Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- A Genealogy Fun Day

 Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night Again - 

Time For Some More Genealogy Fun!!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 

1)  When was the last time you had Genealogy Fun?  It could be research, conferences, a society meeting, or just talking with friends about your research, a favorite trip, etc.  Tell us about a recent genealogy fun day!

2)  Share your answers on your own blog or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Here's mine:

It seems like I have Genealogy Fun almost every day that I read blogs, write blog posts, do some research on Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast and FamilySearch.  Here are some of my recent FUN efforts:

1)  I was asked a month ago by the Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County if I would give a presentation on "Randy's Top 10 Genealogy Search Tips."  I last did that talk in 2020, so I had to review and revise the presentation and then sync it to the revised handout.  That didn't take very long, since I used the same tips, but had to replace some screen captures.  I gave the talk on Tuesday this past week on Zoom, and the audience had favorable comments.  Amazingly, I had a call to give another talk to another California society on Thursday, and said yes.  I haven't given a presnetation since late 2021, so I was a bit rusty.  I do lead two monthly Zoom meetings for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society using Zoom but without a prepared presentation - it's usually a tour of genealogy-related websites or programs. 

2)  I was an early adopter (2011?) of the WikiTree shared tree - it's FREE, it's source centric, what's not to like?  In 2011 and 2012, I uploaded about 7,000 profiles using GEDCOM files to add all of my anxcestral families (as I knew at the time) and hoped someone else would make the Notes and sources readable because I couldn't figure out how to format the information after uploading them.  I added more profiles over time, but still don't know how to do it efficiently and with a readable exposition of notes and sources.  

Then I was asked last month if I would agree to be a "guest star" for a WikiTree Challaenge, and I accepted.  The Challenge is a contest for registered researchers is to add person profiles to the WikiTree (now 38 million strong) that are within 7 degrees of myself (but not living people), to improve existing person profiles, and also to try to solve some of the brick walls" in my tree.  I had, at the start of the challenge on 2 May, 1113 "Connections" that are 7 degrees or closer to me.  In the week of the challenge, which ended on 9 May, I now have 2457 "Connections."  It helped that I connected my wife to her parents and those lines were pretty bare in WikiTree, and now those branches are fuller.  The WikiTree Challenges have four Zoom meetings - three during the Challenge week (they were on 2 May, 4 May and 9 May) and the big Reveal with results is this coming Thursday (16 May).  The Zoom meetings are on YouTube after they are held - check out the WikiTreers YouTube channel at   https://www.youtube.com/@WikiTreers.

So what was the Genealogy Fun?  Well, I was able to add some profiles to my RootsMagic tree based  on the research, and source citations, of the contestants.  The other fun was learning more about the efficient ways to add profiles, notes, sources and biographies using user-developed apps, and how to better navigate around the WikiTree system.  

3)  One of the improved WikiTree profiles was for my great-grandaunt, Effie Eva Carringer (1858-1874) who is buried in Boulder, Colorado.  The contestant found more information about her, and when I did more research about her and I found a story on GenealogyBank about her gravestone being restored by volunteers back in 1999.  I contacted the person who took photogreaphs of the broken gravestone on Find A Grave, and learned more about the gravestone.

I've had more fun, but will save them for a future SNGF.

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