May 2019 Biography Builders - Surnames beginning with the letter M

+19 votes
1.4k views

This month’s Bio Builders Challenge theme is surnames beginning with the letter M

Thank you for your support.

Here's our checklist:

Data Section:

  • birth date/place
  • names of parents
  • marriage date/place and spouse name
  • names of children, if any
  • death date/place

Biography Section:

  • Written (full) sentences stating the facts above, adding inline sources to each fact.
  • Is the profile '''Genealogically Defined?'''
  • As a general rule biographies should be in your own words. Paraphrase and rewrite, don't copy/paste.
  • Baptism, burial, military, and other life events with inline sources.
  • Something to "humanize" the person, such as career or avocation with sources.
  • List of children with at least one pertinent fact.
  • Some list siblings. (I think this takes up real estate.)
  • Explanatory remarks, if needed (e.g. disputed persons information, Research Notes, whatever needs extra explaining).
  • Photos or pictures, background. Not a must, but nice (you need to own the copyright unless they are in the public domain).
  • Categories.
  • Connection to the Global Tree.
  • All duplicates merged or initiated.
  • Links to persons and events, perhaps from Wikipedia.
  • Historical context as related to the person's life.
  • Sources, Sources, Sources.

You can see some ideas on where to find some of this information on the Biography Builders space page.

Use "comments" below to ask questions.

NOTE: Biography Builders will not show on the tracker. Please add a list to your answer.

in Requests for Project Volunteers by Bob Keniston G2G6 Pilot (263k points)
Bob K -- this is from further down the thread ...
May I ask a couple of questions?

If the birth surname begins with M, but the married name does not, does that profile still count for the "M" category?

If there are children that are still alive, does this count as a complete bio since the info cannot be viewed by the public?

Thanks for your assistance.  I am a newby at biography building.
For women, maiden or married name must begin with M. In the case of multiple marriages, one must begin with M. Oz has spoken. Don’t look behind the curtain.
Living children hasn’t every come up as an issue, to the best of my knowledge. Personally, I wouldn’t do a bio for someone who had living children, but that’s just me. At the very lest, check with the living children to see if they object to their parent’s bio being done. With no objections, list the living children as: Living Child, Private. DO NOT include ANY information about living children.
Is it OK if my little dog peeks.
Only if he doesn’t talk.
One of the best ever ! ! !  Along with Tombstone, of course.
Can I do a few of these this month without formally joining the project?
Have at it.  WikiTree loves the help.
Biography Builders doesn’t have a project that you have join. We’re certainly glad to have you with us.

35 Answers

+13 votes

Great theme this month.  I am in.

1.   William Rush Merriam  (1849 - 1931) former governor of Minnesota

by Caryl Ruckert G2G6 Pilot (206k points)
edited by Caryl Ruckert
+12 votes
This was my first time participating in this challenge, and I must say that it forced me to go back and really delve into some profiles that I had put on hold.  I was able to find information regarding one particular profile whom I had pretty much given up on.  But in researching another member of her family, a few clues popped up, and much to my surprise, I was able to solve the mystery of what had happened to her!  Thanks for opening my eyes to this project!

Now, here are the remainder biographies that i upgraded and completed to the best of my abilities.  (30 May 2019)

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McKelvey-238

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McKelvey-243

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McKelvey-242

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McKelvey-237

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mankowsky-16

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mankowsky-15

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mankowsky-2

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stegert-6  (Johanna Mankowsky)

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Submitted 15 May 2019

I have completed these bio builders according to this month's theme of surnames beginning with the letter M.  (I am hoping that I am doing this correctly. I edited the original post and am listing the work here.  Please feel free to direct me if I am not doing this correctly.)

