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Appalachia Project Newsletters - 2024 Archive

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Category: Appalachia Project Appalachia Project || Appalachian News | 2022 Archive |2023 Archive | 2024 Archive | 2025 Archive


This is the archive of previously published issues. For comments about back issues, see the Archived comments on the Appalachian News page.

Contents

Appalachian News

Fourth Quarter Issue

Members

Welcome New Members
October 2024
Darlene Canada
Vanessa Morgan
Nancy Brogan
November 2024
Eugene Foster Jr
Danita (Burkett) Zanrè
Jim Carney III
Linda (Dobbins) Johnson
Michelle Rhodes
Stephanie (Hamilton) Dwyer
December 2024
De Anna Overcast
Rick Bennett
Stacy Groff-Alfrey
Peg (Hough) Wienke
Janet (Adams) Demcoe
Laura Gayle Green
Heather Brown
Lisa (Cox) Parker
Carolyn Murray
David Roman
Marilyn Colley
Betty Compton
Heather (Greer) McDaniel


Shelley Monson

Member Spotlight: Shelley became a Wiki Genealogist in October 2021.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
I started out helping my mother doing research, cranking the microfilm readers at the Family History Center, when I was in my teens. After I graduated college and started working, I didn’t have much time for genealogy for quite a few years, then picked it up again after my mom’s death, when I inherited all her genealogy files. During lockdown, genealogy suddenly became a major activity for me, since I could do quite a lot without leaving the house!
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I’m a big history buff, and do a lot of historical re-enactment in various periods. As part of this, one of my biggest interests is in historical costuming. I also enjoy knitting, crochet and quilting, and love to travel.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1825557/member-of-the-week-shelley-monson
Did you know that Shelley regularly participates in Elizabethan re-enactment groups?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Shelley this month!


Sven Elbert

Member Spotlight: Sven became a Wiki Genealogist in March 2022.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
When I was a teenager, my uncle shared a fascinating story about some distant Elbert cousins who had emigrated to the United States. Back then, we had an atlas in school, and I vividly remember flipping through the pages and finding Mount Elbert on the map of the United States. I couldn’t help but wonder—was that mountain named after our relatives? That curiosity was the spark that ignited my interest in genealogy.
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I enjoy spending time with family and friends, which always brings a sense of joy and relaxation. Gardening is my way to unwind after a long day, even though I’m not exactly a green thumb and probably should devote more time to it. I love being out in nature, travelling to new places, and listening to music. Metallica is my all-time favourite band, but my taste in music is quite diverse, and I find myself enjoying a wide range of genres. Genealogy has also sparked a keen interest in history, allowing me to dive deeper into the past and understand the world my ancestors lived in.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1823163/member-of-the-week-sven-elbert
Did you know that Sven has coal miners in his family that travel to Appalachia Pennsylvania? Another project I’m supporting is the Holocaust Project. Initially, I intended to focus on the victims from Osnabrück, but I’ve since become more involved in the Another project, Auschwitz 2025 Initiative, where I’m now dedicating most of my efforts.
Stop in Appalachia Discord or the Germany Project on WT Discord and say hi to Sven Elbert this month!


Kristin Anderson

Member Spotlight:Kristin became a Wiki Genealogist in April 2019.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
I would say that I have been interested in family history since I was a small child. I have a great aunt who every holiday, would give me a picture of a relative and say oh that was so and so. She also would say we were descendants of General George Rovers Clark but never how we were related and that drove me crazy, so I decided to investigate it. At least according to WikiTree I may finally have an answer, George and I are supposedly 1st cousins 8 times removed.
What is your nickname?
So in the Appalachia Project I am known as the Queen of Tabs because I may have over a 100 browser tabs open at any given time. I do occasionally x out of them but then I fall down a rabbit hole and end up doubling what I originally started with.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1817916/member-of-the-week-kristin-anderson
Did you know that Kristin regularly visits and documents cemeteries and cleans the tombstones? She is also digitizing Franklin County, KY yearbooks.
Stop in Discord and say hi to Kristin (Williams) Anderson this month!

