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Toddlin' Tortoises Team Page

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Two tortoises, Hertyl and Spertyl, both wearing multi-coloured running shoes, are surrounded by icons representing particular "events". In the upper left corner is the Scan-a-Thon icon (3 bodies running with piles of scanned documents), in the upper right is the Source-a-Thon icon (3 bodies running with file folders). In the upper center is a multi-coloured puzzle tree, representing the Connect-a-Thon, while below it and to the right is the Clean-a-Thon icon (three bodies with cleaning implements (bucket and paint roller, duster, and broom)). To the lower left of the puzzle tree is a slow-moving steam train, representative of the Tortoises working slowly and thoroughly. (The puffs of "smoke" issuing from its stack are actually the WikiTree DNA helix tree logo, and barely seen along the wheels of the train carriages are the words "slow train".) Curving above the jigsaw puzzle tree are the words "Toddlin' Tortoises", while beneath the whole is the phrase "we get there in the end".
Toddlin' Tortoises — we get there in the end (or, Hertyl and Spertyl get movin').

Contents

Who / What are the Toddlin' Tortoises?

A non-regional "challenge" Team — the intention of which is to enhance the overall health of the Tree, using a "whole profile approach", where speed is NOT a factor.
If you like to participate in the 'Thon events, but no longer sign up because you feel "guilty" at dragging down your Team's score — then this just might be the Team for you!
If you have never participated in any 'Thon because you are "slower than a wet week" — then consider how slowly tortoises move!
Everyone is welcome, especially people who just like to work at their own pace, not bothered if the Team comes "last", so long as what they do is the best that can be done at the time.
Tracking down people in a census, and worried it'll take "too long"? Don't worry about it. The more information, the better — and the greater the chance it will help someone else find a "missing" someone they have been looking for and unable to find.
The Team is committed to a "whole profile approach" ideal — where we don't just add a source to satisfy requirements and think, "I'll come back later and fill the rest in" (because we almost never do — due to rabbits and squirrels and shiny things). Our commitment is to make each profile as "complete" as we can do at the time of creation (because no profile is ever truly "finished", as there are new resources released all the time, or new information that surfaces).
Remember — the goal is to HAVE FUN while enhancing the overall health of the Tree. It doesn't matter if we come last. In fact, if we DO come last, we'll have made every other Team look good! (Who could ask for more?!)

Tailor Made?

Reasons why you might be tailor-made for the Toddlin' Tortoises Team – or why the Tortoises might be tailor-made for you!
  1. You find yourself planning on just adding a source, or two, but get distracted by finding sources for siblings, parents, grandparents, in-laws, parents of in-laws . . .
  2. You find one of the children is missing from a family census, so you go looking for said child. On finding they were at boarding school that year, you check for the headmaster/headmistress, and the teachers, then get led down a different path (dratted rabbits!) trying to find the wife of the headmaster. Then discover said headmaster was quite well known, although not "Notable", and follow the leads to where you find the previous five owners of his property.
  3. You find that a husband and wife died on the same day, and so go looking for the reasons. Was it a murder-suicide? Was it a house fire? Was there an auto accident? An air disaster? A pandemic, or an epidemic? Were there any children? If so, did they also die at the same time? Hours (or days) later you "wake up" and realise the 'Thon ended last week, and you only worked on half a profile.
  4. You go to FamilySearch to find a few sources, and you spend the next several hours de-tangling conflated relationships and merging the duplicated parents of 16 children (because someone (or several someones) just had to create separate parents for each child).
  5. You make plans, and start amassing the sources needed to either remove the {{Unsourced Template}}, or to create profiles to attach to existing profiles, in preparation for an upcoming 'Thon — then find yourself adding those sources, or creating those profiles, because you just can't sit on them any longer. Then you have to start all over again, because the next 'thon is only a couple of weeks away.
  6. You have a great biography written up, with citations for every event, and a brilliant expository Research Note for "x" event, when you decide to do "one last check" for possible sources — and you find that "missing" source, thus wiping out the Research Note you'd spent an hour or more writing up so it was "just so".


What Are The Different 'Thons?

