Meet our Members: Anneke Lilley

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Hi everyone!

It's time to get to know another one of our wonderful WikiTreers. This week's member is Anneke Lilley. 

Anneke became a Wiki Genealogist in February 2020. She is a member of the Kiwi Crew and active in our New Zealand Project.

When did you get interested in family history?

My mum has been into family history her whole life and I have picked up the mantle so that future generations can learn stories about their past. 

I have been interested in looking into my own family history for a while however I really caught the bug back in 2019, took a break and then caught it again in 2020. Ever since being part of the Kiwi Crew I have been hooked. 

I enjoy trying to build the stories of complete strangers and what their lives were like. I love learning about what the world was like when they were alive and the many experiences they had.

What are some of your interests outside of genealogy?

To be honest I don’t have very many. When I get the time, I really enjoy doing craft projects and teaching my dog all sorts of skills. We used to do agility, but my dog got too old so I spend a lot of time providing her enrichment and keeping her brain busy by taking her everywhere I can. 

What is your research focus?

When I first started my main goal was to expand my family tree and learn more about my family. However, it has recently shifted to try and tell stories of those in the past and connect them to the main family tree. 

My passion is showing people how much information can be accessible for their ancestors without having to pay a big chunk of money.

Are you are interested in certain surnames or locations?

I do not have any surnames that I research however I try to fill out family trees for those in New Zealand and see where their ancestors came from before coming to live in New Zealand.

Do you have a favorite ancestor?

I do not have a favourite ancestor per say however I have a soft spot for finding the journey across the world that my ancestors took to get to this little old country of New Zealand. 

[interview continues in comments]

Comments

What is your toughest brick wall currently?

My toughest brick wall is my great grandmother on my maternal side. I can find a lot of information from when she got married and after that but her life before that is unknown. 

What do you spend the most time doing on WikiTree?

I am very grateful and proud to be part of both the Kiwi Crew and the New Zealand Project. I spend most of my time trying to source profiles and give people the stories of their ancestors. I do a lot of work with the Kiwi Crew and offer to mentor people who want help in building up their tree or finding what research is already available and uploaded.

How can others help the New Zealand Project?

The New Zealand Project is pretty chill so I would encourage anyone to give it a go and learn more about our little country. We are all welcoming and have a passion on helping people to learn and create the most rounded profiles on WikiTree that they  can. 

Do you consider your work here to be part of your legacy?

My legacy (if I can even call it that) is introducing people to family history and seeing them get the bug. I am lucky enough to work in a place where people come to seek a variety of knowledge so when it is family or local history based, I always direct them to WikiTree and offer to help them get onboard.

What is your favourite feature or function on WikiTree?

My favourite feature is the “connection to me”. I love seeing how interconnected we all are and how random the connections can sometimes be.

Do you have a story about how someone was helped through your participation on WikiTree?

I use WikiTree all the time so being able to show someone the stories and research that have already been done on their family enables my community to feel empowered. I have helped find the missing link between families and give profile managers the tools to further their biographies.

Do you have a story about how you were helped through the work of others on WikiTree?

There are many. The Kiwi Crew has enabled me to feel less alone and when we are stuck on research, we can reach out to each other and together we can solve mysteries. They have also helped me to greatly improve my WikiTree skills and cemetery categories when I am being blind.

Through Campbell Braddock I have been able to learn so many stories about my paternal side of my family. S Rockell helps me all the time especially when I don’t know where to go next and is an awesome shoulder to lean on. Sorry I can’t mention everyone as I would be here forever. 

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Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get more involved in our community?

Just give it a go and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Reach out to those who work on profiles in your local area / country and see if they can help. If you can, I would highly encourage joining Discord and connecting with others on the forums there.

What could we do to inspire more people to participate in our mission?

I think we could inspire more people by sharing what we do on a regular basis. It is surprising how much you can relate to strangers just by talking about family / local history. 

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Really interesting, Anneke!

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Awesome write up.  You are spot on, the connections are amazing!

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Thanks for sharing, Anneke! Great work!!

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Thanks Anneke, a great story. The only one of my former students to get interested in genealogy, that I know about. 

Answer 1

Anneke!  Wow!  Loved your story!  Even though we are not related, you are truly 1 in a Million+!

I brought some flowers to celebrate the occasion!

Thank you for all you do!

Answer 2

Fantastic!!!!!    

Loved the writeup   

Answer 3

Thank you for all of the love 

Answer 4

Awesome interview Anneke!  Loved to get to know you better and to appreciate all that you do to assist your NZ mates.

We're 21* apart through your Cornwall people.

Keep up the amazing work Anneke. 

Answer 5

Hi there from Gisborne

Loved your write up & keep up the awesome mahi! 

Answer 6

Reading this interview with Anneke makes me wish I had a New Zealand ancestor  I do have some DNA matches there (albeit distant). Thanks for this interview.

Answer 7

Very Uplifting .. Anneke Lilly et C'est Bon Magnifique WikiTreer and Dog Lover !