Project

Appalachia Project Profile Completeness Our Project's 2025 initiative is to tell the stories of our own ancestors and family members. Learn how to add rich details to a biography, categories, and dig into the unindexed source records to discover hidden gems from your ancestor's life. Check out Eric Stamper's Profile Map.

Kicking off this exciting event was January's Zoom

Appalachia Profile Completeness Challenge. Eric S was this month's guest as he discussed ways to complete your Ancestor's profiles with the FamilySearch Catalog and Indexes not found without searches. Go beyond just adding sources and an Auto Bio.

To watch the recording, click here. If you are already on our Project's Google Group, you can access the recording of the Zoom Meeting. If you can not access it, please contact Sandy for access.


Projects Related to Appalachia:

Appalachia Roots Team Page

WikiTree's first Connect-a-Thon of 2025 is coming up! The goal of our 72-hour marathon: bring the world closer together by adding missing relatives to existing profiles.General Information and Register on any team and to register on our Appalachia Roots Thon Team, click here.

The event starts on Friday, January 17th at 8AM EDT (1pm UTC) and runs until Monday, January 20 at 8AM EDT (1pm UTC).
Register for the Appalachia Roots team.

Appalachia Roots Thon Team Page and Thon Team Discord and Chat Page (for those not on Discord)



Join us for our Annual Thon Tune Up on Zoom!

We will show you how to quickly add profiles, with sources, to WikiTree as well as a few tips and tricks to help you with the Connect-A-Thon and WikiTree, in general. You don't want to miss this opportunity to also get your “How To” questions answered!

Thon Tune Up Zoom: Saturday, January 11th, 2025 @ 1pm (EST) / Dublin: 6pm / Berlin: 7pm ( Time Converter ). Click on the link to join: meeting
Join the meeting.



Project Page of the Month - Appalachia Project Memorial Page: Sadly, our Project lost it's first members in 2024. In memory of our cherished project members who are no longer with us, we honor their invaluable contributions, passion, and dedication to the Appalachia Project. Their work continues to inspire us, leaving a lasting legacy that shapes our endeavors today.
Joan Carter
Ron Robinson
Cynthia Bryant


WikiTree Tip - Merge/Edit with Sourcer.


Merge and Edit from #FamilySearch or #Ancestry to WikiTree profiles. A quick and easy way to compare existing data on a WikiTree profile AND add sources in one step. This feature will help you update an existing profile that might not have sources or very little information. Watch this very short video to learn how easy it is to update profiles.


Also, we highly recommend all three of these extensions be installed for Project work and to make your life easier around WikiTree.


Are you a new user of Sourcer? Watch a short video to understand on How To Add Profile to WikiTree via Sourcer and Exclude Extra Sources from Sourcer (only include sources for the profiled person and not all of their children).


Appalachia Trivia

🎶 Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam. To be correct the song should actually have used bison. Those are native to the United States. Buffalo are found in Asia and Africa.

We tend to think of them thundering through the Plains but our very own North Carolina was once the home to bison.

The Eastern band of Cherokees called them Yansa and utilized them for food, clothing, surgical instruments and war horns.



Appalachia

Catherine Sarah Wood Marshall LeSourd

Cultural Item: Catherine Sarah Wood Marshall LeSourd

Author Catherine Marshall wrote Christy (1967), based on her mother's childhood experiences as a missionary teacher in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It was turned into a TV Show.

She authored more than 30 nonfiction, inspirational, and fiction works.

She endured significant personal hardships, including the loss of her first husband at a young age and a battle with tuberculosis.

Read more about Sarah Catherine (Wood) Le Sourd and discover her many books and articles.

WikiTree

Ongoing/Monthly:

Footnotes

Have something you'd like to see covered? Post a comment to this page.

