symon Tuttle and Isabel (Wells) Tuttle, was born before December 26, 1607 in Ringstead, England.<ref>Source 1 citation information</ref>

He married Elizabeth (Mathews) Tuttle in 1631 in England.<ref>Source 2 citation</ref>

They had Children: John Tuttle, Hannah (Tuttle) Judson, Thomas Tuttle Sr., Jonathan Tuttle, David Tuttle, Joseph Tuttle, Sarah (Tuttle) Slawson, Elizabeth (Tuthill) Edwards, Simon Tuttle, Benjamin Tuttle, Mercy (Tuttle) Brown and Nathaniel Tuttle<ref name="Source3"> Source 3 citation </ref>

He died June 1673 in New Haven, Connecticut<ref name="Source3" />

== Sources ==

<references/>

Voila, I have a very basic biography, with inline sourcing. Don't know why I didn't think of it before.

Comments

I have been doing it that way even before I hurt my hand, now with my hand that is the only way I am getting anything done. But I don't think I will get the Club 1000 badge this month. Oh well Quality and not Quantity is better anyway!

Answer 8

G'day guys!

Having a good week here in Oz though nothing too special happening.  I entered my first ever art competition/show (no prizes or awards for me.  Lol) but it has been a fantastic experience.  Otherwise, just enjoying my time in the Wikitree.  Have a great weekend!

Comments

Is the art suitable for younger audiences? I'd love to see it.

Betty

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Hi Betty.  Yes, these ones are very family friendly.  Here is one of my entries into the art show this week.

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Is that one that you painted?

It's very pretty.

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That's beautiful Dale , it looks as if most Wikitree genealogists are quite creative as well ! We've got Poets, painters, wood turners/crafters and burners, musicians  ;) and many more

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Who is the musician?

Betty

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One of our project members is and he loves art as well :)

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Thank you, Bea!  Thank you, Betty!  That is very kind of you.

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I have tried painting on canvas. I'm more of the 'splash' type of painter. Details elude me. I can make an interesting plop of paint but the eyes of people are always off. In fabric, I can pick out a beautiful color of blue. In paint, I'm a total disaster.

Betty

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Wauw quilting as well Betty, really love it !

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Oh Betty!  Just love your work!  My wife is a quilter and so we both can appreciate your efforts here.  That is lovely and thank you for sharing it.

It's funny, but, I only took up painting a few years ago now.  Before that, I had no interest in art whatsoever and would have said much the same as you.

Answer 9

Hi everyone! 

It has been a very wet week here in New Mexico. Looks like more to come. 

Help Wanted! I want to create tables on my profile page for my WikiTree Cousins, my ancestors, and the veterans in my family. My computer skills are very limited. Does anyone have an example of tables that I could use to complete this task?

It would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

Here you can find the code for the tables Amy Extending Tables  and lot's of other fun stuff  Tons Tweaks :)

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hey Amy!  Good to see you here.

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Here's the help section for creating tables

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Editing_Tips#Tables

Ton's Tweaks was great when we were all experimenting with making "interesting profiles," however we have been asked by management not to use most of the html coding that is on the page.

To add "pizazz" stick to the recommended tags

Answer 10

I'm ecstatic right now!  The newest website I did for a client just officially launched!!!  I have been working like crazy the last two weeks, trying to finish this site up, but all the information for it kept changing and I felt like I was in 1 step forward - 2 steps back mode.

I'd like to share it with y'all - http://golf.hubblefoundation.org - it is for a charity golf tournament being run by Hubble Foundation (whose website I also developed).  The foundation has three main purposes - to help the widows and children of tower technicians who died in work related accidents, to perform research aimed at improving safety in the industry, and to lobby for legal reforms on both safety requirements and companies' handling of claims by family members.

Comments

Looks great Gaile , Congrats and these are all wonderful purposes !

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Great work, Gaile!

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Nice to see it all finished Gaile.

Answer 11

I have been dealing with an email calamity resulting in the loss of all email prior to Oct. 21. I know there were a couple of WikiTree emails in it waiting for the weekend to be dealt with. So, if anybody reading this emailed me recently through WikiTree and doesn't get an answer, please resend!

My other plans for the weekend were to put some data on Voltaire's family. I stumbled across a GEDCOM upload from 2012 of his family - just names, no dates, no places, no sources. I don't have primary sources but a secondary one in French which should at least provide some dates and locations to start out with.

Answer 12

Hi, I'm Debi and I'm a ... well, I guess if you're reading this you already know the answer. I've come back to genealogy after a 10 year hiatus only to discover that my beloved TMG has gone out of business. Thank goodness I found WikiTree. I love having ALL THE CONTROL!

I didn't have the forethought to add my tree one at a time so I'm in the process of cleaning up a rather large GEDCOM import.And I didn't bring everything over, only five generations back and with recorded death dates. Those were what I was reasonably sure of, even if some of the sourcing was less than ideal. I knew where I got the info but not necessarily where my correspondent got it. Boy is it a mess. But what a great way to get reacquainted with what I think I know.

No brick walls smashed this week but I did confirm an old family story. This picture came to me from my grandmother who always told me it was my great-grandparents on their wedding day. I found this article in the newspaper last week and just had to go digging for the picture. The article and picture are now both linked to those ggrandparents for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Something in the newsletter last week led me to the UnConnected Persons list that I'm responsible for so I've been mainly working through those. Of course, that means I'm adding more people to get them connected back in. At least I'll know the security is correct for the ones that I can't prove have died.

Speaking of the Unconnected Persons list ... how do they get off of there? Some of the ones I worked on are gone now, others are not? Just curious.

Enough, this wasn't supposed to be a novel. Have a great week.

Comments

If they are connected to the Global Family Tree, they will disappear from the list, when it's re-indexed in the middle of the night. If they are only connected to other people who aren't connected to the global tree, they are going to stay on the list. To check if someone is already connected (this re-indexes at night also, not instantaneously), go almost to the bottom of the profile there is a line like this:

"Mary is 17 degrees from Kevin Bacon, 19 degrees from AJ Jacobs, 37 degrees from JK Rowling, 31 degrees from Nikola Tesla and 19 degrees from Queen Elizabeth II of the Commonwealth Realms on our single family tree. Check your connections or find your genealogical relationship with Mary."

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AHA! I figured the must be a way to tell. Thanks for the explanation, Anne.