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mrenna-18

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mrenna-3

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mrenna-17

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mrenna-4

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Geisler-602    (Evelyn Louise Geisler Markley)

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Markley-650

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Markley-649

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Markley-587

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McKelvey-245

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McKelvey-237
by Barbara Geisler G2G6 Mach 1 (18.8k points)
edited by Barbara Geisler
The data section has to be complete, with sources. The exception would a theme that deals with some unknown, i.e. brickwalls.
What if the children are still alive?
Bob answered one way above. OR you could state something like, they had X number sons, Y daughters, Z grandchildren.  If they had a child who has already died, they could be included.
Help!  I do not know how to add the biobuilder tags to the profiles.  Can someone please direct me?  Thanks!
Barbara,

The Biobuilders tag goes on your profile. Under Followed Tags on the upper right of your profile, tap the hotlink tags. Follow the instructions.
Thanks, Bob! I appreciate your help!
One more suggestion.  I only looked at one profile.  Spell out the name of
the state, and the country, instead of an abreviation  so our international users can identify them easier.
Will do, Beulah!  Thank you for bringing this to my attention!

Barbara
+9 votes

I'm in again.  All profiles are open for adoption.  I'll post publicly at the end of the month if one of you doesn't pick some of them up.

 1. Christiana (Müller) Rohrbach 

 2. Ella (Nelms) Mainer 

 3. Hayne Mainer

 4. Sarah Elizabeth (Laseter) Mainer 

 5. Ida Mainer 

 6. Nicholas Jackson Jr. Mainer 

 7. Roy Burleson Mainer 

 8. Jackson Neff Mainer 

 9. Ella (Mainer) Young 

10. Myrtle Mainer 

11. Geraldine Mainer Busacker 

12. John Rheims Mainer 

13. Homa (Hemphill) Mainer 

14. Louis Prince Mainer 

15. Emma Louise (White) Mainer 

16. John Rheims Mainer Jr 

17. Gertrude Sue (Holloway) Mainer 

18. Roy Carter Mainer 

19. Laura Elizabeth (Renfro) Mainer

20. Nicholas Jackson Mainer 

21. Thomas Nelms Mainer

22. Berta Phillips Mainer 

23. Martha Kyle Williams Mainer

24. Margaret Elizabeth (Williams) Mainer Watson

25. Clyde Mainer

26. Lucile Mainer McMurrey 

27. Robert James McMurrey 

28. Irene E. (Myers) Kern 

Next post has another family.

by Kathy Rabenstein G2G6 Pilot (319k points)
edited by Kathy Rabenstein
+10 votes
I agree with Caryl Ruckert about it being a great theme this month. Also I am in for the month.
by Living Barnett G2G6 Pilot (502k points)
+9 votes
by Joyce Rivette G2G6 Pilot (179k points)
edited by Joyce Rivette
+9 votes

yes There are eighteen profiles in my watchlist that fit the theme.  Let's see how many I can improve this month.

by Erik Oosterwal G2G6 Mach 5 (53.3k points)
+9 votes
I'll see if I can get some done.

1. Roseanne McCormick  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCormick-4611
2. Bridget Lyons McCormick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lyons-1822
3. Thomas Martin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Martin-43987
4. Francis Martin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Martin-43986
5. Catherine Curtain Martin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Curtain-76
6. Mary Elizabeth Myers Tredway  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myers-11874
7. Fannie Ellen McCoach https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCoach-15
8. Anne Philips Mowry https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Phillips-3125
9. John Donald Mackey https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackey-1091
10. Opal Omstead Mackey Nichols https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Omstead-46
11. Gordon Russell Mackey https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackey-1090
12. Daniel Harry Mackey https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackey-1086
13. Minnie R. Golden Mackey https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Golden-1618
14. Samuel Malkin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Malkin-153
15. Bessie Weiss Malkin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Weiss-2698
16. Manuel Malkin  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Malkin-154
17. Mary Myers https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myers-9
18. Andrew Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Myrick-6&action=edit
19. Jedida Pinkham Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pinkham-963
20. Mary Myrick Coleman https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-372
21. Abigial Myrick Folger https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-477
22. William Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-474
23. William Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-822
24. Anna Myrick Coffin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-475
25. Job Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-340
26. Love Giles Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Giles-1755
27. Isaac Myrick Sr . https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-487
28. Isaac Myrick Jr. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-486
29. Deborah Pinkham Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pinkham-30
30. Mary Newell Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Newell-211
31. John Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Myrick-84&action=edit
32. Ruth Bunker Myrick Barnard https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bunker-1048
33. Hannah Merrick Jillings https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Merrick-1099
34. William Merrick https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Merrick-1100&action=edit
35. Jonathan Merrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Myrick-60
36. Deborah Coffin Myrick https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Coffin-1231
by Chris Hoyt G2G6 Pilot (864k points)
edited by Chris Hoyt
+9 votes

Count me in!  I'm assuming M can be Maiden name or Married name, so in my watchlist alone there's plenty.