Third Quarter Issue

Members

Welcome New Members!
Joined in July 2024: Stephanie (Snyder) Freund Anne Fiordalisi Susan Caldwell Carey Given MaryAnn (Ford) Thomas John Brion Jr. Patricia Roche
Joined in August 2024: Heidi (Tucker) Glover Marie (Christy) Carpenter Katie Kaltenbach Karen Back
Joined in September 2024: Ann (Hughes) Burns Paul Baukema Pamela (Beatte) Tish Robby Nesbitt John Simmons Jr. Leigh Taylor PhD Madison Trenary


Cousin Jack Graham

Member Spotlight: Jack became a Wiki Genealogist in December 2019.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
As a school assignment, my niece was to draw her family tree. This was 60 years ago, so she couldn't just jump on the internet. Her father, my brother, asked around the family and found that an older 2nd-cousin had done quite a bit of this and had created a tree going back several generations. This solved the school assignment, yet my brother and I got interested and began pecking away at expanding that tree, off and on, mostly off, for many years.
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I was a patent attorney for 40 years, though I retired 25 years ago and don't keep up with that field. You would probably call me a fitness and outdoor enthusiast, though I've slowed with age.
I've run the Boston Marathon, been backpacking in the mountains, scuba diving, offshore sailing, workout at the gym several days a week, rowing on Town Lake. For a few years I've been teaching bridge classes, and playing duplicate bridge at local sanctioned games, and sometimes in tournaments.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1770580/meet-our-members-jack-graham
Did you know that the highlight of Jack's WikiTree career is the three-way tie for 1st place in the July Connect-A-Thon where three of us (Appalachia Roots Thon Team Members, Patty LaPlante and Jeff Ikler) carefully stopped at 2,222 new profiles?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Jack this month!


Doug Leeper

Member Spotlight: Doug became a Wiki Genealogist in Nov 2021..

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
It all started with my Aunt Hazel (Hazel Edith (Leeper) Webster), I used to get excited to go to her house and learn about the family history, back when she babysat when I was three years old, but I also remember she would go on for hours and it would get hard to keep focus. (The fancy multicolored hard candies with the ribbons in the fancy glass dish, as well as the pastel melty mints in the other dish was also an attraction…).
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
Mountain bicycling, hiking, hunting, gardening, raising littles as a single dad. And collecting U.S. Marine knickknacks (served +12 years).
Thank you for your service, Doug.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1767537/meet-our-members-doug-leeper
Did you know that Doug is also the Project Administrator of the Leeper Y-DNA study at Family Tree DNA?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Doug this month!


Judith Fry

Member Spotlight: Judith became a Wiki Genealogist in June 2022.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
It all started with my dad asking “How accurate does that book have to be?” when my brother and sister-in-law were filling in a baby book for their 1st child. This is when ALL found out he was adopted (only he knew). So, I got into genealogy to help my dad figure out who his birth parents were.
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I love to read—they know my mom and me at our local library. I love to do puzzles—jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, kakuro, and logic. And, I’ve been a NASCAR fan since the early 1990’s.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1761937/meet-our-members-judith-fry
Did you know that the majority of her ancestors were Appalachian?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Judith this month!

Project

100 Days of Appalachia Did you have fun participating in our first 100 Days of Appalachia? Do you want to do it again in 2025?

The 100 Days of Appalachia is a goal to focus on Genealogy and the Appalachia Project on WikiTree. There were Mini Challenges, Quick Tasks, Show and Tell, Brick Wall Weekends, Notables Improvement and more.

Let us know what you liked the best and the least. Do you any ideas on how we can improve this initative


Rocky the Thon Mascot
Projects Related to Appalachia:
Appalachia Roots Team Page

It's finally time for the big annual event, the Source-a-Thon. This is our ninth and we are still going strong. Last year we added sources to 77,292 previously-unsourced profiles! Can we beat that total this year? I know we can.General Information and Register on any team and to register on our Appalachia Roots Thon Team, click here.

The event starts on Friday, October 4 at 8AM EDT (Noon UTC) and runs until Monday, October 7 at 8AM EDT (Noon UTC).

Register for the Appalachia Roots team here.


Project Page of the Month - Appalachia Welcome Page: Did you know that there is now a Welcome Page for new members? This page is to help new members with a "cheat sheet" of the top important points of our Project. It is also a great space page to share with other members that might be interested in our Project.