Hertyl and Spertyl Slowsky Tortoises are standing in front of the Source-a-Thon running logo. The one on the left has a bottle of sauce upended and dripping, while the other holds a spoonful of sauce, also dripping. Between them is a large bottle of sauce. Above and between them are the words "Toddlin' Tortoises Source-a-Thon".
Hertyl and Spertyl, getting all Saucy Source-y.
Hertyl and Spertyl Slowsky Tortoises are standing in front of a multi-coloured puzzle tree. In the upper area behind the tree are two very spiffy looking sport coats. Above and between the whole are the words "Toddlin' Tortoises Connect-a-Thon".
Hertyl and Spertyl Connecting the pieces.
Hertyl and Spertyl Slowsky Tortoises are standing in front of a group of CaTs with various cleaning implements. One Tortoise has a fluffy duster, while the other is wielding a broom. Above and between the whole are the words "Toddlin' Tortoises Clean-a-Thon".
Hertyl and Spertyl Clean up a Storm.
  • Whatever-a-Thon (page to come)


Current 'Thon

✩ The 2024 Source-A-Thon.
Previous 'Thons
     ✬ Check with the other pages for their current, or past, members.)

How to Join

✩ You need to register in advance — and each 'Thon has a separate registration, so signing up for a Clean-a-Thon does NOT mean you are registered for the Connect-a-Thon, or the Source-a-Thon, nor for any subsequent Clean-a-Thons.
Go to the signup post in G2G and click on the ADWP2-128.png "button". (A link to the current 'Thon will be added when one is available.)
In your answer, say something like "Please sign me up for the "Toddlin' Tortoises", or "I'd like to join Hertyl and Spertyl", or just "Tortoises, please", or anything similar that identifies this as your chosen Team, and you will be added to the team list.
★ Be sure to click that large answer button, and not the comment link, as that won't count – and don't reply to someone else's answer, as that won't count, either.


Team Members

Two tortoises, Hertyl and Spertyl, are preparing to enter an event. The one standing on the right is wearing deep-plum coloured running shoes, while the one on the left has cyan-blue running shoes. The words "Come along, then, Spertyl" appear on the upper left, while the words "What's the rush, Hertyl" appear on the lower right. A ribbon with the caption "whole profile approach" shows across the shoulder of the lower tortoise, the trailing end of which leads to the words "Toddlin' Tortoises", on a curve to the right. The words "we get there in the end" are placed at the bottom of the tableau.
Toddlin' Tortoises —
Hertyl and Spertyl
Team Captain Badge with Hertyl and Spertyl on the left.
  1.   Hertyl
  2.   Spertyl
  3.   Melanie ★ Data Doctor, Connector, Sourcerer, pre-1700 qualified, participant in the WikiTree Challenge 2021. ★ Project Member of — Australia, New Zealand, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England, Remember the Children, Black Heritage, Notables, ANZACs, Military & War.   ★
It is expected the membership list will not be static, so each 'Thon will have its own separate list — even if they are all duplicates of each other. (Please check the other pages for their current, or past, members.)

How Do We Communicate?

Primarily on G2G, in the specially designated thread for each 'Thon — although if there are those who wish to use Discord, or some other method, just let it be known and it can be added here as an alternative.
G2G "button" : check the current 'Thon page for the G2G link.
Chat icon for "Discord" : check the current 'Thon page for a link (if there is one - right now it's just to the Wikitree server).


On what can I work?

  • Start with your own extended family members — aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and other offspring of grandparents, siblings and offspring of great-grandparents, etc.
  • Any other people you like, so long as you can find accurate sources for them, as every profile needs at least one source, even when it's not a Source-a-Thon.
  • If you're concerned that all your work will be "lost" by someone else editing the profile on which you are working — just click the "draft save" beneath the biography text box, and there will be a 30-minute moratorium on anyone else editing that profile. Don't forget to then click "FULL save" when you are done, or those edits won't show to anyone else.
  • Each 'Thon has different requirements, so for the Source-a-Thon, you'd look for profiles in the Unsourced category; for the Connect-a-Thon — if you don't already have a list of your own — you can look for people listed in the Needs Profiles Created category (just be sure your "starter" profile has existed for at least a week prior to the 'Thon); for the Clean-a-Thon, you'd look for the suggestions list.