1. Anne Mawer - An early Quaker

2. Elizabeth Murray - Crofter's wife from Caithness

3. Betsy McKee - Pioneer Mid-West woman

4. Catherine Marrener - Louisiana pioneer

5. William Marrener - Her father, Revolutionary War officer

6. Sarah Maris - Indiana Quaker

7. William Massey - Early Lincolnshire Quaker

8. Katherine Massey - His wife, also a Quaker

9. Sarah Milling - Wife of early South Carolina newspaper editor

10. John Milling - Her father, emigrant from Ulster, Revolutionary War officer

11. Jane Milling - His wife, South Carolina planter

12. Thomas Maris - Quaker pioneer to Indiana

13. Jane Maris - His wife, Quaker pioneer and mother of twelve.

14. George Maris - Early Quaker in North Carolina, father of Thomas above

15. Eleanor Maris - His wife

16. John Maris - George's father, early Quaker in Pennsylvania

17. Katherine Maris - His wife

by Stephen Trueblood G2G6 Mach 7 (75.9k points)
edited by Stephen Trueblood
What a cool surname; you could be in one of those vampire movies!

Why thank you!  We're all descended from one chap!

+8 votes
by Joan Whitaker G2G6 Pilot (169k points)
edited by Joan Whitaker
How sad for Charles to lose two sons in one disaster!  Nice bios.
+8 votes

I and my siblings have the same middle name: Morrison.  It's a leftover from the days of Mormon polygamy.  Each child had their mother's maiden name as their middle name.  Although polygamy is dead, that particular custom isn't amongst some church members.

Morrison-5800
Mahannah-22

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCrary-540
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mumford-2

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCrary-534

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCutcheon-710

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mann-2169

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Murcott-120

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McClure-3916

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Moline-85


Roberts-4429 (profile was in process, had to finish it) Civil War vet.

by Jo Gill G2G6 Pilot (166k points)
edited by Jo Gill
This is also the tradition in German families.  Latin families have it, too, just not as a middle name.
I've seen it in French families also.
LOL . . . French is one of the Latin families.  I meant French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.  The mother's father's name is usually indicated in some manner, but not generally as a "middle" name.

We are divided once again by a common language. :)
+8 votes
I'm in this month.
by Laurie Cruthers G2G6 Pilot (165k points)
What a pretty, generous-hearted lady and a wonderful tribute to Anna Cordelia.
Thanks, Kathy. Much appreciated.
+8 votes

I should be able to tackle a few of these this month. Finally getting some of these off of my to do list, yay!

1. Mary (Owen) Miner: Added Complete biography, with inline citations, Genealogically Defined.

2 Simeon Miner: Added complete biography, with inline citations and images, Genealogically Defined.

3. Samuel Miner: Completed biography with inline citations

4. Charles Miner: Completed biography, added more inline citations, corrected FAG reference to current "standard". 

5. Christopher Miner: Fixed and completed biography with inline citations, Children's notes (lots of discrepancies found). Update: forgot to add a critical reference...just now added and fixed notes in children's section notes accordingly.

by T Counce G2G6 Mach 7 (73.5k points)
edited by T Counce
+8 votes

This'll be my first Biobuilders challenge! I'm hoping to expand some bios from my Moss, Mansell, and Moore lines.

1. Lawrence Moore, Jr. 

2. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Moore-42209 - Lawrence Moore

by Lauren Hopkins G2G4 (4.8k points)
edited by Lauren Hopkins
Lauren,

Welcome to the Challenge. Feel free to ask questions. There are plenty of WikiTree’ers who are more than happy to help out.