WikiTree Tip - Add Categories when creating a new profile. The Category Picker lets you add categories when creating a profile. In the past, the profile had to be completely created and saved. Not any more! Watch this very short video to learn how easy it is to add categories.

Image Table display

Bonus Tip from Hacktoberfest: There is a new "Image Table" that works on profiles and space pages. This is a WikiTree Browser Extension feature that needs enabled. Once enabled, a pop up table is available for you to sort by date, location, name, and type. This was a Hacktoberfest 2024 request by a WikiTree'er.

Also, we highly recommend all three of these extensions be installed for Project work and to make your life easier around WikiTree.

Are you a new user of Sourcer? Watch a short video to understand on How To Add Profile to WikiTree via Sourcer and Exclude Extra Sources from Sourcer (only include sources for the profiled person and not all of their children).

Appalachia

George Washington Harris

Cultural Item: George Washington Harris

George Washington Harris (March 20, 1814 – December 11, 1869) was an American humorist best known for his character "Sut Lovingood," an Appalachian backwoods reveler fond of telling tall tales.


Harris is considered the greatest of Southern humorists before Mark Twain.

About the mid-1860's, Harris started writing numerous "Lovingood" sketches. In 1867, Dick & Fitzgerald published his Sut Lovingood:Yarns Spun by a "Nat'ral Born Durn'd Fool," a collection of twenty-four Lovingood tales. Sut was a shiftless, self-deprecating frontiersman.

Read more about George Washington Harris, Mr. Appalachia, and read Sut Lovingood for free (link at the bottom of his profile).

WikiTree

make sure to sign up for the WikiTree Symposium, November 1-3 Registration Now Open.
See the entire Symposium Schedule here. Sandy will be presenting twice on Saturday, November 2nd, 2024: More than Moonshine at 9am (EST) and Bonding Over Branches at 6pm (EST)

The October Source-A-Thon is this week! The goal of our 72-hour marathon: add sources to those lonely unsourced profiles. General Information and Register on any team. The event starts on Friday, October 4 at 8AM EDT (Noon UTC) and runs until Monday, October 7 at 8AM EDT (Noon UTC)


Click here to register.
Hacktoberfest is an annual event to encourage open-source projects on GitHub. Join the WikiTree Hacktoberfest! Whether you are a veteran open-source contributor, a programmer who has never contributed to a project on GitHub, or a beginner programmer, you can participate!

And for those who don't have any programming skills, we are planning on doing a weekly recap and live video chat so you can keep up with what is going on. Watch the weekly livecasts!



There are two Bingos this month. The Noon (EDT/EST) Bingo is called "Bingo Spaces". We show off those fantastic space pages that are hidden amongst the branches with a different WikiTree'er as a guest. The 6pm (EDT/EST) Bingo is our Historic Notables Bingo and every month is a different fun theme! This means you'll have 4 chances to win a beautiful Bingo Mug! Check out the Friday Night Bingo Schedule for 2024. WikiTree's Bingo Playlist on You Tube


16 for 16 Mission Help: 16 for 16|WikiTree's 16 for 16 Mission List To accept this mission of missions, first go to this G2G post and reply with answer. Something as simple as "I'm going to participate!" works fine. See this space page for additional details: 16-for-16 Tracker

Check out the 16 For 16: Appalachia Project Activities!
...and, check out our Maintenance Categories to help you finish your 16 for 16 Mission!


The RAWK Event Returns in December! New Host, our very own, Kathy Nava will be taking over RAWK. RAWK stands for Random Acts of WikiTree Kindness and it's a month long event in which a team comes together to expand the CC7 of five fellow WikiTreers who have been nominated by the community. To date we've RAWKED 35 WikiTreers over the course of seven events!


WikiTree October-November-December Events Are you looking for ways to get more involved, learn things, reach beyond your own branches or just do something fun? Check out all these things going on and find something that fits for you! We will keep adding as new things come up:


October:
November:
December:
Ongoing/Monthly:

Footnotes

Have something you'd like to see covered? Post a comment to this page.