Whole Profile Approach

Q : What do we mean by "whole profile approach"?
A : Every person has, at minimum, two recorded life events — their birth, and their death. So we chronicle those events, with backup sources (primary, where possible, secondary, if not; or a combination of sources that verify the event (newspapers can be good for this)).
        Sometimes, however, only the birth, or only the death can be verified in documents. This is when it is most important to be as thorough as possible in clearly documenting every other aspect of the person's life that can be done.
• Large numbers of people also have other recorded events: baptisms, funerals/burials, marriages, children, education, religious professions, and so on. Sometimes there were no recorded births, but there were baptisms, so the one can be used in place of the other. The same for deaths before registrations were normal, or required; so the burial record takes the place of the death registration.
• For each event in a life, we add whatever we can in the way of sources/citations that support our claims. We also use citations full enough that anyone else can find that same source. Source citations do not require a link to some online repository, but when they exist they can be helpful.
• We write as narrative a biography as we can, in chronological order. (If biography writing isn't your "thing", that's ok. Just chronicle the live events in chronological order, with their citations, and it should be fine.) Chronological order can be important for aligning sources to statements/facts, especially if the citations are in list form under the Sources header, and not attached to the related statement in the biography area.
    Chronological order also makes much more sense than having birth and death, followed by education, followed by burial, followed by a list of the children, followed by migration, followed by marriage. Sometimes it isn't possible to keep everything to a strict chronology — such as listing the children as an attachment to the marriage event. Mostly life intervenes, and children's births are actually interspersed between those events; but it's not always the best way to present such facts. It really depends on what the overall aim is meant to present — strictly chronological, or a narrative that flows.
• It is also helpful to add categories to profiles, as part of the "whole profile" ideal. Grouping people by location, or occupation, or migration, may help someone else find someone they have been looking for.
• For this same reason, it is helpful to other researchers to transcribe as fully as possible any census records there may be. It may take longer than some like to spend, and "clog up" a biography text area, but we don't do this for us, but for a future researcher who just might be looking for their "great-grand-uncle George H Smith, who had been a miner", and not finding him until they see "date of census, Geo. Henry Smith (43), coal miner, resident as a lodger in the household of Jas. Conquest, place name".
• Everything we can add, should be. For the sake of completeness, and for that future researcher.
• In addition, stickers can be a nice addition, but be careful if adding to profiles you do not manage. The rules regarding stickers mean that they can be removed at any time, and not replaced. There is also a limit of "5, but is better", so be very choosy regarding which stickers you wish to use to highlight life events. The "migrating ancestor" sticker is always a nice addition, as can be the veteran recognition stickers. Many countries also have the equivalent to a "born in" sticker - although the non-migrating ancestor sticker can also be used for this purpose.
• If using images in the biography text box, do consider those who use screen readers and cannot, therefore, see the images except as a blank space. Both {curly braces} and [square brackets] image codes have a parameter for "on mouseover 'floating' text", which allows for a description of the image to be presented in a form that a screen reader can pick up. Images within the body of this text box all have "alt text" added for that reason.
    If there are a number of images, and there is no wish to have them on the profile's right side causing what many refer to as "double vision", then consider a free space page to hold the images so they can be linked in the biography. (An example profile with an attached space page.) If you don't wish to create your own space page, feel free to utilise this one : No Double Vision, a home away from home for profile images. (NOTE: you cannot remove the Primary Image from the profile's right side pane, as that is the only image that must be on a profile.)
    Also be judicious in the use of primary images, and background images — particularly background images, as many have expressed extreme dislike of seeing them on profiles. Where possible, to minimise the "jarring" effect backgrounds can have for some folk, they should tile seamlessly. There are a number of images pages on Wikitree, where there are seamless images of varying colours and designs.
• A few examples of "whole profile approach" edits from the 2021 Source-a-Thon.
    • Elizabeth (Smith) Bird (abt.1853-1944)
    • Edward (Tate) Hills (1883-1950)
    • Bessie Margaret (Turner) Berry (1882-)
    • William Goodrich (1846-1938)
    • Annett Emma (Wynn) Perman (1829-1913)
✩ If you frequently copy and paste text that has tabs, or extra wide spacing, and you don't use one of the wonderful apps that does the formatting for you but manually remove all those tab indents and so on, consider using this wonderful web-based tool:
    • Text Fixer: Remove white spaces
✩ The same thing applies to if you manually re-case text from all upper case to sentence case, or all lower case to sentence case, or the reverse; consider using this wonderful web-based tool:
    • Convert Case


Hertyl and Spertyl Slowsky Tortoises face each other, with the words “Toddlin’ Tor-toises” above their heads, the words “think everyone is a” below that. Beneath that, and between Hertyl and Spertyl is the WikiTree globe — superimposed with the words "Won-derful WikiTreer" — and beneath the entire tableau are the words "and that We're all win-ners in the end". Because we are. Winners..
2023 TT award