Bob
Welcome Lauren!
You did a nice job on that first challenge biography.  I wonder why the family moved east, rather than west.  The move from Columbiana to Sharon is not that uncommon, but Colorado?  Perhaps there was an orphanage there that handled children from around the region (possible reason for multiple birth locations cited).
+10 votes

I’m in for another round of wordsmithing.

1. John Mason

by Bob Keniston G2G6 Pilot (263k points)
edited by Bob Keniston
+9 votes

Should have plenty to work on this month.

1. Henry Marks-3193

2. Agnes Ellen Magin-175

3. David Robert Magin-91

4. David Robert Magin-168

5. John Wesley Magin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Magin-170

6. Rachel Mary Magin  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Magin-176

7. Richard Henry Magin https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Magin-172

8. Thomas Matteson https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Matteson-245

9. Worden Matteson https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Matteson-687

10. Samuel D. McCain https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCain-765

by Jennifer Robins G2G6 Pilot (253k points)
edited by Jennifer Robins
+10 votes

I'm in!  I have a Mullins line that needs some love!

Working on:

Joseph Mullins (1739 - aft. 1840)

Completed:

1. Laura Elizabeth (Mullins) Ulmer (1888 - 1929) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mullins-4138

2. Hester Ann (Manning) Mullins (1859 - 1937) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Manning-4955

3. Anderson Richardson Mullins (abt. 1856 - 1937) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mullins-4139

4. John Marbrook (1721 - 1801) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Marbrook-2

5. Can I enter a space page?  It is all "M" for "Mullins" and I sure prettied it up :-) "Proof of descent from John Mullins 1718 to SJ Baty" - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Proof_of_descent_from_John_Mullins_1718_to_SJ_Baty

6. Rebecca McCaslin Bray (1793 - 1854) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCaslin-487

7. John Miller Sr. (1758 - 1819) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Miller-53931 and attached to his profile, a space page with a transcription of his will: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:The_will_of_John_Miller_Senior_1758_to_1819

8. Thomas Richardson Mullins (abt. 1822 - aft. 1900) - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mullins-4144

by SJ Baty G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
edited by SJ Baty

What is keeping me from this month's challenge:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hasty-523

It was an itch that needed scratching! Now that his profile is complete, I can start working on my Mullins profiles! smiley

Any from the El Paso area?
My Mullins all went to Tennessee.
+8 votes

I'll participate this month.

  1.  Donald Thompson Miers
by Star Kline G2G6 Pilot (720k points)
edited by Star Kline
+8 votes
This is easy. I am in.
by Living Stroud G2G5 (5.5k points)
+8 votes

I am in for this month

1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ainsworth-20 married name Morton - Genealogically Defined

2. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Morton-915 husband of the above -- Genealogically Defined

3. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Morton-8133 father of Morton-915 a work in progress

4.https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bratt-394 married name Molesworth

5.https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Molesworth-34 husband of the above

6. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Coleman-4517 married name Mowlem Post merge clean

7. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mowlem-17 husband of the 

8. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Crane-1034 married name Medler post merge clean

9. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Medler-12 husband of the above post merge clean

10. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Medler-35 son of the above post ged com clean

11. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Medler-31 brother of the above post ged com clean

12. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mallinson-187  post merge clean up and sourced add parents profiles to wikitree.

13. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mallinson-253 - father of above a work in progress

14. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Owen-8240 - wife of the above Martha (Owen) Mallinson a work in progress

15. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Michell-72 -  Genealogically Defined

16. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Michell-591 son of the above created and sourced - work in progress

17. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Michel-1338 duaghter of Michell-72 - work in progress

18. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Burstow-4 Wife / Mother of the above

19. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-852

20. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ash-564 Mrs Mackenzie wife of above 

21. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-853 work in progress

22. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-1207 work in progress

23. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Heffernan-117 wife of Mackenzie-853

Think this months challenge takes me to 100 profiles

by Janet Wild G2G6 Pilot (331k points)
edited by Janet Wild
Wow Janet, that's amazing!
Thanks unfortunately I am a stuck on some to make them Genealogically Defined, but hope in the next day or to to be able to mark a couple more as such

Several need a profile(s) added but need to come back and review the ones I have done first

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