Second Quarter Issue

Members

Welcome New Members! Joined in May 2024:

Elizabeth Schafer

Cynthia Shank
Joined in April 2024: Tim Stamps
Olivia Cunningham Willow Parish
Jeff Ikeler Holly (Lay) Yancey
Karita Blackwell Heather Jones
Sarah Palmer Ann (Atkinson) Sawusch
Deb (Burch) McCarter Donovan Brown
John Carollo Jr. Sarah Edwards
Anna (Walton) Grace Hilary Mason
Dustin Keys Becca (Brown) Cutsail
Laura (Huggins) Ward


Karen Lee

Member Spotlight: Karen became a Wiki Genealogist in in March 2023.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
It was a very roundabout process for me, but basically it came down to working with the practices of Ancestral Medicine which is a spiritual practice connecting with the ancestors and healing family lineages.
How did you get into "Ancestral Medicine"?
I had a traumatic childhood, and found refuge in the woods, where I developed a natural connection to the plants, trees and animals that lived there, that was in essence a spiritual experience, learning life lessons from owls, ancient oak trees, and all sorts of animals.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1732045/meet-our-members-karen-lee
Did you know that Karen is the Team Leader for the Kentucky Team on the US Black Heritage Project?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Karen this month!


Mark Lemen

Member Spotlight: Mark became a Wiki Genealogist in in January 2022.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
I suppose I've been interested in genealogy my entire life. My dad was interested in genealogy as well, and he did his research back in the 80's the old-fashion way - going to the library, contacting record offices, and talking to living relatives. He would then share what he knew with me and my brother when we were growing up. This inspired me to ask my grandmother lots of questions about her parents and grandparents. When she told me their names and that they came from a far away place called Germany, I was fascinated. When my dad passed away in 1994, I was determined to carry on with his work.
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I love traveling and exploring the world. Some of my favorite places include Greece, Iceland, New Zealand, Chile, road trips to U.S. National Parks, and many more. I've done some hiking in a lot of these places too. My absolute favorite was the 112 mile hiking trail through the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps on the Tour du Mont Blanc. I also love spending time with my family and my two new puppies.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1741004/meet-our-members-mark-lemen
Did you know that Mark's 10th great-grandmother and three of her daughters were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Mark this month!


Project

100 Days of Appalachia Have you been participating in our 100 Days of Appalachia? If not, it is not too late to join the fun!

The 100 Days of Appalachia is a goal to focus on Genealogy and the Appalachia Project on WikiTree. There are Mini Challenges, Quick Tasks, Show and Tell, Brick Wall Weekends, Notables Improvement and more. Every Day will be something to work on that is related to Appalachia or to help out other Appalachians.

Find out what each day's quest is by looking at the calendar. The Calendar will be updated every Sunday night for the week.


Rocky the Thon Mascot
Projects Related to Appalachia:
Appalachia Roots Team Page

The July Connect-a-Thon is coming up! The goal of our 72-hour marathon: bring the world closer together by adding missing relatives to existing profiles. General Information and Register on any team

The event starts Friday, July 19, at 8 AM EDT (12pm UTC) and runs until Monday, July 22, at 8 AM EDT (12pm UTC).

Register for the Appalachia Roots team here.


WikiTree Tip - Connect-A-Thon Rules. Are you new to the Connect-A-Thon (CaT)? Does a connecting a living person count? Do I only connect two existing (no)? Watch this very short video to learn the rules of WikiTree's CaT.

Remember: All WikiTree Profiles require reliable sources. For more information on what is considered a reliable source for our Project, click here. Also, we highly recommend all three of these extensions be installed for Project work and to make your life easier around WikiTree.

Prefer to watch a short video to understand Sourcer? Add Profile to WikiTree via Sourcer and Exclude Extra Sources from Sourcer (only include sources for the profiled person and not all of their children).

Appalachia

Cratis Williams

Cultural Item: Cratis Williams

Did you see that our very own Appalachian, Cratis Dearl Williams, was highlighted as a Featured Connection of the Week on WikiTree?

Cratis Dearl Williams, folklorist, ballad collector and singer, linguist, professor, and college administrator who became a specialist in the Appalachian culture of the region.