Meet the Slowsky Family

(Thanks to Edison for the last name.)
Two tortoises, Hertyl and Spertyl, are preparing to enter an event. The one standing on the right is wearing deep-plum coloured running shoes, while the one on the left has cyan-blue running shoes they have yet to put on. Nobody knows which is Hertyl, and which is Spertyl — and they are happy to keep it that way.
A tortoise, with thick false eyelashes, and deep plum eyeshadow, is wearing cyan-blue running shoes. Nobody knows if this is the senior Hertyl, or the senior Spertyl — and they are happy to keep it that way.
Girrtyl Slowsky is wearing pale blue and orange running shoes. Girrtyl doesn't actually run anywhere, as most of their time is spent looking in the same place a dozen times, hoping to find that "one last thing" they just know is there — somewhere. Girrtyl is frequently the target of Hairryl's dizzying practical jokes, often ending up on their back, spinning slowly in circles. Upright for now, there are circular "dust trails" surrounding their feet — highly suggestive that someone, or something, is running circles around Girrtyl.
A tortoise — Wirrdyl by name — with heavily mascaraed eyelashes, is somewhat obsessed with making sure everyone knows that they focus on a "whole profile approach", as they go nowhere without a ribbon that proclaims as much.
A relatively newly hatched tortoise stands beaming at the world. Liddyll Slowsky is not yet old enough to be frustrated by life, and is determined to see the brighter side of things while upholding the family mantra of "whole profile approach", even without one of Wirrdyl's fancy ribbons.
A relatively newly hatched tortoise stands beaming at the world. Iddyll Slowsky is not yet old enough to be frustrated by life, and is determined to see the brighter side of things while upholding the family mantra of "whole profile approach", even without one of Wirrdyl's fancy ribbons.
Murrdyl Slowsky is possibly slower than even the slowest of the rest of the family, having developed a liking to "stop and smell the waterweeds". Murrdyl can frequently be found near old Gryndal Turtle's pool, claiming that the waterweeds there are sweeter, and more succulent, than anywhere else.
Grumpy old Gryndal Turtle snaps at just about everything, and everyone, anywhere near their pool of water. They are forever complaining that those "humongous clodhopper feet" of the Slowsky family are always muddying up the water. As Murrdyl is the one most likely near the pool — having a liking for the flowers and weeds that grow on its banks — it is most often Murddyl that gets the blame.
This is Hairryl. Hairryl is not a tortise. Hairryl is not a turtle, either. Hairyyl is a *gasp* HARE — white in colour. As seen here, Hairryl is running away from — or perhaps to — something unseen. Hairryl can frequently be seen running around Girrtyl Slowsky, making poor Girrtyl dizzy enough to fall over. Hairryl then laughs at Girrtyl lying on their back, spinning slowly in circles, before helping them back to their feet.
A slightly older than Liddyll and Iddyll, but still relatively newly hatched, tortoise stands with tears streaming down its face. Saddyll Slowsky, old enough to be frustrated when things are not "quite right", is nonetheless determined to uphold the family mantra of "whole profile approach", even without one of Wirrdyl's fancy ribbons.
Getting ready for a 'Thon is stressful enough, but it is worse when one can only find one shoe of two different pairs. Hertyl — or Spertyl — is frustrated that someone seems to be playing a practical joke by leaving one cyan-blue, and one deep plum shoe for them to wear. An offense against sartorial elegance, despite the fashionable ribbon bearing the words "whole profile approach" being across the body! (Square in shape, with a yellow background; the words "Toddlin' Tortoises" at the top, and "We get there in the end" at the bottom.)
Getting ready for a 'Thon is stressful enough, but it is worse when one can only find one shoe of two different pairs. Hertyl — or Spertyl — is frustrated that someone seems to be playing a practical joke by leaving one cyan-blue, and one deep plum shoe for them to wear. An offense against sartorial elegance, despite the fashionable ribbon bearing the words "whole profile approach" being across the body! (Round in shape, with a green and yellow background - yellow to the top, pale green below; the words "Toddlin' Tortoises" at the top, and "We get there in the end" at the bottom.)
Hertyl and Spertyl sr, or Hertyl sr and Spertyl, in full racing form with their bib # 000-1/2.
Hertyl and Spertyl sr, or Hertyl sr and Spertyl, in full racing form with their bib # 000-1/2, and Wirrdyl's we win at the wrong end WPA ribbon.


