Would someone look at this biography and let me know what you think?

Question

For some time now I have been working on my grandfather's bio.  I'm still trying to understand the process and format used here.  Some things are still a little confusing, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. I think I have finally figured out the in line sourcing, but not certain this is correct yet.

I would appreciate it if someone could take a look and see if I'm doing it somewhat close to what is expected.  It's a bit long, but the man was almost 106 when he died, so I think it's only fair he get more than a paragraph!

It's classified as private with public bio and family tree.  I'm still confused about why that is, since he has been dead for over 20 years.  Perhaps it is  because my mother is still living?  Anyway, a little feedback would be helpful, but be gentle please.  I bruise easily!  Thanks.

Comments

Superb - a thorough and interesting biography of your grandfather, Karen - loved reading about his life :D

---

I'm glad you enjoyed reading it.  I certainly loved writing it.

---

Nice work!

---

Lots of great feedback here - my only comment is to suggest you select "Luther middle years" as the primary photo. The primary photo being the image that appears at the head of his bio page and in your Family Group Sheet etc. and so should be the best portrait available of an individual.

---

Thank you Colleen

---

Valerie I appreciate the feedback.  Thank you for the comments.  I will certainly consider your suggestion about the photo.

Answer 1

Some comments

1. The story is easy to follow and I get a good understanding of his life 5 out of 5
2. Pictures: Missing pictures inline.. I understand that you have pictures but they are privacy protected
   1. Duckett-728-1
   2. Duckett-728-2
   3. Duckett-728-3
   4. Duckett-728-4
   5. Duckett-728-5
   6. Duckett-728-6 etc.....
3. Minor thing.....I preffer to have links to other people so you can click etc... miss that for Emma, Luther, Robert
4. A GPS check
   1. Extended research - check
      A lot of sources like newspapers - impressed
      1. Having Census in order also impress
      2. I am not skilled enough to say if something more should be done
   2. Each statement of fact has a complete and accurate source citation - check
      1. You are using inline citations so you see what fact is proved by what evidence is excellent
   3. The evidence is reliable and has been skillfully correlated and interpreted. - feels so
   4. The conclusion has been soundly reasoned and coherently written. - check
       
5. Wiki Tree Categories: Missing - could help to give some more context. I think getting the context of a life is  interesting with genealogy. Some suggestions
   1. Cemetery category - Tavares Cemetery, Tavares, Florida category
   2. If there is something about the church? As coming from Sweden a country where religion play a minor part its interesting to understand more about your church etc.. 
   3. If there is something about the military service draft process etc...
   4. I had to google the Panic would have been nice with a category or a link...
   5. Order of Eastern Star

I think its more than excellent but as always with genealogy you are never done. What could be done more?

1. Transcription ex. draft registration cards, 1917-1918
   I have difficult to read what's told on the card
2. Would be cool to have on youtube the interview with Luther Antine Duckett Sr, age 103
3. A Timeline is something I like to see.... makes it easier to follow... also in Swedish geneaology you can follow a person in many books and then a Timeline is an excellent way to see if you have done your homework ;-)
4. Inline pictures make it more interesting and if you have a movie/video....
5. Have a map of places like Palmetto, Braden town, Tavares makes it easier to follow...

 Summary more than excellent and I hope Wikitree get more profiles like this that are interesting to read.

Thanks for sharing and inspiring the rest of us
 

Comments

Thank you so much for the feedback.  I really like some of your suggestions, but don't actually know how to implement them yet.

For instance, the pictures.  I uploaded them, but apparently I'm the only one who can see them.  I would like for them to be viewed by others, but can't get the profile to go public. If I can figure out how to put them inline, will they be visible even though the profile is yellow?

I tried to get the children's names to link but it didn't work.  I'm still taking baby steps here.

Nice point about the panic.  I had to ask my grandfather what he was talking about.  It didn't occur to me that others would want to know. Maybe I should put in a link to some definitions or articles about it.

I loved the suggestion about  using you tube.  Wish that could be, but what I have is an audio tape, not video.

Thanks again for reading.  I guess I just have to go back to the help pages to see what I can figure out.

 

 

 

---

Video how the profile pictures looks for me

It didn't occur to me that others would want to know

For me learning more about life and understand more how life was at that time is what fascinates me.... In the above Video I mention a futurelearn training https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/genealogy In one of the steps they spoke about adding context and that what you have done and what fascinates me... 
see https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/genealogy/1/steps/63784

EDIT: ses also comment Dale about pictures

---

Thanks for the video Magnus.  It all looks fascinating.  Someday maybe I can do all that stuff.   I'm afraid you are just a little too far advanced for me at the moment though.

For now I just have to learn how to do inline pictures.  Then maybe I can try categories.  Thanks for all the help.  I really do appreciate all the comments.