He is known as "Mr. Appalachia"' and considered the father of Appalachian Studies.

Williams was a staunch believer in Appalachians. He regularly discussed with students, at Appalachia State University, to not be ashamed of where you came from or who your ancestors are. Throughout his career Williams spoke, wrote and sang about the heritage of Appalachia.

When the US Federal Government was creating the Appalachian Regional Commission, Williams was the person they asked for to help them understand Appalachia and Appalachians. He fought to make sure the area was defined and the name was pronounced correctly. Williams stated that for the Commissioner of ARC to maintain credibility among mountaineers whom the commission was created to help, he must first "...learn how to pronounce Appalachia and Appalachian." (Correct pronunciation is: App uh LATCH uh)

Read more about Cratis Dearl Williams, Mr. Appalachia, and watch the video listed at the bottom of his profile.

WikiTree

WikiTree July Events Are you looking for ways to get more involved, learn things, reach beyond your own branches or just do something fun? Check out all these things going on in July and find something that fits for you! We will keep adding as new things come up: WikiTree Challenge 3, Global Spotlight with David (and Sandy is a guest host this month), Friday Date Night, Friday Night Bingo, and so much more! Check out the July 2024 calendar.

The Connect-a-Thon Sign Ups have arrived! This month, the Appalachia Project is asking all members to join the third Connect-A-Thon of the year! In the previous Connect-A-Thon held in April, we added almost 89,000 profiles to our big tree! Can we pass that number this time around?

The event starts on Friday, July 19 at 8 am EDT (Noon UTC) and runs until Monday, July 22 at 8 am EDT (Noon UTC) -- BUT you must sign up before the start! Registration will close on Wednesday, July 17 at midnight EDT. If you would like to join a Thon Team for the Connect-a-Thon, click here for details. It is a lot of fun!!


Due to popular demand, there are two Bingos every first Friday of the Month. The Noon (EDT/EST) Bingo is called "Bingo Spaces". We show off those fantastic space pages that are hidden amongst the branches with a different WikiTree'er as a guest. The 6pm (EDT/EST) Bingo is our Historic Notables Bingo and every month is a different fun theme!
This means you'll have 4 chances to win a beautiful Bingo Mug! For July, the Space Page discussion will be about Marian Serówka's Wartime, and the evening topic is "Come one! Come all!"
Play the "Come one! Come all!".
. WikiTree's Bingo Playlist on You Tube

16 for 16 Mission Help: 16 for 16|WikiTree's 16 for 16 Mission List To accept this mission of missions, first go to this G2G post and reply with answer. Something as simple as "I'm going to participate!" works fine. See this space page for additional details: 16-for-16 Tracker

Check out the 16 For 16: Appalachia Project Activities!
...and, check out our Maintenance Categories to help you finish your 16 for 16 Mission!

Our second annual WikiGames event is coming up later this summer. Our goal is to make our tree fuller and stronger and while also having fun and making some new WikiTree friends. Did you miss the signup for the WikiGames? Never fear! There will be short additional sign up period after the CaT. For more information, check out the link. NOTE: The WikiGames is over two weekends (including Labor Day Weekend).

The RAWK Event is on Summer Vacation The last RAWK, we had three Appalachians who were RAWKed. Our very own Project members, Eric Stamper, Jeremy Stone , and Mags Gaulden have been selected to be RAWKed. Our Project focused on increasing their CC7 throughout the entire month of April. Eric started with a CC7 of 1,254 and ended with 2,100. Jeremy started with a CC7 of 1,134 and ended with 2,078. And, Mags started with a CC7 of 2,450 and ended with 2,813.


Footnotes

Have something you'd like to see covered? Post a comment to this page.