Hertyl and Spertyl Slowsky Tortoises face each other, with the WikiTree globe — superimposed with the words "Wonderful WikiTreer" — between them. Beneath the Tortoises are the words "We're all winners in the end".
Oct 2021 TT award
Hertyl and Spertyl Slowsky Tortoises face each other, with the WikiTree DNA-tree globe — superimposed with the words "Wonderful WikiTreer" — between them. Beneath the Tortoises are the words "We're all winners in the end".
January 2022 TT award
Hertyl and Spertyl Slowsky Tortoises face each other, with a large gold winner's trophy between them. Beneath the Tortoises are the baby Slowsky's, Liddyll, and Iddyll, holding the words "Wonderful WikiTreer" between them, and behind the phrase, superimposed upon the trophy, is the WikiTree DNA globe icon. Beneath the entire tableau is the phrase "We're all winners in the end".
Oct 2022 TT award






Images: 112
Toddlin' Tortoises
Toddlin' Tortoises
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
Toddlin' Tortoises — Hertyl and Spertyl
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Comments: 19

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Ferraiolo-2 Chris Ferraiolo
I bring good tidings from your friends in Team Italy! Great job in the thon! By working together, we're really all on the same team. Great work! See you next thon!
posted by Chris Ferraiolo
Ferraiolo-2 Chris Ferraiolo
I bring good tidings from your friends in Team Italy! Great job in the thon! By working together, we're really all on the same team. Great work! See you next thon! (Turtle Power!)
posted by Chris Ferraiolo
Huggins-2519 Laura (Huggins) Ward
I love the tortoise family illustrations!
posted by Laura (Huggins) Ward
Paul-5413 Melanie Paul
Thanks, Laura. I have fun creating them. Smile smilie (black and white).

(They don't come close to your sticker images, though.)

posted by Melanie Paul
Grogan-1083 Cheryl Grogan
This is such a great idea for a team. Love the illustrations that are included.

Cheryl

posted by Cheryl Grogan
edited by Cheryl Grogan
Paul-5413 Melanie Paul
My problem is knowing when to stop with the images. The little imp that lives in my brain starts prodding at the art bug that shares that living space, and things happen. Even for other Teams. Poke-tongue smilie (black and white).

See here, here,and here for just some examples of the imp-plus-bug situation.

posted by Melanie Paul
Smith-32867 Jillaine Smith
OMG. Just learned of you. I love this. Totally love this idea.
posted by Jillaine Smith
Paul-5413 Melanie Paul
Thanks, Jillaine. We've had fun so far.  :)
posted by Melanie Paul
Paul-5413 Melanie Paul
I wish I could move the five congratulatory comments over to the Source-a-Thon page.
posted by Melanie Paul
Stutz-25 Judi Stutz
On behalf of "Little Team on the Prairie":

I want to thank you and your team's efforts during the 2021 Source-a-Thon!

posted by Judi Stutz
Williams-47589 Joan (Williams) Whitaker
Hi

Well, it was a fun weekend, we hope you enjoyed yourself. Thank you for joining the fun. The total overall figure was 56,972 profiles sourced.

Thanks again for this weekend, we look forward to working with you on the next Thon

Mighty Oaks

posted by Joan (Williams) Whitaker
Carruth-363 Linda (Carruth) Peterson
Thanks for a great Team. You guys did fantastic!!

Nor'Easters Team

A Nor'Easter
posted by Linda (Carruth) Peterson
Silva-1055 Mindy Silva
Thank you Toddlin' Tortoises for participating in the 2021 Source-a-Thon. You added 435 sources and made our global tree healthier in the process. It was an honor to work with you!

Mindy Silva & Sandy Patak

Team Virginia
..... (¯`v´¯)ღ
.......•.¸.•´
....¸.•´
... (
(\_(\
(=' :')ღღ
(,(")(")ღღ
posted by Mindy Silva
Robinson-27225 Azure Robinson
Thanks for participating in this year's Source-a-Thon!

Western Red Cedars

posted by Azure Robinson
Korte-201 Marcie (Korte) Ruiz
I think I have found my 'Thon home. I am #4 - I just can't leave FamilySearch alone.
posted by Marcie (Korte) Ruiz
Paul-5413 Melanie Paul
I added that reason because there was this one family that had something like 12 kids, and each child had a separate set of parents. I TRIED to leave it for someone else, but my CDO (OCD correctly alphabetised!) wouldn't allow it. Hours later I finally got to the person I was actually researching. (Hours because I could not simply merge the profiles, I had to check that the data were correct.)
posted by Melanie Paul

Categories: Source-a-Thon | Connect-a-Thon | Challenges Teams