---

I use a mac and then its easy to screen record

1. Start quicktime - record
2. Save file
3. Upload Youtube

Its a great tool to show original documents in Swedish and explain in Swedish/English what it says see reading estate and inventory from 1794 of Gripenskold-2 

---

If this were a little more fleshed out for general purposes it would be the most incredible standard of practice I have seen thus far for genealogical documentation. In awe. I am saving this as a checklist for my own biography building.

---

Nicole,

Thank you for the comment. I appreciate the feedback. I'm a little confused by the "more fleshed out for general purposes" What suggestions would you make for adding to the profile? I'm totally interested in making it better.

Answer 2

It looks good, there are always things that could be better but I did not see anything major that needed improvement on this profile. It is better than 90% of the profiles I edit after I am done with them.

Comments

As far as the privacy is concerned, just click on the privacy tab that is just under the line with his name and the privacy icon and choose the privacy level you prefer. He has passed away so it could be Open if you wish it to be.

---

Thanks Dale.  That worked.  I had tried to change it before but obviously I did something wrong.  This time it took.

Answer 3

Hi Karen,

For someone who says they are a little confused over certain things, you have done a more than excellent job. I agree with what Magnus has already said, the technical side is excellent. However, what hit me more when I was reading it, was not the way it was written but how it was written.

From the outset you had me wanting to read more. You made me feel like i was the proverbial "fly on the wall", living in your Grandfathers life, sharing his hardships and sorrows and rejoicing in his joys. The love and respect you obviously have for your Grandfather shines through in the heartfelt way you have written about his life. I am certain your Grandfather would be so proud of his Granddaughter.

WELL DONE!!!

Wendy

Comments

Thanks Wendy.   I do hope he was proud of me.  He is the one who got me started years ago.  He had his family history all in his head, and boy could he tell some stories about them.

---

You are most welcome Karen. Anyone can write a biography through research but a real biography comes from the heart, which yours showed.:)

Answer 4

Excellent job, Karen. My eyes perked up when I saw someone mention Tavares so I had to go read. I worked in Tavares for years and still live one town over.

Since I've got quite a bit of experience tracking down original records in FamilySearch, I couldn't resist seeing if I could find any records for you. Success!

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9KJ-QTLD Luther and Emma's marriage license is the bottom form.

Roy's death certificate https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DCV4-8NC?i=2271

Comments

Debi,

Wow!  How did you find those so quickly? I searched for years without finding the actual images. Thank you so much.  I do appreciate the time you took for me.

---

Karen,

I figured other people might be interested in that too, so just added a QuickTip G2G with the instructions. You can find it here: http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/261156/quick-finding-original-records-from-indexes-familysearch

Answer 5

Wow!  This is an awesome job!  This is the best and most complete biography I have seen yet on Wikitree!  I only hope that I can do as great of a job one day on all the profiles I have to work on.  Keep up the great work. 

Comments

Thanks, Diane.  I appreciate the kind words.

Answer 6

Hello Karen,  I think the biography is great.  It held my attention and I also appreciated seeing all your sources.  Keep up the great work.  I might also say I wish all my biographies looked that good.

Comments

Barbara, Thank you for your comments.  I enjoyed writing it. Finding the sources is the easy part.  It's getting them entered here that I still find challenging.

Answer 7

Karen

I am astonished at your level of mastery in editing the bio of your grandfather compared to your level of confidence you wrote about. You are miles ahead in the learning curve and your depth of understanding is impressive. I agree with what everyone here has said and you are a few finishing touches which you can learn to improve the bio. Great work, follow their tips and stay on the trail. Thanks for sharing your grandfather's story with us.

Rod

Comments

Rod, thank you for such positive feedback.  The learning curve here is huge.  It took me weeks to do this one bio, and it's still not where I want it to be.  I wonder if that is why so many people don't even bother writing them.

He was a special person.  I'm glad you enjoyed his story.

Answer 8

It is a wonderfully done biography! It brings the person to life and shows how he chose to help his family during hard times. I love that you included a taped interview which is rare these days. I am from South Carolina and it rings true to me. I absolutely love it!!

Comments

Thank you Paula for the nice comments.  I still get that tape out and play it now and then just to hear that South Carolina drawl again. It brings back such great memories of all his stories about his family.

Answer 9

What a wonderful tribute to your grandfather!

Comments

Thanks Deb.  Appreciate the comment.

Answer 10

As everyone else said, excellent. A few suggestions:

1 - There seemed to be a number of statements that do not have in-line citations supporting them.

2 - In longer narrative bios, it think it makes it more readable if you break it up into subtopics/time periods using headings === [heading] ===

Comments

Chase, Thanks for the suggestions.  I think most of the statements that don't have inline citations came from the interview with my grandfather.  I tried to put that source at the end of the paragraph rather than repeated use of the same for each statement within the paragraph.    I'll take a look and see if there are some I might have missed.

Answer 11

Hi Karen- I was looking at your family tree and came across the wonderful biography of your grandfather.... What an interesting life! Excellent work!

Comments

Beth, Thanks for reading it. I really enjoyed working on this one.