First Quarter Issue

Members

Welcome New Members! Joined in December 2023:

Dawn Watson

Sarah Harrell
Joined in September 2023: Matthew Combs
Kathy (Stuewe) Zipperer Gail (Pickens) Martin
Jeremy Thorne Melody (Tanner) Clark
Lisa DeCarpio
Audrey (Hoppes) Martin Joined in January 2024:
D Armistead Monte Mccoy

Lyn Young
Joined in October 2023:
Emily (Boy) Holmberg Joined in February 2024:
Abby Edwards Reta McCollum
DC McCown Melodie Combs

S Esper
Joined in November 2023: Debbie Gambrell
B Hall Celia Marsh
Rosann Kent Dave Stern
Robert Hvitfeldt
Darrell Brown Joined in March 2024:
Marcia (Coffman) Hicks RN-Ret. Sandi Compton
George DeFrieze Connie (Chasteen) Pullen
Lea (Walker) Sullivan Chris Wine
Monica (Rienerth) Palmer
Allison Matz
Rebecca Kimberly


Pam Fraley

Member Spotlight: Pam became a Wiki Genealogist in in June 2018.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
For me it was going to the cemeteries on decoration day to clean and decorate the graves. I was only about 10 so I didn’t understand yet how it would affect me as an adult. I just knew how much I loved my Papaw and seeing his papaw's grave made me think how special he must have been because Papaw’s are special. When I stood by that grave as an adult I knew I wanted to honor his life somehow.
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I love spending time outdoors with my family and friends. Camping, hiking, and of course cemetery exploring. My children even take photos for me if they see one that they think I would like when I am not with them.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1696569/meet-our-members-pam-fraley
Did you know that Pam has ancestors from all over Appalachia, mostly from Kentucky and Tennessee?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Pam this month!


Audrey Hoppes

Member Spotlight: Audrey became a Wiki Genealogist in in Oct 2022.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?
When my great-grandmother passed away in August of 2006, I felt like I had missed out on a lot of the history of her family. I knew a few of her nieces and nephews but little else at the time. I remember that she always kept a diary and wrote back and forth to her many siblings that were all over Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Sadly, before I could get my hands on these invaluable documents and diaries, my grandmother threw them all away saying they had no value. That led me to start researching on my own to fill in the blanks of what I already knew. I joined Ancestry that same month.
What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?
I enjoy reading historical, religious, biographical, and geographical books, both fiction and nonfiction. I also am a little self-taught at playing piano. I also homeschool my son, who is now in high school.
Read the entire interview here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1722854/meet-our-members-audrey-hoppes
Did you know that Audrey is the first generation in about 200 years to not be raised Quaker?
Stop in Discord and say hi to Audrey this month!

Project

Appalachia Project Maintenance Categories category Maintenance categories group profiles in need of some particular type of work. They serve as project-wide to-do lists. Your help is welcomed on any of these.

NOTE: The Maintenance Categories already listed are the only Appalachia Project approved categories. Please do not create new Project Maintenance Categories.


Projects Related to Appalachia:
Battle of Point Pleasant
Battle of Point Pleasant Drawing

The only major conflict during Lord Dunmore's War was the Battle of Point Pleasant — which is also known as the Battle of Kanawha. This battle took place on 10 October 1774. It was mostly between Virginia militia and the Shawnee and Mingo tribes. The attack was near Point Pleasant West Virginia. The fighting was long and furious. Many men that that served at Point Pleasant continued their military careers into the American Revolution and onto high places in their communities.


WikiTree Tip - Removing yourself quickly from a WikiTree Profile. Have you ever wanted a quick way to remove yourself from a profile or a family of profiles?

The X Remove Me Button, when selected in the WBE Options, adds an X on profiles for which you are the manager. Double-click the X to remove yourself as manager.

This video shows you a super quick way to completely remove yourself from a WikiTree profile. 𝐖𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. Red X Marks the Spot
Play the Red X Marks the Spot.

Appalachia

Harry Monroe Caudill
Harry Monroe Caudill (1922 - 1990)


Cultural Item: Harry Caudill

Harry Monroe Caudill (1922 - 1990) Harry Caudill was an American author, historian, lawyer, legislator, and environmentalist from Letcher County, in the coalfields of southeastern Kentucky.
A common theme explored in many of Caudill's writings is the historic underdevelopment of the Appalachian region specifically poverty due to, his opinion, the coalmines.
Caudill's Night Comes to the Cumberlands is commonly referenced as a definitive source of Appalachia before 1962 when the US Federal Government Agency, Appalachian Regional Commission, was created.
While Caudill helped bring about change for poverty stricken Appalachia, he was also controversial with his belief in eugenics and the theory of dsygenics. Read more about Harry's fascinating life, here.

RAWK

Our very own Project member, Matthew Combs, was randomly selected to be RAWKED (Random Acts of WikiTree Kindness) during the month of February. He has deep roots in Clay County, Kentucky. There were some challenges with NPE, and the team was able to disprove a paternal relationship. One NPE is very close to being broken through with new DNA discoveries. Matthew's CC7 increased by 735, and he also received his 2,000 Connection Badge.

Another one of our very own Project members, Monte Mccoy, was randomly selected to be RAWKED (Random Acts of WikiTree Kindness) during the month of February. A lot of amazing discoveries occurred during his RAWK event, including source documentation and family connections being verified, cleaning up profiles to disconnect unsourced relationships and add sources prior to the start of the February RAWK event as well as continuing monitoring during the event. Monte's CC7 increased by 1,030, and he received his 2,000 Connection Badge.

One of our newest Project members, Dave Stern, was also randomly selected to be RAWKED (Random Acts of WikiTree Kindness) during the month of February. Six or more of Dave's family lines ended up being worked on. The RAWKERS were able to added several close connections, including one as close as 4 degrees. Appalachia Pennsylvania carried him over the 1,000 CC7 mark. Dave's CC7 increased by 659, and he received his 1,000 Connection Badge.

WikiTree

The Connect-a-Thon Sign Ups have arrived! This month, the Appalachia Project is asking all members to join the second Connect-A-Thon of the year! In the previous Connect-A-Thon held in January, we added almost 99,000 profiles to our big tree! Can we pass 100K this time?

The event starts on Friday, April 12 at 8 am EDT (Noon UTC) and runs until Monday, April 15 at 8 am EDT (Noon UTC) BUT you must sign up before the start! Registration will close on Wednesday, April 10 at midnight EDT.

If you would like to join a Thon Team for the Connect-a-Thon, click here for details. It is a lot of fun!!

The April RAWK Event has arrived! It lasts all month and we could use your help! This month, we have three Appalachians who have been selected to be RAWKed. Our very own Project members, Eric Stamper, Jeremy Stone , and Mags Gaulden have been selected to be RAWKed. Our Project will be focusing on increasing their CC7 throughout the entire month of April. Eric currently has a CC7 of 1,167, Jeremy currently has a CC7 of 1,130, and Mags currently has a CC7 of 2,450.

If you would like to volunteer to help those being RAWKED, click here. It is a lot of fun!! Don't worry if you forgot to sign up... you can still help out!

WikiTree April Events Are you looking for ways to get more involved, learn things, reach beyond your own branches or just do something fun? Check out all these things going on in April and find something that fits for you! We will keep adding as new things come up: WikiTree Challenge 3, Global Spotlight with David and Betsy, Friday Date Night, Friday Night Bingo, and so much more! Check out the April 2024 calendar.

Come join us for Bingo Fridays on the first Friday of each month, where you can play some bingo, learn a bit about one of WikiTree's many Notables, and discuss the History Topic of the Month. Make sure to catch this month's Friday Night Bingo. Two Bingo cards will be played at 6 pm ET (10 pm UTC) which means you have two chances to win the most coveted Bingo Mug! This month our Notable subject will be “Keene to Comfort”
Play the “Keene to Comfort”.
.

This is also a great time to get your questions answered about this topic.

WikiTree's Bingo Playlist on You Tube

16 for 16 Mission Help: 16 for 16|WikiTree's 16 for 16 Mission List To accept this mission of missions, first go to this G2G post and reply with answer. Something as simple as "I'm going to participate!" works fine. See this space page for additional details: 16-for-16 Tracker

Check out the 16 For 16: Appalachia Project Activities!
...and, check out our Maintenance Categories to help you finish your 16 for 16 Mission!

Footnotes

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